Lord,

I pray for all the victims of natural catastrophes fires, floods, storms and earthquakes -
those who die, those who are injured,
those whose property is destroyed
those who are severely depressed,
those who lose family and loved ones,
and those among them who, with Your support,
find the courage to begin again.
Give them love and revitalized purpose.
Send them renewal and strength of will.
Send them sturdy supporting faith.
Make them whole again, and energized
as they strive to repair, rebuild
and normalize their lives once more.
Provide hope to all these people.
Send energy for their daunting task.
Bless them kindly as they go forward.
Hold them gentle, Jesus, they suffer.
Be close to them all in their need.
As they rebuild, Give strength,
I pray you dear God of Hope.
Guide us all forward.
Hold us close,
Now and always
In Your heart,
I pray you, Jesus.

Help me understand the meaning
of the violent eruptions of nature
from which mankind often suffers:
hurricanes and forest fires, floods, tsunamis
and earthquakes.

Let me realize that what may seem
evidence of divine wrath
may rather be a fatherly warning,
but also a challenge
which, with Your help, we can survive.

Life, and this world, are gifts from You to us.
They come with no assurance
that we will always have good weather
and smooth sailing.

It is when we meet the hardest challenges of life
that we are really at our very best.

Help me understand
that every earthly catastrophe
and every personal difficulty and challenge
can make me reassess my faith, and realize
more vitally that this life is fleeting,
that treasures stored up here
are unsubstantial, and that a better,
eternal, life awaits all
who hear and obey Your divine word.

Let violence remind me of Your Power,
warn me against Your wrath,
motivate me to remember You always
and guide me to act in ways
deserving of Your love.

Let every sadness and loss remind me
that the things of this world are indeed ephemeral
and all are doomed to disappear.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth
where the rust and moth consume and thieves
break through and steal. But lay up treasures
in heaven - where neither the rust nor moth can consume, and where thieves cannot break through nor steal. -- Matthew 6:19-20

We cannot know Your mind God, but we can know
that You always love us and care for us all.

Amen

(c) 2011 Donn B. Murphy

Image - Lightning - God'sUserPage
Image - Tornado - Wikia.com
Image - New Orleans Flood 2005 - Buzzfeed
Image - Coffin - Timeless Funerals

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dbm at nowstar.net