Use this prayer for yourself or let it be a guide and use your own words instead.

God, we have lost __________________. The loss hurts, it dominates my thoughts, it makes it hard for me to go on with the normal stuff of my day.

 You know everything I’m going through. You also know that my grief is part of my living in this world and living with you among the hurt I experience.

 Be with me, now. In my tears, in my anger, in my sadness, in my confusion.

 Help me say goodbye to the old certainties, knowing that You’ll be with me no matter what. Help me take what is gone seriously, because I know you care about the things that I have lost.

Help me know that you can heal me through my grief, but it may take some time.
Help me walk patiently with you and be faithful to you in each of the little steps I need to take going forward.

 Amen.

Frustration happens when we see something that we want to change, maybe we are trying to change, but we see that nothing seems to be working. We may even believe that what we’re doing is something that God wants us to do. In times of frustration, we’re tempted to try and force it and “make things happen.” The result can be disastrous. Praying our frustration is about letting God lead us and help us be patient and thoughtful when we’re frustrated.

A Thought Before Praying:

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?

    How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I bear pain in my soul,

    and have sorrow in my heart all day long?

    How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O LORD my God!

    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,

and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”;

    my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

But I trusted in your steadfast love;

    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

I will sing to the LORD,

    because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Ps 13:1–6).

Use this prayer for yourself or let it be a guide and use your own words instead.

God, come on. I’ve been sticking to your plan, moving in the direction I thought you wanted me to go, but I feel stuck. Help me. I’m really frustrated by ___________________.

I support the causes and organization I believe you’d support, the ones who are doing good work in the world, but they don’t seem to be getting anywhere either. Teach me and show me what I’m missing.

I am tempted to push things – to let my frustration outrun your wisdom, your teaching to be slow to anger and be humble in how I deal with others. I don’t want to listen to others, I just want to push and make something happen.

Help me be patient in this time of frustration. Help me listen to you, to wise people in my life, and even to those with whom I disagree – even if they seem to be causing my frustration. Help me to trust You for the big picture and the big plan that you are working. Help me to follow Jesus and learn that sacrifice is the most powerful way to make change in the world.

Comfort me as I deal with the frustrating situations in my life and my world. I trust you.

Amen.

Sadly, we are witnesses to multiple tragedies every single day. While we can debate the “who” and the “why” of each national and personal tragedy, what we can’t deny is that there are victims in each tragedy who must learn how to live with what has happened.

At the same time, we cannot change what happened to the victims of each tragedy. Whether we know them or not, we cannot go back and undo what has been done. We may be able to work to prevent those tragedies in the future, but we cannot make the pain of these victims go away.

In times like these, it is best that we trust God for the healing and sustaining of victims of tragedy. We pray that God would take care of those affected in ways that we couldn’t imagine or make happen on our own.

A Thought Before Praying:

He heals the brokenhearted,

and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars;

he gives to all of them their names.

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;

his understanding is beyond measure.

The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;

he casts the wicked to the ground. (Psalms 147:3-6)

Use this prayer for yourself or let it be a guide and use your own words instead.

God, there are people hurting because of a tragedy. There are people I know who are hurting, there are people whom I don’t know that are hurting, but that doesn’t matter. We’re all humans, part of the family you created, and when one of us hurts we all hurt.

What happened to _____________________ should not have happened. No one should have to go through what they experienced. You see it, and I know you believe the same thing to be true. My heart is broken for the pain and loss they have experienced, and I know your heart is broken, too.

I pray for their healing. I ask you to take care of them, give them the things they need, and protect them from being hurt again.

I ask you to help me in my anger at the people who hurt them. I ask you to help me forgive them, even if it takes a while.

May the healing of these victims come quickly and please let it be complete. Help me to be a part of their healing, partnering with You, in any way that I can.

God, you are one who cares for brokenhearted. Please care for _______________________ today.

Amen.

We’ve all heard the statement “we as a people are more divided than ever.” Some of that is because of politics, some because of how we practice our faith, and some is a bit of both. In either case, being divided does far more damage to us than it brings healing.

 God’s desire is that people, especially those who claim to follow Jesus, learn how to live in unity with each other. At this point, however, it seems impossible to be unified and that feeling only grows in times of tragedy and suffering. The good thing is that God is especially good at working in situations we feel are impossible.

 This is an ideal moment – as are all times of crisis – to pray that God would unite us so that we can work together to prevent future tragedies and heal those who have been affected.

A thought before praying:

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
(Ephesians 4:1-3)

Use this prayer for yourself or let it be a guide and use your own words instead.

God, we are divided. I believe we’re divided because of ______________________, but teach me if I’m not seeing everything.

We are divided because of the media we consume. Help us to have wisdom about what we watch.
We are divided because of what we believe about “them.” Help us to get to know “them” and not a general picture of them.
We are divided because we have been taught to fear ____________________. Help us know that in You we do not have to fear anyone to the point where we act in ways that are not in line with how you want us to live.

We are divided because we are afraid of losing _____________________. Help us to know that You are the God who gives us everything we need.

God, help us to deal with our fear and the stories we have believed about each other. Help us to see each other the way you see us, and help us to follow your great commandment to love you with everything we have and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Help us know that the Kingdom of Heaven comes here and now when we find ways to work together, rather than when we force ourselves apart. Show us where we can find common ground.

Amen.