National day of prayer

​Denise's Prayer from the National Day of Prayer      
 
Oh God,
 
Hear our prayers this morning for all those who suffer the pain of poverty or homelessness. We pray especially for the children, the 225 children in our very own school district who live in cars or motel rooms, those crammed in small rooms because a room is all their family can afford to rent.
 
Oh God
 
Hear our prayers for those who struggle with mental illness. Those whose battles rage endlessly in their minds and who find no relief…no calm… no quiet…ever.
 
Oh God
 
Hear our prayers for the orphan and the 430,000 children living in foster care in America …who live with the daily reminders of being unwanted, of having no place to call home…having no parent to provide refuge, they live in the deepest loneliness
 
Oh God
 
Hear our prayers for the immigrant and the refugee seeking safety and peace, those seeking employment and decent living conditions
 
And God, we pray for us too. We pray for the wisdom and the courage to remain awake and steadfast in the work that You call us to. We pray for the courage to speak out on behalf of those who have no voice…the courage to use our voices and our every vote for those in poverty. Give us the courage to battle greed in all its forms and to fight against the injustices that abound today. Give us the courage every day to live out loud and on purpose so that those who struggle will know that they really are Your very own.
 
Oh God, we continue to ask you to heal what is broken, redeem what has been lost, and to help us to Heal the World.