05/07/2026
Lord God,
On this National Day of Prayer, we come before You with humble hearts from Baton Rouge, Ascension Parish, and all the communities we call home.
We thank You for the oak trees that shade our streets, for the bayous and backroads, for the families who have built their lives here, and for the neighbors who still know how to show up with a hot meal, a helping hand, and a word of encouragement.
Bless Baton Rouge, our capital city. Guide those who serve in our state government, our schools, our hospitals, our churches, our businesses, and our neighborhoods. Bring peace to our streets, wisdom to our leaders, protection to our children, and hope to every family carrying a heavy burden.
Bless Ascension Parish, from Gonzales to Donaldsonville, from Prairieville to St. Amant and every place in between. Strengthen the people who work in our plants, our classrooms, our farms, our small businesses, our clinics, and our homes. Keep our communities safe, united, and rooted in compassion.
Lord, we remember the storms we have weathered, the floods we have survived, and the losses many still carry. Give us the courage to rebuild what is broken, the grace to forgive where there is hurt, and the vision to make our communities stronger than before.
Heal the divisions among us. Help us listen before we judge, serve before we complain, and love our neighbors as ourselves. Let Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish be known not only for our food, our music, our faith, and our culture, but for our mercy, our resilience, and our unity.
We pray for our young people. Protect their minds, their bodies, and their futures. Open doors for them. Surround them with mentors, teachers, coaches, pastors, parents, and neighbors who will guide them toward purpose and away from harm.
We pray for those who feel forgotten, the elderly, the grieving, the sick, the poor, the lonely, the unemployed, and those struggling quietly. Remind them that they are seen, valued, and loved.
Lord, let Your peace flow through our homes like the Mississippi, steady and strong. Let Your light shine from downtown Baton Rouge to the churches of Ascension, from our schoolyards to our council chambers, from our kitchen tables to our places of work.
Make us grateful. Make us wise. Make us kind. Make us faithful.
And on this National Day of Prayer, may we not only pray for Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish, but become part of the answer.
In Your holy name, we pray.
Amen.