A prayer from our service on Sunday, March 20, 2022.
Father,
We pause for a moment, just to take a breath and remind ourselves that you are God and you are good. We make the choice to settle our hearts and our minds in that spot now as we pray for the people we love who have chosen to walk away from the truth of you and your goodness. We think about siblings, children, parents, and friends who once knew you in a way that was genuine to them in some sense. And we think of all the heartache and confusion that has led them away from you. We set our grief before you, God, and ask that you would hold it.
Father, we confess as a global church and as individuals that we have not always represented your name well and that has greatly impacted the trajectory of the lives of many people we know and love. We know you have already forgiven us for every transgression, but we ask that the forgiveness we’ve received would inform the postures we assume. May we be people who recognize when we have said or done something that has not represented your gracious, merciful, and just disposition. May we humble ourselves before you and the people we’ve hurt when we realize we’ve inflicted pain upon them and caused them to feel confusion around the truth of who you are, God, and who they are in you. And not only when we act in a way that hurts someone, but when we choose NOT to act and we are passive and complicit in structures and ideologies that harm those we love - may our eyes be opened, God, and may our humility in apologizing speak louder than the pain we may have caused.
Father, for those who have experienced abuse at the hands of someone in spiritual authority, be it physical, emotional, or spiritual, we ask that you would restore all that’s been stolen from them. That they would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your heart and your good plan for them is full of life and flourishing. May they know that they are worthy and valuable and whole.
God, for those who have felt cast aside by the actions, intentions, and words of the church and its people, may you - the God of all comfort - draw them in and show them that they are wanted, needed, and beloved.
For those who have struggled to belong within the walls of the church or even the words of scripture, who have surmised that this just must not be for them, may you, who has created every cell in their body and has counted every hair on their head, begin to undeniably emerge before them in every moment that they search for truth, meaning, and belonging.
For those who have placed their trust in doctrines and ways of being that are fabricated by man and antithetical to who you are, may they be disappointed and unfulfilled in ways that lead them to you, God - the way, the truth, and the life.
And for those who have followed you and maybe even still want to, but are so deep in sin that they feel shame around association with you, surround them with the knowledge that it’s never too late and they’re never too far. May they know the depths of your mercy and grace in ways they never thought possible.
And God, give us the wisdom to know what love actually looks like to those who have walked away from the truth. May we set aside our own agendas and be curious about our loved ones. May we hear directly from your spirit about what they need from us in the moments we interact with us, be it through words, actions, or silence.
In all the grief and confusion we feel around this reality, we pause once more to recognize that you are the God who holds it all together. We play our part, but nothing we do will move the needle without the work of your Spirit, so we say we trust you and your timing and we pray this in your name, Jesus. Amen.
written by Natalie Wylie
