God, hear our prayer . . .

 

No Taking Sides Prayer 

God of our side, and God of our enemies’ side,
hear our prayer:
we need your help here on planet earth.
With heavy hearts we confess
the brokenness on our beautiful blue planet.
Hear the sound of gunfire,
see the bomb craters,
taste the bitterness of people hating people,
smell the fear that permeates our lives,
touch the hearts of the wounded.
Hear the sound of children being hurt,
see people running away from their homes,
taste the hopelessness of shattered communities,
smell the despair of refugee camps,
touch the inconsolable on both sides.
Feel our pain as we spin through space.
God of our side, and God of our enemies’ side,
you are the God of no sides at all.
You call us to a new place,
to step with faith outside this world of taking sides.
You lead us to an inside out world,
where our enemy is our sibling,
where our foe can be our fondest friend.
You call us from the sidelines to centre stage,
to be a community of global resurrection,
firm believers in love that cannot die,
love that cannot be corrupted,
love that never lets us go.
We sense you in the beauty of all creation,
where there are no sides,
for you are everywhere.
You created the earth for us all to enjoy,
each day the sun beams warmth upon us,
the rain falls on every one,
the moon and the stars shine universally.
You call us to be firm believers
in the one who crossed heaven and earth
to show us that even between God and human beings
there are no sides.
It is in the name of Jesus Christ,
whose arms embrace us all,
that we pray for peace today.  [add community prayers here]
Amen.

 Posted on: April 28, 2022

 “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com”