Three Prayers for Ukraine

Posted on February 28, 2022 by revlisad

Benn-(Benejou-Rabinowicz--1905-89)--Psalm-120-7_900

Psalm 120:7 “I am for peace, but when I speak they are for war” From a French publication of paintings by Benejou Rabinowicz based on the Psalms entitled Benn

PRAYER: Hear Our Cry
Holy One, we recognize the deep pain of our world, in Ukraine and so many other places.⁠ We join those who mourn the tremendous loss of life and home, those who mourn the loss of freedom. ⁠
⁠
ALL: Holy One, we trust you weep with us. ⁠Your healing, saving work continues. ⁠
⁠
Hear our cry for those running to a new home in a new place. Bless and provide for all who are welcoming the refugees, especially the children separated from their parents. ⁠
⁠
ALL: Holy One, we trust you welcome them. ⁠Your healing, saving work continues. ⁠
⁠
Hear our cry for those resisting the destruction and violence of the invasion, for those in Russia and Ukraine pushing back against evil, revealing truth from falsehood, for those trained to lay down their lives for love and justice and for civilians taking up arms to defend their beloved land.
⁠
ALL: Holy One, we trust you never abandon. Your healing, saving work continues. ⁠
⁠
Hear our cry for your work of peace to be fulfilled.⁠
No more war⁠
No more tears⁠

No more separation⁠
⁠No more tyrants

No more devastation⁠
No more death⁠
⁠
Jesus, save your beloved from overwhelm⁠ and occupation
Strengthen faith, hope, and compassion
We trust the triumph of your goodness and grace.⁠
For you are the Resurrection and the Life. ⁠
Amen. ⁠

PRAYER: Choices
Holy One,
Your word provides examples
Examples to follow and examples to avoid

You do not sugarcoat life
You reveal the destructive consequences
of vain, self-serving lives
You reveal the vicious injustice
of fear-full, pride-full, impulsive choices

We see this right now in Ukraine
and far too many other places in our world

We call on your mercy and healing
for faith-full living
Grant us and all people
compassionate, courageous, teachable spirits,
so we may choose your way and life
no matter the cost

In Jesus’ name we trust and pray
Amen

PRAYER: Calm Our Hearts
God our Refuge, calm our hearts when evil abounds
They run to lonesome places, screaming an alarm
Calm our hearts so we can find you above the fear

God our Strength, calm our hearts when evil abounds
They race to revenge, pounding with anger
Calm our hearts so we can hear you above the hammering

God our Help, calm our hearts when evil abounds
They rush to human strength, grasping for control
Calm our hearts so we can hold
to your way, your truth, and your life

Calm hearts in Russia and Ukraine
soften and open hearts
encourage and strengthen hearts
turn hearts to goodness and life

Calm hearts
So they may beat in unison with yours
So healing may flow into all brokenness
So hope may fill all devastation
So compassion and peace and unity may rise up among all people

God our Strength, our Refuge, our Help
We entrust our lives to you
We step forward with you in your saving work
Amen

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Three Prayers for Ukraine © 2022 You are welcome to use the original portions of this work in a worship setting with proper attribution. (by Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, http://www.revlisad.com) Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Prayer for Louisiana and Afghanistan

Posted on August 29, 2021 by revlisad

As we gather for worship, we recognize the deep pain of our world- Haiti, Cuba, the fires out west, Louisiana, Afghanistan, and so many other places.⁠
⁠
We join those who mourn the tremendous loss of life and home ⁠
⁠
ALL: Holy One, we trust you weep with us. ⁠Your healing, saving work continues. ⁠
⁠
Hear our cry for those who continue to live in destruction, violence, and oppression. Those running to a new home in a new place. And all who are welcoming the refugees ⁠
⁠
ALL: Holy One, we trust you welcome them. ⁠Your healing, saving work continues. ⁠
⁠
Hear our cry for American and Afghan families as they cry for their loved ones who died in the terror attack on the Kabul airport, as they pray those who remain are safe, as they wonder about 20 years of war and the future of that land.⁠
⁠
Hear our cry for those in the path of Hurricane Ida as they cry for the powerful storm to lessen, as they pray those who remain are safe, as they wonder about the destruction to come on the anniversary of Katrina.⁠
⁠
ALL: Holy One, we trust you never abandon. Your healing, saving work continues. ⁠
⁠
Hear our cry for your work of peace to be fulfilled.⁠
No more war⁠
No more storms⁠
⁠
No more tears⁠
No more separation⁠
⁠
No more evil⁠
No more devastation⁠
No more death⁠
⁠
Jesus, save us from helplessness⁠
Strengthen our minds, our bodies, our resolve. ⁠
We trust we are part of your healing, saving work. ⁠
⁠
Jesus, save us from overwhelm⁠
Strengthen our faith, our hope, our calling.⁠
We trust the triumph of your goodness and grace.⁠
For you are the Resurrection and the Life. ⁠
Amen. ⁠
⁠______________

