The President has declared this day, September 3, 2017 a National Day of Prayer for the victims and responders to the Texas and Louisiana disaster following hurricane Harvey. Let us join with our brothers and sisters across this great nation in prayer.
Let us read together Psalm 77 and Psalm 78 through verse 8 and worship the God who sustains the universe and saves our souls. Let us return to worship. Let us pray as a nation for unity as He prescribes, for a healing of our land, for mercy and forgiveness.
Psalm 77
I cry out to God; yes, I shout.
Oh, that God would listen to me!
2 When I was in deep trouble,
I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
but my soul was not comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan,
overwhelmed with longing for his help.
4 You don’t let me sleep.
I am too distressed even to pray!
5 I think of the good old days,
long since ended,
6 when my nights were filled with joyful songs.
I search my soul and ponder the difference now.
7 Has the Lord rejected me forever?
Will he never again be kind to me?
8 Is his unfailing love gone forever?
Have his promises permanently failed?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude
10 And I said, “This is my fate;
the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.
13 O God, your ways are holy.
Is there any god as mighty as you?
14 You are the God of great wonders!
You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.
15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Interlude
16 When the Red Sea saw you, O God,
its waters looked and trembled!
The sea quaked to its very depths.
17 The clouds poured down rain;
the thunder rumbled in the sky.
Your arrows of lightning flashed.
18 Your thunder roared from the whirlwind;
the lightning lit up the world!
The earth trembled and shook.
19 Your road led through the sea,
your pathway through the mighty waters—
a pathway no one knew was there!
20 You led your people along that road like a flock of sheep,
with Moses and Aaron as their shepherds.
Psalm 78
1O my people, listen to my instructions.
Open your ears to what I am saying,
2 for I will speak to you in a parable.
I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
3 stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
4 We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
5 For he issued his laws to Jacob;
he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children,
6 so the next generation might know them—
even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.
8 Then they will not be like their ancestors—
stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,
refusing to give their hearts to God.
Prayer: Almighty God, we thank You for Your provision each day, for our very breath. This day we ask Your blessing on those who suffer because of this weather event, but we thank You for teaching us once again that we can do all things through Your strength and power. We pray for those who suffer, for You love us. We pray for those who rule over us, for You have placed them in power and give them the resources due their offices. We pray for the thousands of helpers and Your people who show mercy and grace in times of difficulty. We thank You for bringing us together to solve problems and to do good things. We thank You for unity, and for lessening the strife we so often show. Forgive us for our pettiness and bring us together for the cause of peace. Once again restore us to prosperity, bring our homes together where we may share our families and friends, and bring our nation to its knees asking Your forgiveness. Bring us Your mercy and guidance. We pray for those who mourn, we pray for those who are discouraged and disheartened. We ask You to keep us strong and resilient, to give us patience, and to join together as never before because of this tragic occurrence. May we remember to look for the good in every situation, and to seek Your will in all things. Will You strengthen us for the tasks ahead, and will You bless us with sound wisdom, tenacity, and patience. Will You restore us with a renewed sense of vision that we may recover well and remember the joy of new beginnings. Amen.
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