Prayers of the People, P+22B

In fear and hopelessness, we bow before you, Lord,
devastated by the ways in which our unexplained grief
is wreaking havoc on our lives.
We can neither comprehend nor communicate
the depths or our inadequacy.
Our questions far exceed our answers
both in quantity and in substance.
We lift our prayers to you, O God, and seek your mercy.
Your people are counting their losses, Lord,
and finding the weight of them too heavy to bear.
Violence, division, and addiction destroy families.
Greed and abuse of power oppresses the poor.
Illness rips our loved ones from our arms.
We lift our prayers to you, O God, and seek your healing.
We call to you from our places of isolation,
our separation from community,
our blindness and fear
and faith,
and we continue to call
persistently,
hoping you will hear us
and call us to follow.
Hear our prayers as we seek to listen for your wisdom
and your guidance.
Open our hearts to a new perspective.
Teach us humility for ourselves
and compassion for the other.
Make of your people agents of hope
and recommission us to share the Good News
with all who will hear it. 
We lift our prayers to you, O God, and await your Spirit's anointing.