A Prayer For The Overwhelmed

A Prayer for the Overwhelmed

O God, help us resist the lie that we are alone

In the swirl of parenting, in the world at large.

For You hold our children, and indeed all of us,

In the palm of Your hand.

O God, as we stay awake at night,

Wondering how we will make it through another week,

Wondering what our children’s lives will look like in the future,

Give us peace and breathe empathy into us,

For the need is all around us.

O God, help us to focus on right now,

Even in our exhaustion,

In our frustration,

And in our loneliness.

Help us be awake to You in the world—

In the form of a crying baby in our arms

Or a child in need of help with schoolwork

Or a hungry neighbor on the corner.

O God, we don’t have to tell You

That we live in a reality with so much need,

Both in our homes

And in our broader communities,

And it’s easy to feel like whatever we do

Is just a pebble in the ocean.

O God, remind us that You are present

To each individual heart

And every communal cry.

Give us strength for the day

And bright hope for tomorrow.

Psalm 46; Galatians 6:9-10