If a blog can be the equivalent of a journal and reflect what’s going on in our daily or weekly lives, I’m living in tumultuous times along with the rest of you!
Please keep praying for our nation, for those you love, for the sick and the homeless, for the victims of violence, and even for those people you don’t like.
Maybe God can soften cold hearts so they turn outward instead of focusing so much on greed, anger, retaliation, and hate-filled attacks on others. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, as well as time to recover from major hurts. And yes, God is good. God is also great, and God knows everything, including the Why of what’s happening. Any believing person knows that, but negative behaviors mean “ME! What’s in it for me?” Uneducated villagers that many are, their thinking can be the equivalent of “How will my leaders reward me if I’m ignorant enough to follow their vindictive agenda?”
- Not since WWII has our nation needed our prayers as much as it does now. Our lifestyle is threatened and even more important, the Constitution of the United States is at risk. Our Founding Fathers set up a system of checks and balances for a reason. Each branch (Executive, Legislative and Judicial) needs to focus on its own responsibilities instead of horning in on the turf of others. All bullies turn into tyrants if no one opposes them. On the other hand, bullies can be brought to their knees to seek God’s guidance before they make another terrible mistake. As depressing as the news can be, we have to stay alert and informed. We don’t need to wake up one morning to find prison camps in our own nation.
- Praying for people we don’t know can actually be easier than praying for those we know and love. We can be more general, not having to remember all the specifics of their trials in order to ask for blessings on them. The power of prayer is real, yet the trials of the homeless and the chronically ill are ongoing. They need our prayers and where possible, our tangible help on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
Closer to home, it’s entirely possible that our prayer for a particular person is the only prayer sent heavenward that day in their behalf! Or perhaps God was waiting to see if you or I would pray for that person because a bond is in place that no one else can duplicate.
Prayer Rolls
Those who believe in God and in prayer often belong to tightly bonded groups in the religion of their choice. We often have special prayer groups where names are added to the list as needed before each group or individual prayer session. Having been a beneficiary of those prayer rolls on many occasions, I can assure you that the ill or afflicted know when they’re being prayed for and when they are not! We can feel the difference.
Sometimes those in charge of prayer lists make a mistake and remove someone they think is now well or happy or both. While usually not done out of meanness, the impact can be enormous. It is like turning off the light switch in a room and having it plunged into darkness.
Obviously, longer prayer lists would become unmanageable if retained for months, but please don’t stop praying for someone on your own shorter list who needed you once. Chances are they still do! Your prayers will likely be needed for the long term until God has called that person to come Home.
Please keep praying for our nation, for those you love, for the sick and the homeless, for the victims of violence, and even for those people you don’t like.