Prayers of the People - May 20
Wednesday Evening, May 20th
Pause at the end of each day. Enjoy communion with the living God: Creator, Redeemer, Holy Spirit. Listen for the voice of God in the scriptures.
Read
Psalm 40, My Help and My Deliverer. “As for you O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will preserve me!”
Judges 14, Samson’s Marriage and riddle
Meditate
The words of the Lord are spirit and life, a light to the wise path. Sit with your questions, write down your observations and tensions.
Pray
Bring your meditations to this time of prayer and let them guide you, or use the prayer we’ve offered here:
Lord, hear the prayers of your people. O God our help and our deliverer. We are looking to you in this season of new life. Striving to celebrate the work, power and presence of Jesus, but finding ourselves in a constant battle and strain with the principalities of our day. We need your Holy Spirit, O God of our salvation, to teach us the lessons of today’s psalm. I waited patiently for the Lord; who inclined to me and heard my cry.
We need your deliverance, Holy One, to draw up your people from the pits of fatigue and danger. Set us free from our failings and steer us clear from the darts of the people who mean us harm. Set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
Will you teach us a new song? A song of deliverance out of our literal and metaphysical chains, into the protection of your house and your movement? Teach us a way of life that brings life, that spreads seeds of joy - like a sower working on good ground. Put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to my God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
Lord of “all things new”, we are surrounded by the sickness of injustice. We know that it is by your power and none other that we are able to face each new day with more news of more loss. But we need a break, Spirit of sanity. This mess simply ain’t sustainable. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver! And make haste to help!
We are afflicted on all sides. The stories of lynching never end in the United States. Not even the pandemic could stop this new season of police crimes and anti-Black violence. We know you are alive, King Jesus. We know that you are sending your Spirit. We know that you are with us. But we would have a word from you. Because our people, your children, are dying. For evils have encompassed me beyond number. Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life.
We would seek you and know your deliverance. We would call to you and wait for you to incline your ear to hear. Let our testimony be one we do not want to hide! Let us go and tell of a liberation that can only come from the divine. Lord, let us bear witness to your great salvation. Bring us - please God, make us - a new exodus story for our time! Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt! Let those be appalled because of their shame. But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
Contemplate
In silence. - As for me, I am poor and needy. But the Lord takes thought for us. You O God are our help and our deliverer; do not delay, O my God!
Through song - Deliver Me (This is my Exodus)
In remembrance - Today is the birthday of Michael Brown, Jr.
In August of 2014 in Ferguson Missouri, Mike Brown Jr. was shot multiple times by police officer Darren Wilson and left in the street for 4.5 hours. Mike was unarmed.
May 20th 2020 would have been his 24th birthday.
“Rose Petals” is a spiritual song of remembrance for Mike Brown and others murdered by police, from Common Hymnal, https://commonhymnal.com/songs/rose-petals
Seek God’s face
“My heart said - seek God’s face. Lord, your face will I seek” Psalm 27.8
I desire to do your will, O my God, your law is within my heart.
Lord, hear the prayers of your people. Amen
Artwork:
Waiting, Carl Joe Williams
“We Rise” Mural from Ferguson, MO
To access the full prayer guide from Daily Prayer Project, join the Faith for Justice mailing list on our home page, or subscribe at dailyprayerproject.org