Ancient and Almighty God, your people are desperate and hurting. We are broken and lost. The suffering is more than we can bear. We are defeated. Our hearts are devastated with sorrow; empathy for our brothers and sisters consumes us all day long. We do not know where to begin, where to go, how to help, how to love. We are humbled and humiliated by Your Might: You are God. We are mere men. In the midst of our trials, the contrast could not be clearer. We bow in awe of the Author of Creation. We are reminded of your Supremacy and our utter helplessness.
Father of Mercy, enter into the misery and hurting of a needy people. By your unmatched authority, we beg you to dispatch legions of angels to comfort those who mourn, to strengthen the rescuers. Lift the veil of cold and callous hearts that they might, for the first time ever, experience the reality of a loving God. Patiently teach your church how to love those in desperation. Grant us boldness to respond to the images of New Orleans with confident supplication before the Throne of the King; the Only Hope and Help. Wrench us free of our utterly disgusting sin of turning our heads the other way while millions suffer. We confess our inclination to pretend we can go on living our lives the same. We repent of our self-exaltation, of our singular occupation with our own comfort. Teach us how to sacrifice out of love. Humble us before your Majesty that we might be used to minister to hurting people.
We rest on You, Jesus Christ. We praise Your Name. For where else can we go? Who else can can help? What other source of Hope is there?
1 comment:
Amen, Ben. Thanks for the prayer. It reads as if it were lifted from a Puritan prayer book.
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