This prayer reflects all the things I've been thinking through and praying about over the last few days. As things have closed and been cancelled, prayer has been the only way to keep my eyes on Jesus and to stay hopeful.
I hope this prayer is an encouragement to you. If it is, would you please share it with others? During this time, believers need to be the hope to those around them.
If you have anything you would like to add to the prayer, I welcome your comments below. What have you been thinking through and praying through during this time?
I hope this prayer is an encouragement to you. If it is, would you please share it with others? During this time, believers need to be the hope to those around them.
If you have anything you would like to add to the prayer, I welcome your comments below. What have you been thinking through and praying through during this time?
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| Photo by Ben White on Unsplash |
Sovereign God,
You are in control of all things. You have good plans for us. You can be
trusted. You are faithful. We know these things to be true from your word and
also from our previous experiences. Sometimes, though, things happen in our
lives that challenge this knowledge. Yet you never change, it is our hearts
that change and shift.
God, we come to you today pleading for many things. First, O Lord, we ask
that you sovereignly intervene and put an end to this virus. Stop its spread,
God. Please heal those who are infected and protect others from infection.
We also pray for our own hearts. These are the times when fear,
despair, anger, and panic creep into our lives. These are footholds for the
enemy, so God we ask that you aid us in our battle against these things. Help
us to remember the truths that you are good. You are trustworthy and faithful.
You are sovereign. You have a plan. We may not understand your plan, but you
have a plan. There is no reason to fear or to panic because you are good, and
you are in control. Please make us bright shining lights in a world that is very,
very afraid. May we be the ones who are willing to risk our health to serve others.
May we be the ones who need not fear.
When others ask us why we continue to serve, why we have no reason to
fear, may we have the words to give a true answer that points to you. May we
use times now and after the crisis to reflect on your goodness and to share
truth with others. Guide our words and thoughts and actions to consistently
point to you and the hope we have that we need not fear.
For many of us, it is hard to look at the prospect of having endless
amounts of time at home. It does not make us happy to have things cancelled, to
be doing classes online, and to stop attending church. Yet even in that, we
know you have a plan. Teach us to redeem the time. Help us to grow closer to
you, to spend time in prayer and in meditating on your word. Help us to navigate
family relationships in a way that honors you. Grant us grace and peace in our
interactions with others.
We admit that we do not understand your purposes. Yet we still know
that you are good beyond our imagination. May we be reminded that your kingdom
purposes cannot be thwarted by anything, even a virus. May we grow to trust you
more and more through this hard time. May your kingdom advance as a result of
this. May we grow closer to you and closer to the people you have placed in our
lives.
O God of peace, please strengthen our hearts. Remind us of the hope we
have in Christ.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
I'm going to close this post with a quote I stumbled across that has been rolling around in my head. It is short, but powerful, especially in light of the coronavirus and all that is going on with that. Here it is:
"A scared world needs a fearless church."
-A.W. Tozer
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| Photo by Oliver Roos on Unsplash |
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