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Even if you think God isn't real, or even if He isn't actually real, I'd still like to offer up Prayers of Intercession and Petition for Shondo and her mom. I tried to write these so that they could be said by anybody who is, to any degree religious, on behalf of anybody, without proselytizing as much as possible (though, they are probably fairly Reformed Protestant in character). Intercession is geared more towards Shondo herself, plus her surviving family members; Petition is geared more towards Shondo's mother. I don't care if she herself is Jewish/Hindu/Rastafarian/Cult of Mithras, what happened is horrible and I think it'd be remiss not to have her in my prayers for the time being.
Prayer of Intercession:
God of love, font of all mercy, be with all people and all nations, so that we might all come together to work towards your justice and peace. We pray for our loved ones, we pray for those suffering injustice, and we pray for those who lack any community to call their own. We pray for the victims of family suicide, especially those who have lost multiple loved ones in recent times. Heal the anguish. Provide opportunities to come to terms with or ameliorate regrets. Help those who cared and who remain understand that it is not their faults. Mend feuds between sickly and elderly family members before it is too late. Give those whose loved ones have passed on cool heads, thoughtful minds, and the space to grieve. Give us the wisdom, patience, empathy, and resilience to comfort and assist in the healing of loved ones and friends who have suffered such tragedies. Preserve and exalt those institutions and organizations whose job it is to heal the lost and bereaved when they have nobody else. We pray, too, for fathers and mothers stuck in ruts of self-destructive or neglectful behavior to rediscover love for their children and to do right by those who look up to them. We pray for prodigal children who have repudiated the care and the opportunities their parents have given them to become more conscientious and selfless. Hear our prayer of intercession, O Lord.
Prayer of Petition:
Healing God, who acts through Love to reconcile the world to yourself, we ask that you draw us further into fellowship with you and with one another, and to strengthen our ministries of reconciliation and healing. Empower not just the church, but all of your children on Earth, through your Holy Spirit, to be a force for healing and flourishing in the world. Empower us, God, to spread love, integrity, forgiveness, joy, optimism, and nourishment wheresoever we go. Help us spread your grace to all people, especially those in pain, grieving, and downtrodden. Take those children who have lost their parents and cannot rely on other family into your embrace and protect them. Be with all of us as we seek to do good works in your name. God, we ask that bolster the faith and convictions of all mankind, church and beyond, so that we may continue striving to walk in and towards your light of justice. Lord, be with each of us, as we seek to divest of violence and to champion peace. Help us to understand the roots of another's pain and to help them find something worth living for in your glorious Creation. Help us to assist, to heal, and to strengthen those who have suffered heinous abuses at the hands of those who are meant to love, to protect, to nurture, and to complete them. Inspire us to normalize taking care of our mental health, no matter color, creed, or citizenship. Our desire for reconciliation and peace rises up to you, God, especially on behalf of those who, unwilling or incapable of enduring the hardships of the world, sought to join you before their appointed time and ended their own lives. We ask that you continue to extend your love, your forgiveness, your grace, and your Word to these anguished souls and give them each a place beside you. Hear our prayer of Petition, O Lord.
