O Lord of life, the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens: Our world has once again been shaken by violence, gunfire, and explosions; this time at the Istanbul airport. We are weary because of our groaning. Every night we flood our bed with tears and drench our couch with weeping. Our eyes waste away with grief. Our spirit shakes with terror. How long, O Lord, how long?

Yet you are the one who took us out of the womb. We have been entrusted to you ever since we were born. We turn to you, O Lord. To whom else can we go?

Lord, hear our prayer and let our cry come to you.

Grant, O Lord, eternal rest to all who died in the attack on the Istanbul airport. Let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls, and the souls of all the departed, through your mercy, rest in peace.

Remember in your mercy all who mourn and grieve the death of family and friends. Nourish them with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, strengthen them to meet the days ahead, lift up your countenance upon them, and give them peace.

Let your healing presence be upon all who were injured in the attack. Give them comfort, courage, and hope. Restore them to life.

Draw near in this time of sorrow and anguish. Strengthen those who are weary, encourage those who despair, and lead us all to fullness of life.

As you, O Lord, weep for the pain of your children, so let us weep for the pain of our brothers and sisters. Give us tears of compassion that our hearts may not become desensitized to violence or hardened by fear, prejudice, or indifference.

Give wisdom, creativity, and perseverance to all who work for unity, peace, concord, and the freedom of all people. Guide the leaders of the nations and the President and Congress of the United States in the ways of your peace and justice.

Look with compassion, O Lord, on the whole human family, whom you have made in your image and according to your likeness. Take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts, break down the walls that separate us, and unite us in bonds of love.

O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you.

As we come to the anniversary of our country’s birth, O God, we give you thanks and pray your grace, blessing, and protection upon the people of the United States, as well as the people of Turkey and of every nation.

Open our eyes, O Lord, to see that you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you, bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom.

Lord, hear our prayer and let our cry come to you.

All this we ask through your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Parts of this prayer are based on quotations and adaptations of the following:
+ Psalm 68:19
+ Psalm 6:3, 6-7
+ Psalm 22:9-10
+ Psalm 102:1
+ John 6:68
+ Holy Women, Holy Men, page 733
+ The Book of Common Prayer, pages 100, 467, 502, 815, 816.