Day 1® is the voice of the historic Protestant denominations. Through sermons, blogs, and video & audio resources, Day 1 proclaims God's hope for a hurting and divided world. Formerly "The Protestant Hour."
Scott Black Johnston: A Prayer for Help and Healing
The Rev. Dr. Scott Black Johnston
Organization: Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York, NY
Denomination: Presbyterian Church (USA)
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.** **
Holy God, Blessed Comforter,
we bow our heads before you.
We yearn to push worries aside
to focus on you, to talk with you,
but it is difficult.
So difficult.
We are distracted, skeptical and afraid.
Anxious thoughts lurk in our heads like prowlers.
As soon as things go quiet,
they hijack our imagination.
They take over...
gobbling up our attention, our energy, our confidence.
So, basically, God...
We need your help...
Help managing
our responsibilities,
our expectations,
and our burdens.
We need your help...
Help figuring out
what to do,
how to spend our days,
where to stand and what to stand for.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for wisdom, Precious Lord.
Gift us with good judgment
so that we know
what to let go of
and what to cling to
in this life.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for compassion, Precious Lord.
Gift us with soft hearts
as we hike these corridors of concrete and steel.
Give us strength to walk the second mile
and to care for those in need.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for healing, Precious Lord.
Gift us and our loved ones
with clear and hopeful minds,
and with bodies that work.
Free us from the demons of addiction.
Pry the talons of hate from our souls.
Hold onto us as we grieve.
Shower us with grace.
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Hear our prayers, O God,
and be present to us this day
and throughout the coming week.
This we ask... this we pray
using the words you taught us,
saying,
"Our Father..."
