Prayer for Healing and Justice

June 4, 2020 | Engaging and Blessing

On Saturday, May 30, Pastor Adam Keath led us in a prayer that was crafted by he and Pastor Don Baker.  Please join us in praying this prayer for our church, our community, our nation, and our world.  The transcript is below the video if you would like to read the prayer.

“I recorded our corporate prayer for this Sunday’s online worship on Tuesday. It has been quite a week since then across our land. I would like to offer some additional time for us to pray together, regarding the week that we’ve seen in the last couple of days. Would you pray with me?

God, we are a people in need of healing today! When we look out across the landscape of our country, not to mention the whole world, we see so much fear, grief, death, sickness, division and injustice. It has been quite a week! Our desperate need for You is on full display.

God, this week we passed 100,000 Covid-19 deaths. We confess that is a casualty number that we have allowed to pass by without very much notice. But we know that number represents the lives of those who were alive and are now dead. Some of them loved You and for that we are grateful. Some of them didn’t and for that we grieve. Lord, as a church, we lament these deaths. We pray for healthy grief for the families and friends of the dead. We pray for comfort and peace for those who remember them. For those that have gone to be with You, may their lives and deaths prove a witness to Your grace. Lord, we pray an end to this virus! We pray protection on those fighting it on the frontlines and for those places in the world less equipped to handle it than we are. Lord, we need You and we pray that You give us grace.

Lord, so many of us have awoken the last couple of days to new violence and protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. It can be so overwhelming, we often don’t even know how to respond. And many of us will respond differently. But one thing we can all agree on, God, is that Your heart breaks over the death of the innocent and the personal and systemic racial injustice that is widespread in our nation. Lord, help us to see what You see and act as You would have us act.

Lord, many of Your people are afraid. Many are angry. Many are confused. But God, don’t allow any of us to be naive. God, You hate racism. God, we pray You protect our black and brown brothers and sisters from unjust discrimination and oppression. We pray justice for George and the countless like him. We pray justice and protection for those affected by the resulting riots. We pray protection and wisdom for those trying keep peace today, from elected officials to community leaders to law enforcement men and women.

God, may all of us hear the cries for justice from minority communities. And would You give courage and creativity for all of us to speak and act truthfully, effectively and with grace. Lord, we beg You for unity in the church and across our country, across racial lines, across political lines, and all the other things that can so easily divide us. We confess our part. Help us to see how we can be part of the solution. And God, we ask that You break our hearts for what break Yours.

Give us Your Shalom today, Lord—Your peace, wholeness, reconciliation, righteousness and justice. Lord, we need You today. We need You always.

May Your Church be the leading voice for peace, justice and reconciliation in our nation and world.

We pray by Your grace and in the powerful Name of Jesus, Amen.”

Pastor Adam Keath and Pastor Don Baker

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