You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Prayer for the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th Attacks

Posted on August 27, 2021 by revlisad

Image by David Mark via Pixabay

We come together with persons all over the world to remember the day our world changed. We come together in faith, in hope, in God’s infinite love.

Heavenly Father, we commend to your mercy and grace all who died in the September eleventh attacks and all who have died in the past twenty years while laboring to end terrorism.

In New York City: 2,342 persons
In Arlington, Virginia: 184 persons
In Shanksville, Pennsylvania: 40 persons
411 New York City rescue workers that day plus so many more from the aftereffects
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in the following years of war

Over 70 countries lost loved ones that day: family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, heroes. In the face of all this loss we claim your grace, your faithfulness, and your power to bring good out of evil.

Compassionate One, it’s been twenty years, yet the pain is fresh and the need is great. Comfort all who continue to mourn the loss of loved ones. Come with assurance and peace for all who remain traumatized, anxious, or fearful for the future. Come with protection and freedom for all who continue to live in the midst of hostility and oppression.

Bring wholeness and hope to every broken place- to broken bodies, broken hearts, and broken spirits. To broken relationships, broken systems, and broken faith.

Draw together leaders of every nation. Give them ears to hear your wisdom and the courage to respond. Inspire them to work together for peace, justice, and freedom. Inspire us, too.

Strengthen all who risk their lives to protect others. Guard and favor all who work to make your world a place of peace. Guard and guide us, too.

God of the Nations, hear our prayer for our enemies and for ourselves. Help us love and pray for those who hate us. We claim your abiding, your humility, and your strength as we strive to fulfill this call.

Save us from revenge, false teaching, and blind suspicion. Help us recognize our contributions to conflict. Help us understand the hurt that feeds the hate.

Change the hearts of all who seek their way by evil and violent means, by coercion and corruption and privilege, including our own. Create in us clean hearts that beat with your unconditional compassion.

Leave no one in the shadows of evil and death, O God.
Fill us all with your light and make us all instruments of your peace.

Our world remains a dangerous place, O God, but with you there is shalom and hope. With you there is persevering and purpose. You are our Rock, our Shield, our Defender forever.
Amen.
______________

You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

A Prayer for Bathsheba by Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Posted on July 23, 2021 by revlisad

by Wilkernet via Pixabay

I’m grateful to Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes for permission to reprint his work here. You’ll find it’s goodness in many posts throughout my blog. His faith-full work is a steadfast source of inspiration, challenge, and devotion for me. I cannot recommend it highly enough. You’ll find it at www.unfoldinglight.net. Consider subscribing. – Lisa <><

A Prayer for Bathsheba by Steve Garnaas- Holmes

So David sent messengers to get Bathsheba,
and she came to him, and he lay with her. – 2 Samuel 11.4

Let a cry of anguish go up
for those who have been brutalized,
whose trauma is hidden behind sedate words.

May the Holy Breath name
with tenderness and honor
those who have suffered rape and abuse.

Let a spirit of repentance lead us
to confess this crucifixion,
trust betrayed and power abused.

May a song of blessing arise
for those whose pain is belittled,
whose story is silenced.

Let the voice of light speak clearly
the terrors veiled in our texts
and masked by our power.

May the word of truth come home,
and break us of our adoration
of our heroes and their evil secrets.

Let the people’s prayers hold gently
the pain that flows like blood
among those who have been violated.

May the love of God enfold you, Bathsheba,
and all your sisters,
with healing, mercy and grace.
Amen.

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Tag Archives: injustice

Three Prayers for Ukraine

A Prayer for Bathsheba by Steve Garnaas-Holmes