prayers

Knowing that in the midst of the pain and suffering and destructions Haitians are gathering in streets and public squares, singing, marching and praying. As darkness falls, some are praying and singing in the open areas where they will spend the night. We join our prayers and hymns to theirs. The following are prayers we were prayed together at a service at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Florida tonight. -Kent

We know people in Haiti are praying, we know they are gathered praying and singing hymns, needed your presence to be upon them. We join our prayers and our hymns with them.

Let us pray:
Gracious God we are gathered here together tonight to pray for the people of Haiti, for this country that has been devastated beyond words. We join our prayers and our sorrow and our care and our love with the prayers of all people in Haiti and for Haiti.

We pray first, O Lord, for those who have lost loved ones and family members, some who have lost their whole families. We pray for your steadying and comforting hand to hold them up in the face of such grief and pain.

We pray for those who are trying to find loved ones. We pray for families that are awaiting word or trying to get word out that they are okay. We pray for your guidance upon them.

We pray for people awaiting assistance, awaiting medical care, awaiting food and water. We pray for those in pain, in fear. We pray for those sleeping in the streets, sleeping under a sheet for a tent, we pray for those whose homes are gone.

We pray for each person in Haiti who is doing what they can to help another, to share a bit of food, to dig with their hands through rubble, to carry a stranger to find medical care.

Lord we pray for the government of Haiti, and for governments and relief organizations around the world as they seek to respond as rapidly as possible. We give you thanks that so many are doing everything they can to try and help Haiti at this time. We pray for each country responding, each community, each organization, and each individual that you have moved to help or give or pray or respond in some way.

Lord we pray for all these people, for all of these needs, we pray that your steadfast love is a tower of strength and courage to all those in need, and that your presence is a refuge and comfort to all those who suffer and grieve right now.

And finally, O Lord, we pray to you the prayer you gave us to pray . . .Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen