A Prayer to be Doers

Praying for Peace and Justice on September 1, 2024

Oh God, this week, we have been encouraged by your text in 1^st James to be generous, as you are generous, but we often are stingy with our money and our time. When we give it, we are tempted to only help our friends, not the stranger, the foreigner, the person of another faith tradition, the person of a different political frame. Help us to model your generosity.

Oh God, we have been encouraged to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger, but we often do not follow this guidance. We rage against the wars in Myanmar, the Middle East, Ukraine, Mexico, Mali/Niger, and the Sudan. We rage over the deceit of people in power – whether power from wealth or political power. Yet, you remind us that our anger does not produce your righteousness. We need your wisdom and righteousness to hear the truth and speak the truth and to do both with love – love for ourselves and love for others.

And, Oh God, you have asked us to be doers of your word, not just hearers. Help us to speak words of kindness and care to all we meet and to keep our negativity to ourselves. Help us to act upon those words, not just make statements. Help us to be bringers of true hope and encouragement to all.  Help us to care for orphans and widows in need – both materially and emotionally.

Amen.

Background

Revised Common Lectionary Reading for September 1 from James 1: 17-27