A Concord Pastor Comments: Night Prayer: WEDNESDAY 4/15

When we were children, Lord,
our night prayers often went like this:
God bless mommy, God bless daddy,
God bless grandma and grandpa,
God bless Uncle Joe who's sick,
God bless my brothers and sisters,
God bless my friends...

Such a simple prayer, Lord,
but a great prayer to offer at day's end:
seeking your blessing on those who love us,
your protection for those who care for us
and your healing for those who are sick...

I'm not a kid anymore, Lord,
but I'm still a child, your child,
so I come tonight with a child's heart
and a child's prayer...

God bless my mother and father,
my grandparents, aunts and uncles,
my brothers, sisters and cousins:
those still with me and those in heaven forever...

God bless my friends and neighbors,
my classmates and colleagues,
and strangers whose paths cross mine each day...

God bless the sick and the dying,
especially those who must be alone
and God bless those who so very much
want to be with them...

God bless all those who grieve this night:
comfort and console them:
embrace them with your strong arms
and hold their loved ones in your peace...

God bless our health care providers,
technicians, doctors and nurses,
researchers, scientists, chemists...

God bless the hundreds of thousands
in hospitals, clinics and nursing homes
who support and manage,
who clean and serve and cook
who protect and drive and deliver
to serve the needs of so many...

God bless the lonely, the worried, the anxious,
the strong and the weak and fragile,
the young and old and in-betweens:
those we love and those we struggle to love;
those we're estranged from
and those we're close to...

God bless all those who serve and protect us,
all those who stand in harm's way this night,
at home, abroad, around the world...

God bless and keep us, one and all,
God bless and keep us through this night
and when the morning dawns, as sure it will,
let your face, the light of your face, Lord,
shine upon us...

Amen.