A Prayer for a Broken Family

Lord, I rely on your hands, which make something new out of what is broken. My family is wounded: words have been spoken, hearts have cracked, and relationships have drifted apart. But you are the God of reconciliation, and you have promised to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. Lord, begin with me: make me a source of healing, not a reason for the wound to go on. Soften the hearts of those who have grown apart, and gather us around your love. And if my faith in you is the reason for this distance, guard my heart from bitterness, and help me to love them and pray for them. Where there is harm or danger, protect the vulnerable, and give me wisdom to seek help from people I trust. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.