How Long, O Lord?

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Psalms 13:1-2

How long, O Lord?
Father, we look at this world with all of its challenges and brokeness, we know that you are the answer. But we don’t see any change. It is hard to believe anything is going to change.

We see the stories of injustice on the news, we witness the struggles of those living in poverty or in fear of violence, we hear stories of brokenness and pain, and we find it hard to respond.

This pandemic has brought so much anxiety, fear and uncertainty to the surface. Where it was once buried under layers of distractions and activity, it has been exposed, and we feel vulnerable, worn out and stressed.

We are grieving over this broken world that we live in and long for things to change. Our hearts cry out to you, Lord, “How long?” At times, we feel like you have forgotten us. We feel ignored.

Lord, we know our world is in a mess. We know we live in a fallen world. But we also know that Jesus Christ has redeemed us and the world. We know your love is never failing and that you will and are working all things for your good.

So we choose to put our trust in you, Lord. We declare that you are the Lord, and you will make all things beautiful in your time. Help us to wait for you, long for you and as we wait to be filled with expectation.

For you are the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth, you are good, and your mercies are new every morning.

So we cry out to you, confident that you heart us and will answer us.

We do this in the name of Jesus, the one who is faithful, Amen.