Holy and living God, you meet us right in the middle of our longing. You breathe hope into places we thought were settled in fear or fatigue. Remind us today that your hope is not flimsy or fragile, but steady enough to lean on and wide enough to hold us all.

We pray for those who suffer with pain, loss, loneliness, and scarcity. For our neighbors carrying quiet grief, for those whose bodies ache, for those who feel forgotten, for those unsure how they will make it through the week. Draw near to each one with your gentleness. Let your presence be felt in real and tangible ways: in a friend who checks in, in a moment of calm that arrives unexpectedly, in the strength to trust that they are not abandoned. Surround them with people who can be your hands and feet, offering comfort, companionship, and care.

As our government’s leaders continue the ups and downs and the very real drama of governing, many of us feel anxious. These nerves are no accident; we know these decisions affect people’s lives in real time. God of justice, take our nervousness and turn it into courage. Take our fear and shape it into action for the marginalized, the poor, the stranger, and all who are vulnerable to the shifting winds of power.

As Democratic and Republican leaders continue to divide, renew in them, and renew in us, a spirit that looks beyond party lines toward the common good. Restore in our leaders generosity and compassion, wisdom and humility. And kindle in each of us the hope that allows us to build community even when we disagree, and to seek peace even when it feels far off.

Holy One, it is easy for us to feel hopeless these days. The world is heavy, and our hearts can be too. So continue to show us glimpses of your hope. Let us notice it in the giggles of a child, in the beauty of the northern lights, in the generosity of strangers, in the tiny moments of grace that slip into our ordinary days. And most of all, let us rest in your love—a love that reminds us we are enough, we are held, and we are yours.

We pray all of this in Jesus’s name, the one who taught us to pray, saying…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.