There are many ways to pray in this year of financial crisis: among others, we might plead earnestly, sit in silence allowing the peace of God to sooth our fear and turmoil, even yell at God. I offer two prayers, one from the Church of England website and the other from the book of Proverbs.
Prayer for the current financial situation
Lord God, we live in disturbing days:
across the world,
prices rise,
debts increase,
banks collapse,
jobs are taken away,
and fragile security is under threat.
Loving God, meet us in our fear and hear our prayer:
be a tower of strength amidst the shifting sands,
and a light in the darkness;
help us receive your gift of peace,
and fix our hearts where true joys are to be found,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
+ + +
Prayer from the Book of Proverbs
Two things I ask of thee;
deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full, and deny thee,
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
or lest I be poor, and steal,
and profane the name of my God.
(Proverbs 7-9, RSV)
+ + +
The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.(Deuteronomy 33:27, RSV)