ALMIGHTY GOD OUR FATHER, who art a very present help in time of trouble; Let not the heart of Thy people fail when fear cometh, but do Thou sustain and comfort them until these calamities be passed: and since Thou art our ultimate Fortress in every trial, our Comforter in every tribulation, and our Redeemer in every tragedy, and Thy Word assures us that Christ Jesus welcomes all who come, we do, now, place our concerns about Hurricane Florence in Thy strong hands, and pray that those who are charged to protect the lives and properties of our neighbors—especially, those who labor in law enforcement, the Coast Guard, the National Guard, emergency medical providers, and all first-responders, journalists, scientists, along with the President of the United States, our Governors of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia, and all of those officials who preside in local, state, and national government—will be kept safe in their courageous efforts and be granted success in their mission to save lives; Lord God, guide everyone to safety, and in the days coming, heal the hurt and wounded, console the bereaved and afflicted, protect the innocent and helpless, and deliver any who are still in peril, for Thy great mercy’s sake. We do pray in the matchless Name of that Holy One who by the transcendent power of His glorious Word stilled the stormy sea and calmed the violent wind, even our God and Savior, Jesus the Christ, in whose Name we pray. Amen.”
—Michael A. Milton (Adapted from “The Book of Common Worship,” Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, 1933)
