A Helping Hand

God of healing and forgiveness, I want to be all that you intend for me to be and to cooperate with your Spirit in the process of being transformed into the image of your glorious Son. In the name of Jesus, AMEN.

Mark 2:1-12 (New International Version)

1A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.4Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.5When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”6Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7″Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”8Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . .” He said to the paralytic, 11″I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Today’s gospel reading has long been one of my favorite passages with its story of how some men came to Jesus bearing with them a man who is paralyzed. Upon seeing that so many people had gathered in the home where Jesus was ministering, they even noticed outside the doorway a crowd blocking their passage. They climbed up unto the roof of the place and dug a hole through the roofing material. This hole is large enough for the man on his mat to be lowered down to where Jesus sat teaching and conversing with the crowd. Jesus grants this paralyzed brother forgiveness of sins and divine healing by saying “Arise.”

It is a powerful picture with a powerful message. This story gives us an example of serving as your “brother’s/sister’s keeper.” All of us will need a helping hand at some point in life. None of us would be as blessed as we are today, “if it had not been” for the intercession of a friend. None of us would be here, “if it had not been” for the advocacy of Jesus Christ in our lives. Sometimes, we need a lift.

Like the man carried by his friends; people need a community of faith, brothers and sisters to carry them to where they need to go, and friends to believe for them when they don’t or simply can’t believe for themselves. Sometimes, we need a lift.

And that is where all of us today fit in. Healing, forgiveness, wholeness, the working of justice, and restoration needs a community in which to occur. Broken people need to find a community where people who not only know of the miracle working One, but encountered Him personally. Broken people need to find a community who in love and faith will carry those who can’t carry themselves to the One who can heal, to the One who can forgive, to the One who speaks the truth, to the One who can bring justice and restore that which has been lost. Sometimes, we need a lift.

Healing, forgiveness, justice, and restoration needs friends, a family, brothers and sisters, people who will not give up, just as the four who brought the paralytic to Jesus did not give up but instead removed the roof of the house so that one in need might meet Jesus the healer. Through the power of Holy Spirit, we can serve as that community. We can be God’s instrument in someone’s life. We can be the one who speaks life and healing to broken and bruised people. We can be God’s ministers of reconciliation to show love and compassion and lift up those who are downtrodden. Just as the paralyzed man, got a lift from some friends, go out into your community and do the same. Go lift a brother! Go lift a sister!

Prayer: God of healing and forgiveness, I want to be all that you intend for me to be and to cooperate with your Spirit in the process of being transformed into the image of your glorious Son. In the name of Jesus, AMEN

The Reverend Fedrick A. Wilson, Pastor, Cedar Grove AME Church, Cope (Orangeburg County), SC

Strength to Climb

“The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him,…” Exodus 15: 2

Lord, you are my strength to climb the steep steps of difficulty without fear. You give me strength to languish in dark valleys and fear no evil for thou art with me. You give me strength to sit still amid overwhelming demands to wait for the kairos moment to move on. Thank you for the strength outside and beyond my human frailties, a strength that overcomes my weaknesses.

Now grant me the strength of character that imparts unto me the decision-making ability to choose wisely and live holy. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Rejoice Always

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

Psalm 13:5

Lord, let me rejoice in you today and always. You are my strength and my song. You are my salvation. Let me come again to draw water from the wells of salvation. Your joy is my strength that causes me to leap over barriers and limitations set by circumstances, culture or even the body of Christ. In Jesus name, I sing unto you a new song, filled with praise and thanksgiving. I shake negative thoughts from the tresses of my mind and rejoicing is the fruit of my lips.

Come and magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. Amen.

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Selah: Stop Here Before Moving Forward

I want each of you to think seriously about this question: To what (or to whom) do you appeal to when you want to convince yourself and others that you are somebody.

Howard Thurman

Lent is giving up pieces of ourselves and taking up the things of God. Selah

*Selah is a Hebrew directive to musicians and singers to stop, consider this or weigh before moving forward.

Here I Am Lord

“Come to me, you who toil and are burdened. I will be your refuge and your rest. I share your yoke with you, and I understand. Don’t be afraid. I’m gentle and humble-hearted. I offer you easement and a purpose for your labor. If we share it, the yoke is easy, the burden light.” Matthew 11: 28-30

Lord, here I come. Here I am. Allow me to step into your presence; allow me to rest a moment, lay down too heavy burdens and breathe.

Forgive me for taking so long. Forgive me for trying to save myself. Every time I try it, I fail. Thank you for your promise to share the yokes of life. What joy there is to lay down what I purpose in my heart to pick up your purpose for my labor.

Now send me, Lord in Jesus name to tell others they do not have to carry the load all by themselves. You love us too much to make us bare these burdens alone. Praise God! Amen.

