Remember the Children and Youth

Turn, O Lord! How long?
    Have compassion on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be manifest to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and prosper for us the work of our hands—
    O prosper the work of our hands!

(Psalm 90:13-17)

Hear us, O Lord, as we cry out to you!

Listen to the cries of our hearts, 

as we pray for your people in distress.

For our world is in chaos and turmoil 

like no living generation has ever before seen 

(at least not in our nation).

Our hearts today are heavy for the youth 

whose hopes and dreams have been put on hold,

their many rites of passage.

They try to remain brave in the face of COVID-19,

but it’s hard for them not to notice

the fear of their parents

and of the grown-ups in their lives.

It’s hard for them not to see

the burdens everyone is carrying.

Hear us, O God, as we pray for the youth and children.

They say they don’t like school,

but still, they miss it.

They miss their teachers.

They miss the social life.

They miss their friends.

"Let your works be manifest to your servants,

and your glorious power to their children..."

That’s a prayer we offer for our children, our youth:

Let your glorious power, O Lord, be made known to them.

Comfort them in this chaotic whirlwind.

Fill them with your peace.

Dispel their fears with the assurance

that you are in control,

and that you are with them,

and that you will carry them through.

Let your works and your glorious power

be known to our children, to our youth.

Because we love them,

and we want their world to be

full of hope, compassion, 

and your steadfast love.

We love them,

and we want them to come through this

with a deep and abiding love for you.

Please, Lord,

let your works and your glorious power

be known to our children, to our youth.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers from the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

A Psalm of Joyful Praise

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever;
    with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness

    to all generations.
I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;
    your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.

(Psalm 89:1-2)

Praise for you fills my heart, O God,

and I can't contain myself.

"Spring up, O well, within my soul!"

Even in this season of pandemic,

when troubles and trials abound,

nevertheless my heart is light with joy.

Of course, I grieve for the world,

my heart aches for the brokenness 

that your people are experiencing.

But still, a song of joy fills my heart,

because I know your love is better than life.

As high as the heavens are above the earth – 

that’s how great is your love toward us.

When I consider the problems and troubles 

that fill our world right now,

as great and numerous and burdensome as they are,

they are no match for you.

For your power and might are unsurpassed:

  you are Creator of heaven and earth, and all that is in them;

  you are Sovereign Lord over all the world;

  you govern all things by the unsearchable mystery

     of your Providence.

Great is your faithfulness, O Lord,

great is your faithfulness.

Indeed, we are deep in the midst of troubling days,

but then, so are you, right in the depths with us.

So as I see it, "If God is for us, who can stand against us?"

I am confident of this:

I shall see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living;

indeed I shall see the goodness of the Lord

every day.

While I have breath,

I will sing of your steadfast love forever, O Lord;

   with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness 

   to all generations.

My heart is light with joy;

praise for you fills my heart,

and I cannot keep it to myself.

Praise the Lord!

During the season of Lent, I am “Praying with David,” using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

And Yet...

In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, Lord,
    make me dwell in safety.

(Psalm 4:8)

Another day has passed, O God.

Another sunrise and sunset in the books.

Another day in the world of pandemic:

  To date, more than one million cases of COVID-19

    worldwide – and that just includes confirmed cases.*

  To date, nearly 53,000 people – your children – 

    have died. Again, that just includes confirmed cases.

  6.6 million people filed unemployment claims

    last week in the United States, 

    double from the previous week.

  The models predicting death tolls project more and more 

    every day.

Another day in the new normal:

  terrifying

  confusing

  mind-boggling

  overwhelming

  lonely

  numbing

  frustrating

  …

And yet.

My faith always includes these words: And yet.

Because my faith is in you.

It has been another day in the pandemic.

It has been another day of roller-coaster emotions.

It has been another day of unbearable uncertainty.

And yet, 

I have been filled with your peace;

I have witnessed your goodness; 

I have been assured of your presence;

I have a deep, abiding sense of hope;

I have felt your compassion, and mercy, and love.

Because I can say “And yet...”

and you are the subject of the verbs

  of hope,

  and comfort,

  and assurance,

then I will rest in peace tonight.

The chaos and troubles of the day

will always meet their match in you.

No matter what comes my way,

no matter the obstacles I face,

no matter the challenges that confront me,

I will say, “And yet, God...”

And I know all will be well.

In peace I will lie down in sleep,

     for you alone, Lord,

     make me dwell in safety.

Because at the end of the day,

I can always confess my faith:

“And yet, God...”

And therein I will find peace.

Your peace.

Amen. And good night.

*Figures cited from statistics posted on April 2, 2020. They are changing daily, and not for the better at the time of this blog post.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

A Prayer of a Restless Spirit

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; 

     heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. 

My soul is in deep anguish. 

     How long, Lord, how long? 

Turn, Lord, and deliver me; 

     save me because of your unfailing love.

I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping
    and drench my couch with tears.

(Psalm 6:2-4, 6)

I can’t sleep Lord.

My mind is racing,

a million little things,

a few big things,

and probably too much caffeine

earlier in the day…

I toss and turn,

I can’t turn off my brain.

Questions and worries keep bubbling up:

  What if?

    What if my wife gets sick? 

    Or my children? 

    Or my parents? 

    Or my siblings?

    Or my friends?

