Is anyone crying for help?
God is listening, ready to rescue you.
If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.
Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time.
He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken.
The wicked commit slow suicide; they waste their lives hating the good.
God pays for each slave’s freedom; no one who runs to him loses out.
–Psalm 34:17-22
We lift up prayers for the women and men who have endured sexual abuse, assault, and rhetoric.
God is with you. God is for you.
God does not condone the things that have been done to you and he is proud of your courage to survive and thrive despite your hardship.
Oh Lord, we pray for healing. May the many survivors of these abuses experience super-natural healing and wholeness. Will you send your Spirit to cover their wounds, restore their self-image, and infuse them with confidence and security? Grant them a peace that passes all understanding and show them the depths of your mercy and the breadth of your grace.
Lord, hear our prayers.
Oh Lord, we pray for justice. May these women and men have the courage to share their stories so that we can all lament and learn. May we all give them the decency and dignity of believing them when they tell the truth. Will you send your Spirit to empower them, hold them up in their pain and fatigue, and restore them to positions of leadership and progress? Embolden them to fight with resolve, strength, and precision.
Lord, hear our prayers.
Oh Lord, we pray for those who have committed these abuses. These people are often friends, family members, and other familiar figures in our lives. May they experience deep conviction for their wrongdoing and confess their sin. Will you send your Spirit to bring conviction to those who exploit others for their own gain and bring them to repentance?
For the oppressed we pray for justice. For the oppressor we pray for repentance.
Lord, you are a great healer. Our society is sick and broken. Will you heal us? Will you make us whole? Help us to love our neighbor as ourselves and to love ourselves as you love us.
We bear your image, oh Lord. May we actively pursue your likeness.
Amen.