Psalm 5:
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD;
give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house,
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
11 Let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
you cover them with favor as with a shield.
Prayers:
Merciful God, we pray for your children throughout the world who are suffering today from lack of food, clothing, shelter, and health care. Surround them with your compassion and with compassionate people who will minister to their needs.
Merciful God, we pray for your children throughout the world who find themselves innocent victims of war, violence, and injustice. Attend them with your protective presence. Send your angel to encamp around them and deliver them.
Merciful God, we pray for those in the world who are responsible for creating oppression and injustice that causes the suffering of others. Convict them in their hearts and lead them to true repentance, reconciliation, and restoration.
Merciful God, we pray for ourselves—both in our own suffering, and in our participation in systems that cause suffering for others. Forgive our sins and empower us by your Spirit to work for peace and justice today.
Vater Unser…
