Saturday, March 16, 2019

Prayer based on Psalm 34:5 after a dark day In New Zealand




It is hard after a tragedy like the unprecedented Mosque attack in Christchurch to lead God's people in Sunday Worship. We are blessed and helped to have the great tradition of the psalmists who have gone before us... Psalm 34 and 35 which details the pain and sorrow of the exiles possibly with the destruction of Jerusalem and the horrors it would have entailed etched in their memories... But still with hope in God's goodness and faithfulness... 

God

It is hard to praise you today, it feels so dark around us

 It is hard to pray today, our words fail us and only tears well up

We are shocked, and unable to comprehend, Our hearts full of sorrow,

Evil has touched our land, hatred has raised its murderous head,

Fifty kiwi, Muslims at prayer, senselessly slaughtered in Christchurch

Like the psalmist dragged from Jerusalem’s ruins we are downcast,

Our souls are disturbed and heavy within us,

Like the psalmist we turn to you, and we cry our in our pain  

We know you hear our prayers and listen to our cry,

In these dark places, through all of life we know you are faithful

It is hard to praise you, but we do, you are our hope.

You have made all things Good,

But we turned our back, we went our own way,

We disobeyed and became broken and sinful

But You did not give up on us

You sent your son into this broken and hurting world

Not to condemn but to bring new life

Jesus spoke and showed the grace, love and justice of your kingdom

Dying on the cross he paid the price for all we had done wrong

Being raised to life again, new creation happens as we trust in you

 you dwell with your people by your spirit

You are with us, able to being comfort and care,

You are for us, wanting to bring your light in our nation

By your spirit empowering us to share your love



Holy God,

We confess, our sin

We do not love as we should

We do not seek your justice and righteousness with all our being

We don’t like it but those seeds of hate are in us all

We pray you would forgive us and our nation, New Zealand

That you would restore a right spirit within us



Righteous God,

Thank you that you are faithful and just

Thank you that when we confess our sin you forgive and restore

Fill us afresh this morning with your Holy Spirit

Enable us to welcome and to love all people in Jesus Christ

To seek reconciliation and justice in this land

To witness to the hope we have in you



Compassionate God,

We bring our hurting land before you,

We pray for the families and loved ones of the victims, that may know comfort

We pray for the injured and those fighting for their life,

 we ask your hand to be on them and with the medical staff treating them

We pray for the Muslim community in this land, that they will know peace

We thank you for our police and emergency workers

They have selflessly served, to protect and to care

 reacting with training and adrenaline, and as they know come to terms with the horror they have witnessed we pray for their care and consolation

We pray for our nation, that while we all have been attacked by this

That from it might develop a greater sense of togetherness and compassion
Do not let racial hate and extremism win, we pray that evil will be overcome by good 
to the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, 
Amen

No comments:

Post a Comment