Sundays after Easter
Prayer
Pastoral Prayers For All Seasons
Object:
Today, our Savior, we are remembering the thousands of people who have been injured or killed from violent acts of nature, in our country and our world. Though we don't know them personally, we now choose to take them to our hearts as a part of our church family.
We confess we don't understand, O God, the necessity of tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. We don't see how they are of any benefit. To us they bring senseless destruction and death. Our real question, beneath all the other questions we ask, is "Why do you permit such events to take place in your world?" If there are reasons for these calamities, or purposes served by their activity, we fail to see them. Whatever benefits there are, we speculate that they are far outweighed by their savage cruelty to your world and your people.
We don't fully understand your ways. You remain, in part, a mystery to us. We imagine that you don't see these events as we do. In your Word you reveal that whether we are dead or alive, we still belong to you. Also in your Word you teach that money, property, and "things" are not substitutes for placing our trust in you. We know that you attach greater importance to our loyalty to you, than to the amassing of power and wealth.
Perhaps you want us to know the full measure of our helplessness so that we will turn to you in unrestricted faith. Is it that you want us to know -- once and for all -- that belonging to you is far more important than anything, or anyone else, including ourselves? So it comes to us that you will go to any length to reveal the truth of life to us.
When our understanding and reason run out, we will hold fast to our trust in you. Though your world causes disasters we greatly fear, still we are yours. No violent tumult will wrench us from you.
Grant us courage, grant us wisdom for the living of these days. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
We confess we don't understand, O God, the necessity of tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. We don't see how they are of any benefit. To us they bring senseless destruction and death. Our real question, beneath all the other questions we ask, is "Why do you permit such events to take place in your world?" If there are reasons for these calamities, or purposes served by their activity, we fail to see them. Whatever benefits there are, we speculate that they are far outweighed by their savage cruelty to your world and your people.
We don't fully understand your ways. You remain, in part, a mystery to us. We imagine that you don't see these events as we do. In your Word you reveal that whether we are dead or alive, we still belong to you. Also in your Word you teach that money, property, and "things" are not substitutes for placing our trust in you. We know that you attach greater importance to our loyalty to you, than to the amassing of power and wealth.
Perhaps you want us to know the full measure of our helplessness so that we will turn to you in unrestricted faith. Is it that you want us to know -- once and for all -- that belonging to you is far more important than anything, or anyone else, including ourselves? So it comes to us that you will go to any length to reveal the truth of life to us.
When our understanding and reason run out, we will hold fast to our trust in you. Though your world causes disasters we greatly fear, still we are yours. No violent tumult will wrench us from you.
Grant us courage, grant us wisdom for the living of these days. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
