October 17th

Take words with you and return to the LORD; say to him, "Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips. Hosea 14:2

O God of these unsettled days,
when anger shouts
louder than wisdom,
when fear builds walls
where bridges should be,
when we have more opinions
than compassion,
and more reasons to turn away
than to reach out our hands—
teach us the words
that bring us home to you.
take the broken sentences of our lives,
the apologies caught in our throats,
the prayers that stumble over our grief,
and the hopes we hardly dare to whisper.
let us bring them all—
not polished, not perfect,
but honest as the ache in our hearts.
for you have never asked us
to arrive with everything figured out,
only to come with open hands
and hearts willing to begin again.
so receive the words we have, O God,
and make them seeds of mercy,
instruments of peace,
and promises of love
in a world desperate to hear them.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman