Prayer of Comfort for the Brokenness in our World

Suggested Bible Reading: Psalm 102:1-2 (Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.)

Prayer

God of comfort and restoration,

Some days the ills and brokenness in our world feel too much to hold.
The pervasiveness of sin and injustice creeps deeper and deeper with no end in sight.
Grief and lament have become all too familiar, exhaustion and defeat all too near.
Our collective hope and joy sometimes withers with each passing tragedy and injustice.
Genuine comfort and love in our times of distress have felt foreign, with despair ever threatening to take root in our tender hearts
But in all this we still cling steadfastly to the promise of your restoration, to the promise of your peace and comfort that surpass all understanding.

So on this foundational promise we cry out to you, Lord:

That on the days when the ills and brokenness feel too much to hold, you hold it all with us.
That when sin and injustice creep in, your justice will roll down like waters.
That you respond to our exhaustion and defeat by giving us a renewed spirit.
That in the face of tragedy and injustice you grant us holy audacity.

Lord, we cry out to
you who coo over us tenderly as a long, warm, loving embrace;
you who fiercely protect our minds and bodies;
you who nourish our soul with your abounding love;
you who choose us each day.

Let our cries come to you.
Incline your ear to us.
Answer us speedily when we call.
And grant us your comfort and peace.

Amen!

Note: This prayer was authored by Thrive justice staff, Andrew Oppong, and originally published in 2023 as part of the 40 Days of Prayer for Synod. Given the current state of our world and the continued recognition of justice prayers like these, we felt the need to republish it.