Congregational Prayer 7/27
Holy and Gracious God we could spend hours in prayer today and it would not be enough to confess our sins, voice our concerns and needs and to express our gratitude and thankfulness. It is hard to know where to begin to pray with all that is going on in the world.
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We pray for the decision makers of Israel and Hamas that a solution would be found to the insanity of continuing to kill each other’s children and to treat the other as less than human. We pray for the almost four dozen (42) Israeli families and more than 7,047 Palestinian families who are mourning the death of a loved one or are coping with wounds suffered in the attacks of recent weeks.
We intercede for the people of Syria, Ukraine, Iraq, South Sudan, Libya, North Korea, and so many other countries who are suffering.
We lift up to you Christians in the Middle East, Africa, and China and other places who are being attacked, persecuted, and whose churches have been demolished or burned.
Our hearts ache for the family of the three children in Philadelphia who died while trying to help their church raise money for a playground after being hit by carjackers stealing a vehicle.
We pray for the children from so many countries in Central America who have been flooding our borders – we pray for their health and safety, the fears they surely have being far from home and parents, if they have them, and for their futures. We pray for our governmental leaders and their inability to reach a wise and appropriate solution to immigration in our country that allows a dangerous and unhealthy situation to continue unabated.
Looking at the evil, violence, abuse of power, lawlessness, corruption, and every kind of wickedness, hatred and ignorant stupidity that human beings display every week in nations all around the globe; we couldn’t blame you for feeling the way you did in the days of Noah when you wanted to wipe the earth clean of humanity and start over.
Holy God we pray for a transformation of individual hearts through a relationship with you; we beg you to begin with our own hearts and minds, our own speech and behavior which have proven to be so difficult to change. May our own inability to grow in Christ-likeness and to root out our own bad habits give us patience and understanding as we seek with your help to impact not only other people but institutions and even nations with the values of your kingdom; rather than the ones that currently guide so many into selfishness, callousness, and indifference.
In the midst of this crazy, mixed up world we pray for those who are trying to care for the grieving and the wounded, to feed and shelter those who are hungry and homeless, who are working to create solutions to problems rather than merely casting blame and aspersions on those with whom they disagree, we pray for those who are instruments of hope and peace as well as for those who are purveyors of fear and cynicism; we pray for those who bring light into the darkness of despair, as well as for those who demean and denounce without making anything better.
We pray for the impact of our congregation. In a world and a time such as ours the challenges are real and they are great and we ask that you would grant us wisdom and courage for the living of these days. Amen.