I invite you to join me in the prayer that I prepared for our church body for this week. The prayer is based on the following Scriptures: Psalm 113; Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Luke 16:1-15. Lord of Life, there is no one like you. You are high above the earth and the heavens; and, your majesty is far greater than that of the most beautiful sunset. Your glory is brighter than the brilliance of the entire universe. What an awesome God you are. At the same time, you are the one who is involved with and concerned about all people--particularly those who are being taken advantage of, misused and abused. In your sight, all people are equal in importance, value and stature. Thank you for your mercy and persistent love for us. Your eye is always upon us. You are always seeking to lead, guide and direct us in order to protect us from all that would hurt us and others.Thank you for who you are--the all-knowing, ever-present, almighty, loving and merciful Lord. Because you love us unconditionally, we love you and praise you. In our Scripture lessons, Lord, you speak very directly to us. As we listen to you, we squirm. We feel rather uncomfortable when you talk about how we deal with the poor and how we think about our money. Even with that last phrase, Lord, we reveal our attitude--”our money.” Our money that we look to for our satisfaction in the present, and for our security in the future. Our money to do with it what we want. But, as we say that, our generous Lord, we realize that money has let us down repeatedly. It has not brought us what we long for at the moment. And, there is never enough to give us the guarantee of security in the future. It certainly has been a very unreliable and harsh master for us in the past. When we think about it that way, we really do want you to be the One whom we serve with our resources. At the cross, you gave your only Son, your dearly loved Son Jesus, to be punished for our forgiveness for neglecting the poor and needy, and for letting the money master and enslave us. You raised him from death to stand beside us in the midst of all of the insecurities in life. You have granted us your Holy Spirit to guide and empower, to comfort and encourage us each day. We present to you ourselves and all that you have entrusted to our care to be used in the ways that you desire for the enrichment of the lives of others. Reassure us in the process that you will also provide for us now and in the future. Lord, our nation has been stumbling from one crisis to another, with very little time in between to catch our breath. The most recent events are: the ravaging fire that destroyed many of the boardwalk businesses in New Jersey (while they were still recovering from Hurricane Sandy); the horrible floods that have destroyed lives and homes, wreaked havoc with infrastructures, and devastated communities in Colorado; and most recently, the senseless murder of at least 13 people (including the shooter) and the injury of many others at the Naval Yard in Washington D.C. At your direction in the Epistle lesson, we lift our hands in prayer to you on behalf of all those who have been impacted by these catastrophes. Heal the wounded, comfort and provide for those who are grieving, give direction to those in leadership as they seek to assist their fellow citizens in rebuilding their lives, homes, businesses, and restoring a sense of security and stability for their daily lives. Show us how to respond with the resources that you have provided us. Focus our awareness on the reality that you are the only One who can bring stability and security in times like these. In the name of our Lord jesus, who gave His life and rose from death so that all might come to know you as their gracious Lord. Amen
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 18:40:27 +0000
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