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The Lenten Journey

Share your Lenten experiences and prayers in the comment section on this prayer blog. Share what you have discovered or learned in your expanded prayer moments.

Complete Conviction

Everlasting God,

Transitions can be frightening but by your grace we release all of our old way of doing things. Help us to let go of what use to be, preach the eulogy over dead issues, dead ideas and dead relationships and pronounce the benediction. Turn our tears of mourning into joy.

Prepare us for the road ahead. Move us from rational commitment to complete conviction. We are ready to learn new ways, do new things and go in new directions even when we cannot see the end from where we begin. We trust not the way but the one who created a way for us. In Your name, Amen.

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“Holy Trinity,

Mystery of loving communion,

Invitation to deeper union.

Grant me the grace to pass

The test of trust.

Teach me to be self-donating,

To express freely

A commitment to mutuality,

To ever loving,

Quietly befriending reciprocity.

Strengthen my will to love

My sisters and brothers

As you love us and all others.”

Susan Muto, Late Have I Loved Thee

Call to Silence

Lord, thank you for the call to silence, to be still to hear what cannot be heard over the noise of daily living. Clear away any debris that hinders or block you from my heart. Forgive my disobedience, my falling away, falling in love with the things temporal more than things eternal.

Let’s begin again! Lord, awaken my spirit in the presence of the Holy Spirit to a new moment in my spiritual landscape. Guide my thoughts, feelings, imagination, memory, words and actions today; no longer going my own way conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of my mind and the call to a refreshing silence. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Selah: Stop Here Before Moving Forward

Selah is Hebrew directive from the book of Psalms to musicians and singers to pause, consider this, stop, weigh carefully before moving forward. Here is your Selah for this Lenten morning:

Each day this week clear a space for quiet solitude with God. Choose a place with little distraction. Turn off everything with an on and off switch. Relax. Breathe. Breath deeply. Let yourself flow with and in the Spirit. Listen intently to what rises - thoughts, feelings, things that come to mind, concerns or cares. If there are any areas you feel overwhelmed, out of control, or weak, write them down in your journal for consideration later on.

Lent is about many things. It is a time for clearing away the clutter to be totally available to God. Seleh

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Roll Onto God

“Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.”

Proverbs 16:3 (KJV)

O God, my Redeemer help me today to make the necessary adjustments of my attitude and actions to be a doer and not just a hearer of your word. Help me to roll onto you all of my plans, activities, dreams, schemes, hopes, objectives, cares and concerns about the future. As I think, I do therefore my thoughts are the same as my actions.

I know that you have my best interest at heart so as I place everything into your care and according to your word, you will cause my thoughts to be agreeable with your will so that my plans will succeed. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

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PRAYER EXPERIENCE

I tried to pray three times a day and do the Daniel Fast. I handled it well during the week but when the weekend rolled around I fell short in the Spiritual Discipline department. I feel so bad about it. What do I do now?

JD

God whispers to our conscience and we are convicted about breaking the fast or failing to pray. Tell God how you feel in prayer. God doesn’t just throw us away because we fail. Get up, get going and try again. It helps to have others on the journey with you. You can call each other at prayer time, share menus and encourage each other in moments of weakness.

PRAYER QUOTE

“The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God's standing challenge, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not!'" J. Hudson Taylor

Whatever

"God, my Friend,

I offer You each moment of this day:

whatever comes—the unexpected challenges,

diversions from my plans,

the need-filled glance,

the expectations and complaints,

the being taken for granted,

the slights and sleights-of-hand.

I’d be grateful if You could keep me aware of my pesky

habits, like . . .

And, between us, perhaps we can enliven the spirits of

those I live and work with, like . . .

Whatever else befalls,

I trust we can cope with it,

together. "

Amen.

William O'Malley

Won't You Give This To Me?

The Lenten Journey

“The Work of following Christ is like working with a psychotherapist who has a clear insight into what is wrong with us. With incredible accuracy, God puts his finger on exactly the spot that needs attention at the precise time in our spiritual growth. If we are hanging on one last shred of possessiveness, he comes along and says, often through some person or event, “Won’t you give this to me?”

Thomas Keating in Invitation to Love

“O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways. (Romans 11:33)

Eternal and all wise God, I release everything and everyone into your care. I’ve held on to stuff so long I forgot to trust you, the one from whom all blessings flow. Forgive me for trying to take your place to do things beyond my mortal resume.

Thank you for putting your divine finger in the exact spot on my spiritual landscape. Thank you showing me what needs my undivided attention. Your things had gotten lost in my things, the things of this world. Thank you for waiting until the moment was ripe for intervention.

