Psalm 123

God. Abba. Father.

We lift our eyes to the heavens and praise your holy name! You are the One True God. You are the maker of heaven and earth. You were before time began. You are with us now. You will always be.

You care about us deeply. Whatever is of concern to us is of concern to you. We thank you for hearing our prayers. You have been faithful to answer us in the past. We trust you will answer us now. Fill us with your Holy Spirit. Like a lover who runs to his beloved across the meadow, we fix our eyes on you with joy and anticipation.

Yet, some days we feel defeated and without much hope. Let us not face our doubts alone. We look to you, and to our community of faith, to encourage us, to challenge us, to minister to us. Have mercy, Lord. Have mercy. We need you. Our cities and towns need you. Our governments need you. Our world needs you. We need your grace. We need your wisdom.

Those who have turned their backs on you are quick to insult your followers and take advantage of us. Thank you for showing us your compassion and unconditional love. Thank you for being with us. We trust you, oh great King of kings.

Through Jesus, we pray.

Amen.