Prayer for Hope During COVID-19

As the city encourages us to practice “social distancing,” we encourage you to remember Matthew 18:20: For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. We hope you will still gather virtually with family and friends to pray for protection over our city and for its most vulnerable populations. Please use this prayer, written by Tory, our Manager of Mobilization, during these uncertain times. (You can also find prayer requests from our affiliates here.)
 

Prayer for Closeness with God in the Time of Social Distancing

Inspired by Jeremiah 23:23-24

God, you are the maker of heaven and earth. You created each and every one of us. There is nothing that you do not see. There is not a thought or feeling that I have that I can hide from you. You know all of my fears and all of my hopes. In light of this global pandemic, you are deeply acquainted with every plan that has been cancelled, every hope that has been deferred, every tear that has been shed, and every single life lost. Even though we are experiencing isolation, you are not distant from us. You are here.

Lord, we confess that we are weak and easily forget how much you care for us. We know that you are big, but forget that you are intimately aware of the details of our life. God, the problems of the coronavirus are pervasive, affecting nearly every aspect of our daily lives. We give over to worry and fear. We do not trust you. God, help us. We repent of our self-reliance.

We thank you for your fatherly care. We thank you that when we are weak, you are strong. You do not shame us for our fears, but encourage us toward confidence in you. God, we thank you for the protection you have already shown us. We thank you for the ways people in our city, our country, and our world have come together to care for one another.

God, we ask you to continue to protect us. We specifically ask you to protect those who are most vulnerable among us—the elderly and the immunocompromised. For the residents served by the Upper East Side Residential & Nursing Home, Project FIND, and Isaiah 58. We ask for their safety and health. We ask you to guard their spirits against loneliness and provide encouragement for them. Bolster the staffs at these residences. Be close to the people there and guard them with your powerful love. Amen.