Last night I put out a call to the people in the Ferguson area to submit a stanza for a prayer in anticipation of the Grand Jury verdict in the case of Darren Wilson and the death of Michael Brown.
Over 30 people responded in a little less than 2 hours!!
Prayers came in from protestors, police, clergy, supporters and people who have been watching and praying from all over the world. It was Just amazing. I copied all of their prayers and then I sorted them and edited down to create this collective prayer for Ferguson.
God of Grace and God of Glory on Your People Pour Thy Power
As one you have called to stand in the gap between heaven and hell for your people I lift to you now the cries of our hearts. I know that you have seen our many tears and that our prayers do not go unheard. Dispatch your angels to bring answers from heaven to earth.
For Grace and Mercy
Omniscient God of Grace and Midwife to Creation, we, the stewards of your great creative act ask for your grace and mercy to sustain us in the fight to balance the imbalances, right the wrongs, fill the empty, and forgive the seemingly unforgivable.
Let your love, wisdom and grace cover all of Ferguson and the City of St. Louis. Let compassion flow opening all minds and hearts to your mercy and truth.
Grant us your grace that endures incredulity and fortify us as a generation of people who possess both moral and spiritual integrity that will change and reshape our current systems of justice for all people.
For Wisdom and Guidance
Almighty God/Allah, guide us to the best of morals, thoughts, actions, words, ideas, intentions and decisions. Intervene in our every affair and bless us to be righteous striving servants to you and our people in this time of despair. Appoint us as beacons of light to help guide one another out of darkness and into your favor.
Let the voices you have anointed and appointed for this time be amplified and heard. Let not our emotions override our wisdom. Open our ears to hear instruction from you. Give us humility to work toward our common goal.
We need you! Please guide, direct and correct us. Lead us through this wilderness and let your light love and power shine bright so that Ferguson can become the beginning of true hope and change for America and injustice everywhere.
Teach us how to fight systems in love and how to make peace. Help us follow your lead in these anxious days. Help us be warriors in your ranks with fidelity so that we remain faithful even once the storm is quieted.
For Humanity
Creator God, author of diversity we ask that you touch hearts and minds and remove the stains of bigotry, hatred and discrimination and replace with compassion, respect and love. Allow us to see and honor the divine in all human life.
We praise you for making us in your image--fearfully and wonderfully! We need your divine intervention to see with your eyes and to love and honor with your heart. Help us desire to do better, be better and treat all people with dignity and respect.
As Officers, like me, stand on the line, may we encourage and lift the spirit of each-other while holding ourselves accountable to the standards of professionalism the public trusts us to have. May we be and become more vigilant in valuing and preserving human life.
For Peace
God of justice, peace and of taking us out of ourselves... Help us to seek the peace of others. Guide us to seek not only our own but theirs. You are not only a God of me but of us. Expand our Us so you are expanded. As we divide, may you expand.
For Justice
Hear the cry once again of your children as you have from the Middle Passage to the cotton fields and into the concrete jungle. Give us justice and peace. Deliver us from evil. We are trusting. We believe.
Cause your truth to march on as we gather in peace and then disperse empowered to still love. Cause your justice to roll through the valleys, the ghettos, the barrios, the back roads and the suburbs where the blood of our slain children has been splattered and lain. Once again we ask that their living and their dying not be in vain.
Stir the waters.
Agitate the sleepers of our world,
who would rather justify injustice than fight against it.
And give your people
--your young warriors
and crying mothers
and broken fathers
--the courage to accept nothing less than life.
Help us to stand for truth, justice and righteousness.
Give us courage to make our witness against injustice in deep and abiding love.
For Protection
Oh Lord, protect those whose hearts are steadfast in you. Confuse those who are set on destruction that they will instead simply sit down in silence to those whose hearts are longing for peace. Block the plans of outsiders who intend harm. Give us the discernment to know who comes for chaos and to cause harm.
Please place your arms of protection around all. Lead us without injury. Please never leave our side and empower us to stand firm for our lives. Thank you for being an ever present help in the time of trouble, peace and war!
For Youth
God, of justice and peace please encourage and empower our youth to usher in a better state for humanity. Stir within each one visions of their own greatness that they will recognize the immense power that lies within. Teach the elders how to guide and encourage our youth to always look to you for hope.
For Outcomes
Together we raise our voices to declare
(k)No(w) justice! (k) No(w) Peace!
De-escalation of tensions between non-protestors-protestors-police
Breakthrough in racism.
Prevailing peace, love, understanding on all sides
One day everything will make sense and we will evolve beyond judging each other for the past.
All the earth will know You are GOD and history is in Your hands
We shed these tears not in despair, but with hope. We scream not just in anger, but in fear realizing that because we live in a world where many have time to hate, there will be a next time.
Hear our cries, "We are sick and tired of being sick and tired." Embrace us in arms of peace.
"No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny."
Thank you God for hearing this prayer, in Jesus name