Prayers for Today -- Stay Awake

God, you have told us that true power comes in weakness and compassion.  And so in times that are heavy with wrong, we come to you not in anger but in anguish.  We feel your passion for those created in your image that are far from you and feel alone, that are sick or hurting, those that are powerless, abused, unjustly imprisoned, and afraid, that are victims of violence both large and small, in body, emotion, or spirit.  And so, God, as circumstances are beyond our power and we come to you in weakness -- we pray today simply that we will stay awake.  That we will not become numb to pain beside us or across the world, but will feel with others as you do through Jesus Christ. 

God of Relationship, awaken us to those who do not know your saving love.  Give us passion for those who need to hear your words of life, forgiveness, and salvation, and we ask for opportunities to speak them.    

God who touched lepers, awaken us to the sick and the hurting in body, mind, or spirit.  Give us passion for those who are powerless due to physical impairment, overwhelming medical bills, or mental illness.  We ask for your healing.  God let the sick not be invisible to us as we seek to bring your life to those around us. 

God of Children, we ask that you would awaken us to these most powerless of those created in your image.  Jesus tells us that we receive him when we receive and protect children, yet instead we abuse, traumatize, separate, and imprison them. God forgive us.  Forgive us our numbness, our voyeurism, our complacency.  We cry out to you in our own powerlessness and ask that we may instead have your passion.   

God of All Nations, we ask that you would awaken us to the plight of your creation.  What you have pronounced good we have corrupted and endangered through sin and greed.  Have mercy on us. Let us see creation with your eyes – not as a resource to be used but as a beauty to preserve.  Give us your passion for all peoples, that clean air, fresh water, and peaceful environments would again be your free gifts to your creation.  Let us not become numb to war and violence, but in your compassion let us share in the pain and grief held by victims of all violence.    

God of the Church, we ask that you would awaken us to the desperate importance of your church in the world.  We ask for your passion for this family of faith, to be a counter-cultural force for love, generosity, forgiveness, justice, and unity.  You tell us and all your people to take up our cross and follow you – you shared the pain of the world on the cross and in this prayer we ask to overcome our numbness and share in that pain as well, confident that as your compassion brings hope to the world, ours through you will do the same. 

We ask these and all things in your name, our Passionate and Com-Passionate Lord and Savior Jesus Christ-- Amen.