Loving God, We come to you with our minds spinning with the conflicts in our world and the hurt in our lives. So many questions, so much confusion, so many twists and turns, ups and downs. Some days we can barely stand, we are so dizzy.
Still the tumult in our souls. Calm the waves that tip us over. And when the waves continue to crash, invite us out of our boat to join you.
We pray for anyone we know who needs your presence in a special way today. Anyone who is in a season of adversity, loss or confusion. Heal your broken people.
Great God, who has told us "Vengeance is mine," save us from ourselves, save us from the vengeance in our hearts and the acid in our souls.
Save us from our desire to hurt as we have been hurt, to punish as we have been punished, to terrorize as we have been terrorized.
We ask, O God, for the grace to be our best selves. We ask for the vision to be builders of the human community rather than its destroyers. We ask for the humility as a people to understand the fears and hopes of other peoples.
We ask for the love it takes to give to the children of the future more than the failures of our own making. We ask for the heart it takes to care for all the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq, of Syria and Egypt, of Palestine and Israel as well as for ourselves.
For You, O God, have been merciful to us. You have been patient with us. You have been gracious to us.
And so may we be merciful and patient and gracious and trusting with these others whom you also love.
In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.