Prayer vigils for our nation during convention time and in the weeks ahead!

Dear Family of Love!

Happy We All Matter Monday! As we begin the week I ask that we pray in earnest for our nation and the world in which we live. Our challenge this week comes from the Prophets Isaiah and Micah:

 Isaiah;

He shall judge between the nations,
    and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war any more.


Micah:
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God

Isaiah

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

Nothing is more plain than what is contained in these verses from Isaiah and Micah is it? This is our time to begin to start healing of all our divisions and set our feet on a path of being the family and children of God that God has created.  We begin our time of prayer with a combined set of prayer vigils from awhile back and then we will enter into prayer from blogs not so long ago.


God we light our candles tonight as we pray and give thanks for our family members where there is much division, hatred, and fear. We pray that as we pray this list of these our family members we may come up with our own list of family members with whom we find ourselves divided and whom we should work towards inclusion, universal human rights, equality, equity, and equal protection under the law for all God's Children. We pray this night that we may  become the Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful family members to all and including the following: 
LGBTQIA
Religious communities
The least of these
The mentally ill
African Americans
Muslims
Asian Americans
Native Americans
Hispanics 
Immigrants both undocumented and documented.
Refugees
Disabled
Women
Children 
May we seek to widen our tables, hearts, heart homes and community to accept them fully and that may we honor them as they honor us by their presence each day. We light our candles and say to each group on the list and our own "The Light of Christ in me Recognizes and Accepts the Light of Christ in you my brothers and sisters of _______________ We welcome you fully into the family of God and ask your forgiveness for any wrongs we have done to you and  in the name of Jesus. May we pray and strive to seek to know the Christ/ God in you as you seek to know the Christ/ God in us. We ask this in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.

Let us light our candles again and be at prayer:

God we thank you for this country of ours and ask that you come into our hearts this night as we discern the course of this country. Help us we pray to remember that we were called long ago to be beacons of liberty for all people. We pray that we may remember that diversity is what makes us great not walls, division, bigotry, hatred, exclusion, and fear. Release us from the bonds of fear, injustice, and inequality. Give us courage to take Jesus, the least of these, and be the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves into the voting booth with us . Help us we pray to vote with our minds set on the CALM principle and with hearts, minds, and spirits as we remember that we are called to be Compassionate, Accepting, Loving and Merciful. We pray for healing of wounds, hatred, and division and that we may seek to be united as one country, one people, in love, and service one to another as we were following 9/11. May we foster together with God's help the courage to lay down the weaponry of words and any kind of weapon that seeks to hurt, harm, and cause fear and division. We remember these words from the prophet Isaiah: 

He shall judge between the nations,
    and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
    neither shall they learn war any more.

God we pray and continue to pray as we light our candles may they be torches of  liberty, diversity, and unity. We remember this night the words on the Statue of Liberty as we close this time of prayer and vigiling.:

The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
-Emma Lazarus


We come before you O God humbly with our hearts full and in need of your guidance this night and in the days and weeks to come and we pray especially for our country, enemies, and allies this night and always Amen.

Tonight let's meditate on the words unity and love. Take your time and find your way into the center and stay there. Be in conversation and listen to what God is saying.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls O God to help us promote healthy bodies, minds, and spirits not only in our lives but as as good citizens.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls O God  to seek peace in everything we do.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls O God, to love and care for the least of these.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts and souls O  God, to strive for justice, peace, and equality throughout all nations of the world and in our own country.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts and souls O God, that we may learn to love and care for the refugee, victim of violence, and human trafficking.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts and souls O God that we may care for all who  are in mourning and those who have died.

Open our eyes, ears hearts and souls O God to help us fight injustice and oppression.

Open our eyes, ears, hearts,and souls O God to come to you when we are in need of help and comfort.

Open our eyes, ears,hearts and souls O God to Pray for all those who are ill and in need of your healing. remembering_________________________

Open our eyes, ears, hearts, and souls that we may lift up our prayers and thanksgivings to you O Lord . Amen.

Or these:

Dear God we pray during this time of the election cycle these prayers.

May we view voting and being good citizens as a sacred privilege not to be squandered but prized.

May we educate ourselves on the various issues and pray for your guidance  in these matters and that we always remember the least of these and those who are on the margins especially for those whose rights may be violated and not made equal to that of our own.

We pray for our leaders at all levels of government.

We pray for our courts and the judiciary.

We pray for all governmental agencies at the local, state, and national level.

We pray for all new citizens who will be voting in their first election.

We pray that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you O God and may justice roll down.

We pray that our voices may be as we vote and may we remember the voiceless who can't vote.

We pray for all lawyers, paralegals, court clerks, bailiffs, sheriffs, justices of the peace, law enforcement personnel, judges, District Attorneys and all those who help administer justice in our land.

We pray for those who work in our prisons and jails. We pray for prison reform and those who are in prison.

We pray for compassionate immigration reform. 

We pray for peace in our country and and end to violence of any kind.

We pray for an end to human trafficking and abuse.

We pray for the protection of our most vulnerable family members.

We pray for peace in all troubled and war torn areas of Your World O God. Take time in this time of silence to call these places and situations to mind.

We pray for all those who have asked us to pray for them and others on their behalf. 

We add our own prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances _____


We take time to remember  and speak the names of these dear ones as has become our custom;

Montrell Jackson, Matthew Gerald and Brad Garafola, of Baton Rouge who were killed 

We pray and  remember the 4000+ persons who have died by acts of lynching in our country as we speak the name of Moses York who was lynched . We remember and pray for those who have been victims of violence at the hands of law enforcement officers as we speak the names of Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and all others. We pray and  speak the names of the the Dallas 5 BRENT THOMPSON, PATRICK ZAMARRIPA,MICHAEL KROL,MICHAEL SMITH,LORNE AHRENS We pray and remember the Orlando 49 and speak their names: Stanley Almodovar III,Amanda Alvear,Oscar A Aracena-Montero, Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, Antonio Davon Brown, Darryl Roman Burt II, Angel L. Candelario-Padro,Juan Chevez-Martinez, Luis Daniel Conde, Cory James Connell, Tevin Eugene Crosby, Deonka Deidra Drayton, Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, Leroy Valentin Fernandez, Mercedez Marisol Flores,Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, Juan Ramon Guerrero, Paul Terrell Henry,Frank Hernandez, Miguel Angel Honorato, Javier Jorge-Reyes, Jason Benjamin Josaphat, Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, Christopher Andrew Leinonen, Alejandro Barrios Martinez, Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, Kimberly Morris, Akyra Monet Murray, Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, Joel Rayon Paniagua, Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, Enrique L. Rios, Jr., Jean C. Nives Rodriguez,Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado,Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, Edward Sotomayor Jr., Shane Evan Tomlinson,Martin Benitez Torres, Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, Luis S. Vielma,Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, Jerald Arthur Wright. We pray and speak the name of Ulises Garcia, Bernardino de Jesus, and all those who have died at the hands of gang violence. For all who have died by suicide by law enforcement today especially in Santa Maria remembering, Javier Garcia Gaona.

God we lift up these prayers to you in your Name. Amen.



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Have a blessed night dear family! I love you, you Matter, and I'm blessed to have you as my family and give thanks to God for you always!


Love, joy, peace, and blessings!

Sara