Where Are You? A Prayer For The Twelfth Day Of Lent

Lord, we do not understand anything. The earth shakes, and the poor die. We see the evil in the world, but we never see justice. Your son nears death on the cross and you never send your angels to rescue him, turning your back instead as he breathes his last.

And we ask, "Where are you?"

We cannot reconcile our personal experiences of redemption with the tragedy we see in the world. And we cannot reconcile the patience you require of us with our desire to put an end to injustice. You are not bound by the rules of space and time that constrain our frail humanity. Your mercy and grace is infinitely more than we can imagine. And yet we question everything you do, or more bluntly, we question everything we do not see you do.

Send your Holy Spirit to open our eyes to your work in the here and now. Give us the patience only your spirit can give, so that we can spend every last breath working as your agents in this world. Give us a glimpse of the future you promise so that our feet do not grow weary.

Remind us that when we ask, "Where are you?" you respond, "I am here. I have been here. And I will continue to be here. Where are you?"

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer


I Cannot Do This Alone
A Lenten Prayer by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

O God, early in the morning I cry to you.
Help me to pray
And to concentrate my thoughts on you;
I cannot do this alone.
In me there is darkness,
But with you there is light;
I am lonely, but you do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
I am restless, but with you there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;
I do not understand your ways,
But you know the way for me….
Restore me to liberty,
And enable me to live now
That I may answer before you and before men.
Lord whatever this day may bring,
Your name be praised.

Amen

(Thanks to GodSpace)