  How long?

    How long will this go on? 

    How long will businesses be closed? 

    How long before I can worship with my flock?

  Why?

    Why is the world going through this pandemic? 

    Why couldn’t we have foreseen it? 

    Why does the COVID-19 become lethal for some, 

      but not for others? 

    Why… Why... Why...?

Worst case scenarios come to mind.

And they are frightening.

No wonder I can’t sleep tonight.

Then I remember, you have told me

that I should turn to you, 

and you will take the burden from me:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest.”

I think I’m going to take you up on that invitation, Lord.

Here – take my burdens, please.

Give me rest.

Have mercy, Lord.

Take my worries, my anxieties, my concerns, my burdens,

and replace them with your peace.

I know you are present with me – 

there is no darkness that can hide me from you –

and yet, I. need. to. feel. your. presence.

Come to me, I pray.

Give me your peace.

Give me rest.

Give me strength to face tomorrow.

Give me your peace.

And let me sleep.

Please.

During the season of Lent, I am “Praying with David,” using prayers from the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

May All People Turn to God

Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; 

     to you our vows will be fulfilled. 

You who answer prayer, 

     to you all people will come.

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, 

     God our Savior, 

the hope of all the ends of the earth 

     and of the farthest seas…

(Psalm 65:1-2, 5)

It is my hope and prayer, good and gracious Lord,

that when the dust settles on this pandemic,

all of heaven and earth will praise you.

I pray that the urgency of the present crisis,

and the helplessness that all people feel,

will result in a worldwide turning of hearts

toward you.

For you ARE Lord.

Right now, not all people acknowledge that.

But I hope and pray that they will.

I hope and pray that the present crisis

will cause people everywhere 

to turn to you.

I long for the day when 

every knee will bow,

and every tongue will confess,

"Jesus Christ is Lord,"

to your glory.

We’re not there yet.

But I pray that we will be there,

sooner than later.

In this pandemic, show us your 

awesome and righteous deeds:

  Heal the sick.

  Renew the strength of those who are exhausted.

  Comfort those who mourn the loss of loved ones.

  Unite entire nations to work for the good.

  Fill our hearts with love and charity.

  Provide relief for the poor, the unemployed,

    and for hurting businesses.

  Enable the flow of critical supplies 

    to where they are needed.

  Surprise us, even, with miraculous deeds!

Show us your awesome and righteous deeds,

that the whole world will turn to you

in humility, repentance, praise, and faith.

Hasten the day, O Lord,

when every knee will bow,

when every tongue will confess,

"Jesus Christ is Lord."

For you are God our Savior,

and to you belongs ALL

glory, honor, dominion, and power,

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am “Praying with David,” using prayers from the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

Seek His Face -- Here, There, and Everywhere

Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
    be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, I will seek.

(Psalm 27:7-8)

In the morning,

in the evening,

all throughout the day, O God,

I seek you.

Hear my voice when I call, Lord.

“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’

     Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

Your face, Lord, I will seek,

for I know that when I seek you,

I will find you.

And when I find you,

I know that I will find

   compassion for my pain,

   mercy for my plight,

   forgiveness for my sins,

   peace for my fears,

   strength to face the day.

Your face, Lord I will seek,

so that I may 

   love you,

   worship you,

   obey you,

   serve you,

   glorify you.

And because I know 

that all my encounters with others 

are also encounters with you

(for as I have done so to the least of these,

so also I have done to you…),

then I will also seek your face

in everyone I encounter today:

Your face, Lord, will I seek in the poor.

Your face, Lord, will I seek in the anxious ones.

Your face, Lord, will I seek in the stranger on the street.

Your face, Lord, will I seek in the children riding their bikes.

Your face, Lord, will I seek in the laid-off worker.

Your face, Lord, will I seek in the the business owner 

          who just shut down.

Your face, Lord, will I seek in the truck driver 

          delivering crucial medical supplies… and TP

Your face, Lord, will I seek in the exhausted doctors and nurses.

I seek your face in them, 

that I might love them as your children.

For so you have sought me

and loved me.

Your face, Lord, I will seek,

so that I may love you

as you have loved me.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am “Praying with David,” using prayers from the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

Thank You, Lord, for Listening. And for Answering.

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; 

     turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. 

Show me the wonders of your great love, 

     you who save by your right hand 

     those who take refuge in you from their foes. 

Keep me as the apple of your eye; 

     hide me in the shadow of your wings.

(Psalm 17:6-8)

O Lord, my God,

you are Sovereign Lord over all the world,

and yet you know me by name.

What joy fills my heart

at the knowledge that

I am precious to you!

I know that not a word I pray,

  not a thought I have,

    not even an un-uttered inner groaning

fails to capture your attention.

Whatever I pray,

however I pray,

you will always answer.

Sometimes your answer is, “Yes.”

Sometimes your answer is, “No.”

Sometimes your answer is, “Trust me.”

But always, you answer me

according to your infinite wisdom

and your steadfast love.

Because you hear my prayers

and answer them,

I continue to cry out to you:

Show me your steadfast love,

protect me from harm,

shelter me in your loving arms.

Thank you, O Lord, for loving me.

Thank you for listening to the cries of my heart.

Thank you.

That is all. No answer required this time.

But still, I know you will.

Because that’s who you are.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.