More Prayers for These Days

Recently, Mike and I were asked to write a prayer for an aspect of the corona virus, social isolation, etc.  I chose to write a prayer about those experiencing disappointment during this time - my prayer will appear next week.

Mike chose to write a prayer for journalists.

                                           A Prayer for Journalists

O Lord, our God, we know that after creating our world, you looked out on all that you had created and declared it was good. That story begins our Bible, a book filled with stories about you continuing to work in our world through your people.

Since then, we have been story tellers. We tell stories to describe our world, to report on events all around us, to let others know what people are doing and how that might affect us and others.

In  our times, journalists serve as story tellers. They tell us about our world, our nationour state, our community, our neighbors. In doing so, Lord, they help us keep informed and connected. Their stories open your world to us, tell us about people, both near to and far from us, about events all over the world, about our institutions and their activities. We benefit from these stories and how they impact us and others.

As we know, and as you know, O Lord, our journalists perform valuable work for us. They update us, as well as bringing us new stories about which we need to know. We need their stories even more in the trying times in which we now find ourselves.

So, we lift all journalists in prayer as they continue to perform the work they perform. Give them clarity of vision, necessary knowledge and insight, a commitment to being truthful about what they report, a fearlessness in dealing with what can be difficult and even situations and the people involved in those situations who may not want their stories told. Give them an awareness of their own opinions and biases and how to keep these in check as they report their stories. Above all, may they remember that the people about whom they report are human beings, are your children, all of them, even those whom they may not like, or whose actions may be reprehensible to them.

We also know, O Lord, that many discount and disrespect journalists and their work, accusing them of under minding our country, our leaders and institutions. That can make it difficult for journalists as they do their jobs. Help them keep on task and do the best they can in their reporting their stories that help keep us informed.

We thank you, O Lord, for journalists and the work they do. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.