Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God (Isaiah 50:10).
Father in heaven, only Your plans and purposes prevail. We pray in the words of the apostles, “Sovereign Lord, You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain (Acts 4:24-25; Psalm 2:1-2)?
Even as the world hurtles forward into chaos and confusion under its grand illusion of control, Your word tells us that "the Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations" (Psalm 33:10-11).
Lord, nothing or no one else we trust in provides safety or security—"No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love…" (Psalm 33:16-18)
Our only hope is in You in these troubling times of pandemic vulnerability, economic difficulty, financial insecurity, political uncertainty, and social instability. Try as we might, we can fix nothing. More and more Lord, as the pillars fall around us, and the structures crumble, and the darkness seems to deepen, we realize our desperate need of Your presence, Your protection, Your plan.
"[We] look for Your deliverance Lord" (Genesis 49:18)! Light our way through the darkness as we trust in the name of the Lord and rely on our God.
O Lord, support us all the day long,
until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done.
Then in thy mercy grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last.
~ Book of Common Prayer, 1928
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