Restore us, O Lord God almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. (Psalms 81: 1)
Just as we are we come to You.
Sometimes tired, weary and worn,
Always in need of your strength that is never exhausted,
Always in need of Your love that is never extinguished,
Always in need of your purpose that never loses its momentum.
You have it in your being to restore us when we feel we have fallen away,
So remind us in this moment of the goodness that flows from you: that strength, that love, that purpose.
Open up our lives to receive this goodness,
To experience within us what is most needed to take us forward as a more loving, more faithful, more committed people.
O Lord, restore us, make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
Heal the long-standing hurts that sour our spirits.
Give us a sense of perspective in our suffering.
Grant us the faith that endures through loss, failure and disappointment.
In all things may we know that Jesus stands among us in His risen power and desires only that we have peace.
We thank you that in Your Word voices of faith speak to us across the millennia,
Telling us of their struggles: their failure, their faithlessness, their doubt.
And yet sharing their conviction that they carried all of this in the presence of a loving and faithful God.
We thank you that this was made plain in the resurrection of Jesus, who bore the wounds of His human experience, and stood with those who feared they were coming to the end of their resources.
We thank you that this same Jesus seeks to draw near to us in this moment and desires that we have peace in Him, peace with one another, and that we live for peace in our nation and the world.
Bless your Church throughout the world that she would bear witness to the resurrection faith in the midst of war, tragedy and want.
Bless the leaders of the nations that they will see their accountability not only to their people but to the One who is the source of justice and peace.
Bless our own nation with a concern for the weak and vulnerable, with a desire to overcome division, with a renewed motivation to build.
Bless all those in the front-line of service in our national life, especially those in the medical world so often stretched to the limit.
Bless those we know who are anxious; those who seem to be losing heart; those who are in constant pain; those undergoing challenging treatment; those bereaved.
