Prayer marking 20 years after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2021
It can be important for us to mark certain moments, if only to purposefully invite God into every aspect of our lives. Please feel free to pray this prayer as you mark 20 years after the 9/11 attacks.
Prayer:
Lord, for those of us who were old enough to hear the news, we can never forget that day; for those of us born after, we have grown up in the shadow cast by the term “9/11”.
As citizens of heaven living in America we pray to you, mighty God. We ask you to meet us in our continuing feelings of grief, fear, vulnerability, and anger. Our pain isn’t fully healed: not as individuals, not as a nation. You know this.
Every day gives fresh evidence that the world is not the way it should be. Sept 11, 2001 was not the first evil and we mourn that it was not the last. We grieve how much this world has been broken by sin. We even see that sin is even in our own hearts -- we also have ignored you and rebelled against you. This is why we needed you to reconcile us to yourself on the cross. You are the master peacemaker. You are our peace.
In that light Lord Jesus, you told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. This is difficult, but is in line with the grace you showed us. So we pray for terrorists in the world today. We pray for those in the Taliban in Afghanistan who would oppress and intimidate. Lord, unblind their eyes to the light of the gospel. We believe that even those far away can be brought near to you by Christ’s blood and can join us as brothers and sisters in Christ. By the power of your Spirit, make your people fear you and not any human being. Even so, protect our brothers and sisters in Christ in Afghanistan from evil people.
We remember before you families’ griefs and soldiers’ wounds. We lament all that has poured out after 9/11 that compounds our tragedy: blood, years, money, tears.
Make us trust in you alone:
When we feel vulnerable,
may we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
When we are tempted to trust in our wealth, our comfort, or our might,
may we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
When we don’t know what our next step should be,
may we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
No matter what promises people should make,
may we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
For the wounds of the past, for the difficulties and trials of the future, give us faith, hope, and love as we eagerly wait for that day when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes and will heal the nations.
Come, Lord Jesus, come!
by Pastor Kurt Morrill
Micah 4:2-4 (NIV)
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
4 Everyone will sit under their own vine
and under their own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for the Lord Almighty has spoken.