Heavenly Father,
Thank you for making a way to approach You, and for Your eternal lovingkindness and faithfulness. In all things, good and bad, You remain our good, good Father.
In prayer, right now, we join our hearts with the hearts of our brothers and sisters at Grace Presbyterian Church, Brandi’s former church home. Thank you, thank you that none of their church family was hurt in the fire. We lift the injured firefighters to you with gratitude for their bravery, skill, and fortitude. Father, thank you for preserving their lives and please bring them to full and complete healing. Watch over them through the medical people who are attending to them, and please bring comfort and peace to their families.
We lift up Robin Curras, Grace’s Transitional Pastor and Head of Staff. Please infuse Robin with your extraordinary calm and wisdom in the face of this crisis. We pray for David Malyszko, Grace’s pianist/organist, and for all the families who make up Grace Presbyterian. Help them manage the shock of this terrible event. Comfort them as they grieve all the losses. Father, we pray that you would knit them together even more tightly in You. Help them lean into You and one another.
Father God, we lift up the Session members at Grace Presbyterian. They were already helping their church family navigate a time of transition. Let no one on Session sink under this added burden. Father, please protect them from discouragement. Instead, Holy Spirit, please come upon their Session so fully, so completely, with such power and might, that not one person would question Your Presence with them or the HOPE you are providing for their future.
Finally, Father God, we praise You again and again for who You are, and for how you make us ONE in You, whether we know one another or not. We are brothers and sisters. If we can help Grace Presbyterian in tangible ways, please show us what we can do. In the meantime, please remind us to pray faithfully. We are sorry when we underestimate You and undervalue praying, as if praying were our last resort. Instead, please keep teaching us to communicate with You first, and persistently.
In the saving and merciful Name of Jesus we pray,
Amen, amen
Sent by Rev. Brandi Wolf Drake, written by the Prayer Team Leader at Noroton Presbyterian Church, Darien, Connecticut, August 16, 2023