Woman at the Well – Pastoral Prayer

Pastoral prayer inspired by John 4:5-42

O God,

We come to you because we are thirsty,
thirsty for a world where all people have access to clean, fresh water and the most vulnerable members of society are cared for.

We pray for a world where people
who make houses can afford to live in them,
people who serve food can afford to eat it,
when all children have access to good education
and young people can find jobs.

Empower us to be your hands and feet,
To work toward this justice in our everyday lives.

O God,

We come to you because we are thirsty,
Thirsty for a world where people might discover love and renewal.

We pray for all those who struggle with addiction
and mental illness.
We pray for those in prisons.
We pray for those in uniforms.
We pray for refugees
and all those forced from their homes because of violence.
We pray for those who grieve.
We pray for those awaiting organ donation.
We pray for those healing from medical procedures.
We pray for the sick.
We pray for our nation and our world.

O God,

We are parched for your Living Waters.
Open our hearts
as your unending forgiveness, tenderness, justice, truth, courage
pour over us like a fresh spring rain,
readying us to grow, to flourish, to experience life that is really life.

Thank you, O God,
for the ways that you quench our thirst,
the ways you tell us, “I love you” and “dignity will be had” and “death is not the end of the story”. Thank you for coming to us in prayer and hospital visits, in old friendships and time in nature, in students and inspiring teachers, in moving songs and quiet moments, in fiery spirits and enduring persistence.

Thank O God, for teaching us that our small story is part of one big story, a story that leads from bondage to liberation, fear to love, heartbreak to transformation, isolation to trust, death to resurrection, again and again and again.

Amen.