The following is a Prayer that I wrote for those devastated by previous Hurricanes. You can find it at the "Pray in Place" prayer group archives at this link. Links are also provided to blog posts and updates about experiences our group encountered as we provided disaster relief to those devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
I was a member of a group of seminarians, ministers, clergy and social workers from Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University who traveled from New York City to Atlanta,Georgia, Biloxi,Mississippi and Ocean Springs, Mississippi to pray and provide comfort to Survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
Another resource which I refer you to if you are headed to Florida and North Carolina is a book of prayers, reflections resources and stories entitled Katrina: Listening with Our Hearts prepared by scholars, social workers and clergy documenting our trip. You can purchase the book at this link. Two of my blog articles are contained in that book as well.
This is a prayer for Puerto Rico that I posted on Facebook after the Hurricane. It can be repurposed for Hurricanes Helene and Milton:
Most high, magnificent, omnipotent, wonder working, mighty God, you are a strong tower, a present help in the hour and minute of need,
a shelter from the storm. Most beneficent all powerful maker of heaven and earth, creator of ways out of no way, we call upon you at this critical time. Our planet is in an emergency in deep need of your intervention in these calamitous and disturbing times with back to back hurricanes, tropical storms, cyclones, tornadoes, flooding shaking up our way of life and devastating our cities. It appears that our very planet is in an uproar screaming out for help. Please calm the chaos in the weather as the winds appear to be sounding alarms that we have not heeded by taking better care of our planet. Manifest calm, sound reason and diminish the threats and rumors of war and global conflict. Steady the weather, bring peace to our politics and stability to earth's terrain.
Hear our prayers. We stand on your word and trust in your ability to intercede in our desperate time of need. Calm the mighty winds. Bring our challenged regions of the Carribean and Eastern seaboard into alignment with your will and your grace, saturated by your divine mercy which endures forever. Please steady the ground on the islands of Puerto Rico and all others in the path of this latest raging hurricane. We love you God. We need you now. Help the victims of the storms in Houston and throughout Texas, Florida, the Carribean. We await your miracle. Please answer our prayer. We will be careful to give you all the praise, all the honor and all the glory! In the name of God almighty! Please answer our prayers. Amen.
If you have prayers you would like to offer for family AND friends in affected areas. please feel free to add them in the comments.
