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O Lord,
how the keening song
of those who suffer
must rise to heaven,
day after sad day,
the cry of the bereft,
the cry of the oppressed,
the cry of the despairing,
the cry of pain.
Lord, have mercy!

Lord,
open our eyes to see
the suffering all around us,
soften our hearts
that we do not tune that misery out,
that we may be
the hands of your mercy,
the instruments of your peace,
the tools of your care.

Lord,
we pray
for those wailing at the death of their children, their parents, their beloved, their friends,
for the mothers who have taken the life of their unborn child,
for those who have seen their children off to fight in the endless stream of conflicts,
then welcome back a coffin,
have mercy.

Lord,
teach us to see
the results of our anger,
the results of our selfishness
the results of our sin
that put the lives of your children at risk
who see humanity as commodity,
who think that grief is worth the cost.

Lord,
we pray
for those who do not know where their next meal is,
for those who scrabble a living on the casts off of the more fortunate,
for those twisted with the desire for more
and turn a blind eye to those who are oppressed by their need,
for those who are twisted by lack,
and those who are crippled by too much,
Lord have mercy.

Lord,
teach us to see the want,
spiritual, physical, mental
in our fellow man,
that we may reach out and help,
help us to live lives
that let others live,
teach us to share
instead of hoard,
teach us to see with your eyes.

Lord,
we pray for those abandoned,
those abandoned to death by neglect,
those abandoned to death by the hand of others,
those abandoned because of inconvenience,
those put to death
because they were dying,
or an embarrassment,
or an encumbrance,
street children,
the aged,
the unborn,
the ugly,
the damaged.
Lord have mercy!

Lord, teach us
that life is your gift,
both to the living one,
and those who touch his life,
as healers,
as helpers,
as beloved,
as friend,
as parent.
Teach us to cherish
those who cross our paths,
teach us to see even the undesirables,
the inconvenient ones
with your eyes,
to reach out with your hands,
to be your touch in their lives,
this day, and always,
Amen.

Amen and AMEN!! What a powerful prayer Knitting!!!Ironically , this is what God has been teaching me over the past three weeks of suffering so with Shingles. It was like a wakeup call to me. I now know that I need to reach out to the suffering and grieving in a new way. I will pray your prayer often , and now from the HEART...

Oh and by the way, our 15 year old broke out in Chickenpox today....she got them from my shingles.....
Polly