Gracious God and Father, although Your Son, Jesus Christ, came to bring us Your heavenly peace, violence and conflict still rage among Your children on earth. Keep us ever faithful in a broken world spinning out of control, recognizing the signs of Your Son’s eventual return: civil unrest, pestilence, natural disasters, by always trusting Your abiding Word. According to Your will bring a restoration of calm and security in our land, and heal the wounds that have been inflicted. Mercifully embrace the frightened in Your love, empower the weak with Your strength, restrain the wicked hateful violence through Your ordained authorities granting them strength and wisdom as they seek to mitigate the damage and provide rescue and restoration. We pray especially for our brothers and sisters in Christ, be their strength when they are set in the midst of so many and great dangers. Help them to go forward tending to the duties of their many vocations with prudence and diligence, confident that in life or in death You are their refuge, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
