O Lord, you are my God;
    I will exalt you; I will praise your name.
For you have been a refuge to the poor,
    a refuge to the needy in their distress,
    a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
Isaiah 25:1a,4

O God, as storms rage and threaten, with high winds wreaking havoc and flooding imminent in the lives of many, we pray for the power of your presence with the people of Jamaica, and Haiti and Cuba, and all across the Caribbean who are in the path of Hurricane Melissa. God of hope, be amongst these our siblings as refuge, as shelter, and as relief. May your ever-present Spirit be as stillness amidst the chaos, a shield of protection for those in its path, a source of strength and hope for all affected. Move the resources and the resourceful for emergency relief to meet emerging needs even before they are evident. And move us to respond with compassion, turning our prayers and the prayers of many into action, mobilizing support in love.