O, GOD, WHERE ARE YOU?

CRIES OF THE PEOPLE
It is the custom at our Church Of All Nations in Carlton for the lay members of the congregation to lead the prayers of the people.
These were our prayers on Sunday, 9th October.

1. O God, where are you?
We just escaped death in Afghanistan, we got to Indonesia, organized a boat to Australia…..and freedom. Instead we are cooped up here on Christmas Island in this ghastly detention centre and with no assurance of what will happen next.
O God, where are you?

2. O God, where are you?
I’m scared about the future. My husband has dementia, I’ve just been told that I have an aggressive cancer and our 54 year old disabled son has been having more seizures lately. What will happen to him when we go?
O God, where are you?

3. O God, where are you?
Here on the West bank of the Jordan, everything’s going wrong. We are Jews, we are Christians, we are Moslems and we want to live together but our leaders keep fighting, refusing even to talk to one another, always blaming one another….. and we three, all children of Abraham cry
O God, where are you?

4. O, God, where are you?
This rotten psych illness I’ve got……….there are voices in my head telling me to do things, warning me of dangers, over and over, and people are out to get me. God, is it you ? Is it some evil force? What is going on in my head?
O God, where are you?

5 O God, where are you?
My child is in a psych ward at The Austin, I’m riddled with guilt that I’ve failed him, that I was too busy all those growing years and now it’s too late. He won’t even talk to me.
O God, where are you?

6. O God where are you?
The Church is shrinking, the powers and principalities of the world seem so pervasive and dominant. Did we get it wrong? Was it all just wish fulfilment?
O God, where are you?

7. O God, where are you? We’ve been in this tent city on the border of Somalia for three years. I’ve lost my husband and two of our children and my youngest is emaciated and too weak to even cry. There is little food, only scraps of medicine and we’ve reached the stage of wishing we could just go to sleep and die.
O God, where are you?
Are you anywhere?

God of love, God of grace, hear the cries of your people.
For all who suffer, for all who care, we offer our prayers in helplessness and trust.
In Jesus we see you reaching out to people, lifting up the lonely, being alongside the broken and discouraged.
We wonder if you too are broken in our brokenness, helpless in our helplessness, distressed in our distress.
When human hearts are breaking under sorrow’s iron rod, may we find that self- same aching deep within your heart.
Gracious God , in your mercy, hear our prayer.