Prayer For Everyone Today
Father God,
You are our provider. Everything we have comes from You. But right now I feel like everything is being taken from me. I've been laid off from work, and if I can't make money, how will we pay our bills? How will I feed my family? I'm usually the strong one, but even I feel anxiety now. Please be with us. Please help me to point my family to you, even though I feel so lost and confused. Help me to demonstrate trust in you to my family. Give me the discipline to lead my family in worship since we can't gather with our church family. Give me peace. Use this time to help us learn new things about each other, about ourselves, and about you. I trust you. Help me to demonstrate that to my family so that they feel safe during this crazy time.
Lord, My business was booming just a week ago, and now there are no customers walking through the door. I'm feeling the weight of having to make decisions that will affect my employees. I may have to lay off some of my workers. They all have families and bills to pay. I feel so helpless. Please give me wisdom as I make these tough decisions. Please give me compassion as I have these tough conversations with my employees. Help me to be an example to them, to show them that I trust you to provide for us even in these dark times. I don't know what that will look like, but I believe it to be true. Father, give us courage as we face uncertainties and above all, I pray I glorify you in my response to this crisis.
Father,
I'm exhausted. There are so many people relying on me, and I'm not sure I can be stretched any thinner. I honestly didn't know I could keep going on such little sleep, so I give you praise for keeping me going! Please, Lord, keep me safe. Keep me healthy so that I can continue caring for the sick. I ask that you protect all the healthcare workers. We need them to be healthy and available. I know that you are the great physician. You are the healer. I ask that you would put your healing hand on our patients. I ask that you would work through us to give them the best care possible. Give us strength when we are weak, endurance to push through the long hours, and tongues that offer hope and compassion to these people who are sick and scared. Some of our patients won't survive this virus. Lord, don't let us become numb. Allow us to mourn with those who mourn, but also give us the strength to keep going, to keep working. Give us opportunities to share the hope that is found in you. Help us not to be afraid. Remind us to praise you in this storm.
Father God,
I never imagined that I would get this virus. I trust you, but I confess I'm afraid of the unknown. I don't know how bad my symptoms will get, and I hate knowing I might have infected other people before I knew I was sick. You are the Great Physician, and so I pray for healing. I pray I don't end up in the hospital and I pray that I didn't spread this to other people. Give me courage to face the day. Give me the self-discipline to rest and take care of my body while I'm recovering. Help me to praise you, even in this storm. Help me to glorify you with my attitude even in this trial. Help me to spread hope, not fear. Remind me that while I don't know what my future holds, I know who holds my future.
God, I've never really talked to you before. Are you really there? Can you really hear me? I know people who claim to know you and they don't seem as afraid as I do. I don't want to be so afraid. If I knew that you were real, I would want to trust in you. Would you help me to believe? If you're real, would you open my eyes and heart to you? Would you give me faith to believe in you and trust you? While I'm stuck at home, would you please guide me to online sources where I can learn more about you. I want to know you're real and I want to know the comfort that you give to your people.
Father God,
I have never felt so alone. I could never have imagined facing something like this on my own and I'm afraid. Please remind me that you are with me. Allow me to feel your presence. Remind me that, as your child, you have not given me a spirit of fear. Remind me that I can trust you with whatever may come. Lord, this isolation is overwhelming. I know I could pick up the phone and call someone, but I don't want to be a burden. Please help me to have concern for others above myself. I know I'm not the only one feeling lonely, give me the courage to reach out and offer encouragement to others.
God of reconciling hope,
as you guided your people in the past
guide us through the turmoil of the present time
and bring us to that place of flourishing
where our unity can be restored,
the common good served
and all shall be made well.
In the name of Jesus we pray.
Amen.
Living God, lead us to paths of steadfast love, lead us to new life, and lead the world to peace and healing which you offer. Renew us, fill us and open our hearts to your presence.
God of the past, present and future, God in whom all things are renewed, we praise you. In the face of all that wearies and worries us at this present time, we remember your love and hope. As we walk the way of Jesus, his cross stands before us. Therefore, we trust you are never far from our sorrows. In Jesus you walk with us, you share our tears. You stand beside us when we do not know which way to turn. You are with us in times of joy and laughter. Help us to find these in the present moment. Renew our trust in your resurrection promises and draw near to us when we need you the most.
God of our lonely places and hard times, there is no place where your presence cannot be found. There is no situation beyond your love and care. Yet we confess we can sometimes lose our sense of your presence with us, when sorrows stack up or loneliness surrounds us. Forgive us we pray. Be near us as we go through every valley of shadow. Bring healing where there is pain, courage where there is fear, hope where there is despair.
What will separate us from the love of Christ? Hardship? Distress? Peril or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through God who loves us. Neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:35, 37-38)
So let us rejoice that God's deep love will never let us go.
Amen.