Not Home. Come Home.

An Overarching Lent 2025 M25i Prayer:

FOR THE ACHE OF HOME

Father of all Mercy and Love,

You are the Creator of Home—the place where we are fully known, fully loved, and fully safe in Your presence. Yet so many in this world live without that refuge, without the warmth of belonging, without the hope of a place to call home. My heart aches for them, Lord, and I bring that ache to You now, trusting that You see, You hear, and You care.

Vulnerable Children: For the children—those without families, those in foster care, and those who feel unloved: cradle them in Your arms, Lord. Remind them they are cherished and that You see them. Let me be an advocate for their hope, whether by opening my home, offering my support, or lifting them to You in prayer.

Single Mothers: For single mothers striving to create a home: give them strength, Lord, and surround them with people who will stand alongside them. Show me how to lighten their burden, how to be a part of their community, and how to help their children feel safe and loved.

Imprisoned: For the incarcerated, trapped in places of confinement that feel like anything but home: speak freedom and redemption to their hearts. For those caught in cycles of incarceration, give them hope for new beginnings. Stir me to work for restorative justice, not just punishment, and to see each person as someone made in Your image.

Homeless: For those who are homeless, wandering the streets, or living in shelters: protect them, provide for them, and show them Your love in real and tangible ways. Give me courage to be part of their restoration, whether through my prayers, my resources, or my presence. Let me be a small reflection of Your sheltering love.

Refugees and Immigrants: For refugees and immigrants, displaced from their homes by war, violence, or desperation: may they find safety and welcome in new communities. Help me to see them not as strangers, but as neighbors—carrying the same longing for peace and belonging that I do. Break my heart for what breaks theirs.

Bereft and Alone: For the lonely, the grieving, the lost—those who carry the ache of home in their hearts because of broken families, shattered dreams, or the loss of loved ones: draw near to them, Lord. Let them feel Your presence as a refuge. Show me how to be part of their healing, how to offer the gift of community and love.

Elderly and Sick: For the elderly in nursing homes and the sick in hospitals: remind them that they are not forgotten, that Your love surrounds them still. Let me be Your hands and feet to bring comfort, dignity, and presence to those who feel abandoned or invisible.

Dying: And for those nearing the end of their earthly journey, who long for the peace of their heavenly home: grant them comfort and courage. May I help them see glimpses of Your eternal love through my care and compassion.

Lord, I don’t always know what to do or how to help, but I offer You my heart. Break it open for the things that break Yours. Let me pray not out of despair but out of hope, trusting that You are already at work restoring homes, building belonging, and mending broken hearts. Help me to believe that my prayers matter, that my actions—no matter how small—are part of Your greater story of healing and redemption.

Use me, Lord, to reflect Your love, to welcome the displaced, and to offer a sense of home wherever it is needed. Until all Your children hear Your call:

"Not home? Come home."

In the name of Jesus, who is our refuge and our true home, I pray. Amen.