"You Open Your Hand and..." - 28 September 2025

 

O life-giving, liberty-giving God of might and power, who made all things, and then lavished good things upon us and still does. Thank you that you give us all things richly to enjoy. That you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

You who knows all things, whose eyes run to and fro through the whole earth beholding the good and evil, from whom no creature is hidden, but all are naked and exposed to your eyes; hear the groaning of those weighed down under stress or distress. See the grief of those who have lost loved ones. Take note of those shackled and shamed by injustice or bigotry from above or below. Give heed to the ones who are unfairly incarcerated or enslaved (…). For all who are in these situations and others, we cry out to you on their behalf, imploring you to raise them up, refresh them, restore their wholesome dreams, and set them free.

Spirit of God who hovered over that which at the beginning was formless and void, bringing forth creation; who hovered over the womb of Mary to bring forth him who is the New Creation; and is poured out on us from on high turning our wilderness-hearts into fruitful fields and bountiful forests (Isaiah 32:15): blow upon your Church throughout the world, and specifically on this congregation, as well as Council Road Baptist, Crestview, Crossroads and Del View Baptist Church. Bring order out of disorder; bring truth to lead your people in dark times; bring hope to sustain them through disheartening seasons; bring reconciliation where there has been contentious division; and bring peace when all around becomes stormy.

You who sit enthroned in the heavens, who keeps faith forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, and gives food to the hungry (Psalm 146:7): we pray that in our country godliness, integrity, uprightness and wholesomeness would gain the upper hand from the White house to the State House and on to our house. May truthfulness and trustworthiness be operative in our Civil Government all the way to our self-government. Rule over, rule in and rule through our judicial, legislative and executive branches.

Take in hand, Lord God, the nations of this earth. Where brigandry, brutality and bloodletting have scarred and marred societies, please restore decency and justice, rebuild the infrastructure, return clean drinking water and food, safety and courage. Those countries that have some semblance of respectability and rightness, make them sturdy, and keep them safe.

Finally, Lord God, we pray your name to be hallowed in our homes and families; your kingdom to come in our homes and families; and your will to be done in our homes and families, as it is done in heaven. And now we join our hearts and voices together to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit as our Lord taught us, saying, “Our Father…”

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