Things to Include in My Prayers
Be Strong, Be Well — Monday, April 20
As Carrie and I joined with you all for our noon prayer yesterday, it occurred to me how often I miss a certain point or topic I should have included in my prayers. My mind can only think of so much at a time. Maybe you’re like me in this regard.
I wrote down some things I thought might help me in my daily prayers. I’ll share them with you. Some are quite obvious and some have been evolving over these past few weeks.
1. Give all honor and praise to God, and exalt His name in prayer. Be thankful for His power and might in our created world. Trust Him and His ability to do whatever will benefit His children and bring the lost to their senses.
2. Give thanks for Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation He brought to us. Express the joy we have in Christ. When we have sinned, confess this to Him and ask for forgiveness.
3. Pray for the church as a whole and for our congregation specifically. We need to stay tied together through this time of separation. Help us to remember to do good and look out for one another.
4. Pray for our elders, Roger and Bob. May God give them wisdom and knowledge to make difficult decisions on behalf of the flock. Help us to honor them, support them, and love them for their work’s sake.
5. Ask God’s protection for our brothers and sisters who are working with the public. Prevent them from being exposed to the virus. Keep their families safe from harm. Help us to keep our faith strong and avoid worry and stress.
6. Pray for the sick and afflicted. Even though we pray for those infected with the current virus, many others have been on our “sick list” for some time. Remember them by name. Be specific about their condition and needs. God knows already, but He wants to hear from us. He wants us to realize the need we have to ask Him.
7. Pray for those on the front lines of the fight—doctors, nurses, technicians, hospital and clinical workers, and first-responders. Keep them protected from the illness. Keep them strong and energized as they help those who need their expertise and compassion under extreme and exhausting conditions.
8. Watch over our missionaries in foreign lands. They have the same concerns over this virus as we do. However they live in places where there are extremes in government, stricter laws, and the quality of healthcare is lacking higher standards.
9. Pray for those families who have been devastated by the virus, either suffering from it or losing loved ones taken by it. Help us to be empathetic toward all people who grieve.
10. Ask God to give wisdom and knowledge to the researchers who are developing medicines, vaccines and cures. Be with those on the nation’s medical task force who have been making the tough decisions, trying to keep us safe.
11. Protect those who are working to supply our needs—businesses, truck drivers, delivery people, those who stock shelves, and cashiers who greet us with a smile even if we can’t see it behind their masks. Express our thanksgiving our daily food, fuel, electricity, water, medical supplies, from masks to ventilators, etc. and etc. (because there’s just so much for which to be thankful).
12. Pray for our president an vice-president, congress, governors, and local officials during this difficult time. They have to balance decisions on the pandemic, the economy, the political landscape, foreign policies, and our nation’s security on many fronts. Help us avoid being judgmental and critical. Help us to keep an attitude of gratitude, taking into account how much God has blessed our nation and our healthcare system. May we try to count our blessings on a more regular basis.
13. Help us to learn the intended lessons of these trials. Help us to adapt to the current changes, as well as those that may be around for a long time.
14. While many are confused, hurting and questioning the things of this life, pray we’ll have more love for the lost, and the courage to seize the opportunities to tell the story of Jesus and His saving blood.
This writing is longer than usual today. But maybe our prayers need to be longer and deeper than usual. —Chris