April 6, 2022 | by Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner | NCNW National Chaplain and President of Skinner Leadership Institute| barbarawilliams-skinner.com
O Lord our God, we thank and praise your boundless grace and endless mercy sustaining us through a cruel and deadly lingering pandemic. Help us find strength in the power of your promise, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Lord, today, we pray for your mercy and grace to those still grieving COVID deaths of loved ones and those suffering from business, job, and financial loss. We pray for poor children lacking virtual educational support suffering long-term academic setbacks. We pray for your comfort over the depressed and for families of loved ones who succumbed to suicide. We pray for the essential, frontline workers unable to shelter in place—like grocery deliverers, childcare and health workers, truck drivers, teachers, and first responders.
Almighty God, you made everyone in your image as bearers of dignity, worth, and value, so we ask you to help us extend grace to one another whether or not we wear COVID masks. Lord, we praise you for every pastor spiritually nurturing us during the pandemic, whether virtually or in person, often at a tremendous personal sacrifice. As the pandemic moves to a less deadly phase, please help us use common sense health measures as we gather again in person, so we protect one another.
And now, O God, in the heartbreaking human cruelties of the Ukraine-Russian war and human conflicts in parts of Africa and South America, we pray for refugees of every race. Please help us to extend the same mercy, grace, and open doors to desperate refugees—whether White, Black or Brown— that you have lovingly extended to us, for all are precious in your sight. In your name, we pray, Lord Jesus. AMEN
