This has been a tough week. There is so much on our minds and hearts. Let us pray this week for those on Gulf coast who have lost everything in the hurricane and are sorting through what to do next.  Let us pray for those who are working to restore power and providing assistance for those who have lost so much. We also pray for those who have fled Afghanistan with only what they could carry in a bag and are now finding themselves in new communities and cultures.  We pray for our own neighborhoods and communities that saw the water come pouring down from the sky and rising up from the creeks and rivers.  Let us pray for guidance on ways we can be your hands and feet and love for all who found this be a tough week.

God of Compassion,

With sighs too deep for human words, we come to you again in prayer, lifting up the sorrow, the trouble and the weariness of so many of your peoples. For those whose homes and communities are torn and flooded by the winds of Hurricane Ida, for those who abide in darkness and in oppressive heat, trying to begin the work of rebuilding, especially for those whose resources and access to help are tenuous, hear our prayer.

Oh, God of all things: There is so much. May your Spirit expand our vision, sustain our attention, and deepen our compassion and commitment: For neighbors in Haiti, grieving loss, working to mend bodies and lives, moving rubble, hoping for help, weary and weighed down. For neighbors fleeing fire in western states, violence and fear in Afghanistan, for people everywhere who suffer loss of home, community, livelihood, hope. Help us to be part of your healing, your Wholeness, your hope. In the name of the Christ our justice and our life. Amen.

From Presbyterian Disaster Assistance