7 Prayers That Work

Dear Lord God and Holy Spirit, My child has an opportunity today-- one of those many milestones we parents feel are so important. And they are, for succeeding in this world's system and for maturing into an adult. I give him once again into your hands. You have his future in mind. You created him for this moment and for the million moments before and after today. You know how each part fits together. Thank you for the thousand times you protected him, the thousand times you comforted, encouraged, convicted. May he feel your presence around him and before him today. Give him courage to be honest about himself. Give him confidence to see what you're already doing in him and for him. Give him wisdom beyond his years. Give him optimism and boldness-- enough to propel him toward your will and enough to steer him through the trials that will come. You crafted him. You called him You saved him. And you gave him to me for a little while. Thank you for th...

Lord, Set a watch over my mouth. Help me not to sin when I'm angry. I mean, right now. Clamp me down. You can take care of this problem if I just wait and listen and behave like Jesus would. (Wow, this is going to be hard.) Once again, help me! Amen. “'In your anger do  not   sin' : Do  not  let the sun go down while you are still  angry."  ( Eph. 4:26 )

Dear Lord God, You forgive us when we confess our sins, and you give grace when we confess the sins of our ancestors-- of our family and our city and our country. So I confess the great wickedness of our nation at oppressing the poor, marginalizing women, minorities, the elderly, and the ill, enslaving the African-Americans, red-lining poor communities, indenturing and imprisoning the uneducated and underprivileged. I confess our systemic white privilege, even as I want to believe I am not a benefactor of it. I confess our sins of racism and segregation, even as I say that I have not overtly participated in any of it. It is our heritage, and we are wrong to minimize its legacy. I confess the church's sins of politicizing moral issues, of drawing party lines through issues of compassion, grace, and mercy-- of using topics of mass incarceration, death penalty, immigration, life, and welfare to divide party lines and provide ease and security for the privileged...

Holy Spirit, Give me the faith to pray big prayers. I want to experience you working miracles, healing my emotions, transforming my mind, softening my heart, directing my destiny. Give me courage to fight for others instead of against others. I want to see you reconciling races, restoring relationships, reuniting families, bringing closure, healing wounds, saving souls. Give me the confidence to believe your timing is perfect. I want peace while believing in a future, accepting disappointment, striving for faith, enduring hardship, conquering temptation. Give me You. Amen.