I appreciate how you confirmed through others it was time to let go. Yes Lord, I give this to you. I give you everything and everyone trusting you leaning not unto my own understanding.

In Jesus name, Amen.

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Confession is Good. Forgiveness is Priceless

"If we confess out sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. " I John 1:9 (KJV)

Good Morning Lord,

Confession is good for the soul. I confess that giving up what I want to grasp what you have for me can be so hard to do. I confess that I want to desperately cling to things that don’t really matter instead of taking hold of what matters to eternity. I confess that my appetites have ruled and reigned too long. As I confess these struggles to you, be now faithful to forgive.

Forgiving God, I know lighting a fire in the desert can be difficult. There is struggle. There is smoke that chokes the throat and stings the eyes. Tears follow. In the end, there is finally a flame.

Help me to light your consuming fire. It may be difficult and hard to start. O Lord, there may even be tears. But, in the end, in Jesus name let me be able to proclaim that you, Our God is a consuming fire. Amen.

THE LENTEN JOURNEY

The Lenten season 2010, a journey to the heart of God, has just begun. This is the 40 day period between Ash Wednesday and Resurrection Sunday. It is a time of turning away from the usual and turning towards a unique opportunity to go deeper into a faith relationship with God. We begin with cleansing and confession. Asking God to cleanse our hearts, minds and souls. Purify the atmosphere of our homes and our motives. Confession precedes repentance. We turn away from what is not of God and go in God's direction.

Join the journey today. It includes daily prayer on this site; daily devotions and an audio message on www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com. Share your thoughts in the comment section. You can also email your prayer experiences and original prayers in a special section on this blog.

PRAYER EXPERIENCE

Grace and peace Bishop McKenzie,

I joined you over the summer for praycation, and did not miss a day of reading and journaling. I just wanted you to know as a result, I have since lost 45 pounds, and started a mother/daughter ministry to help build stronger bonds in this dynamic yet sometimes static relationship! I'm excited about all that is happening, and just wanted to take a moment to let you know how inspired I am by your ministry! Thank you, and I love you! Keep being as intellectual, spiritual and beautiful as you are! Watching how God is using you, and am open to Him using me to bless others!

I have joined you for the Lenten season, and anticipate going "Deeper in God!!!!" I am looking forward to all the added blessings.

Love, His child

Rev. D. Bailey

Sit Quietly

“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God." Psalm 42:1

“Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see. Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!”

Clara H. Scott

I step out of traffic today, Lord, to sit quietly with you. All around me there is movement but within me I have found a place of rest where I can listen. My soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

I have been longing for a moment to sit in the waiting room of your presence. Expand the boundaries of my heart to make room for compassion for others.

Expose my weaknesses so that I can gather strength from your righteousness.

Forgive me when I hid my light under a bushel to make someone else feel comfortable.

Whisper a quiet assurance of your protection and power.

Saturate me with a love so that all who feel discarded will feel treasured.

Since your steadfast love is better than life, I will praise you, out of my mouth will flow a sacrifice of praise.

In Jesus name, Amen.

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THE LENTEN JOURNEY

Join the Lenten Journey today. The Journey includes, daily prayer on this site, daily devotions in the Read section of www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com written by different people from all over the world and a Daniel Fast. Look at the prayers and messages of this week for more information. Sign up in the comment section here or on Wake Up Call. Subscribe today.

God has been waiting for us for a long time to step out of traffic and into the throne room of the Kingdom.

Cleaning Day

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me."

Psalm 51:10

Jesus, my Alpha and Omega, my beginning and my end, I come to you with all my dirty linen today Ash Wednesday. Wash me and cleanse me of every impurity including my thoughts, words and deeds.

Create in me a new attitude, new perspective, new dream, new spirit, new strategic plan and a clean heart. You are the God of all things new.

Help me to bury the dead- dead ideas, dead relationships and dead issues. Help me to lift my eyes during this Lenten season to see where newness is needed in my life. As you cause me to see it, help me to embrace the new. In Jesus Name, Amen

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ASH WEDNESDAY

Grace and Peace!

We start together on a marvelous journey today. While we are already on a journey to God every day of our lives, the journey becomes even more intimate now. We loose our grip on the world and its priorities through fasting and we cling more closely to Christ in prayer. This is a powerful, life-changing combination.

Be sure to let your desires for the food you are abstaining from become a call to prayer and never a distraction. Do not become obsessive about the diet portion of the fast or you will find yourself less attentive to God.

Our goal is God. Our hope is God. Our joy is God. We pursue God in prayer. The fast wrestles away from us our dependence on the things of the world which regularly disappoint us, often frustrate us and sometimes devastate us.

Fasting removes crutches and exposes weaknesses. When these are exposed, we ask God to be our strength in those areas.

This Lenten season is a period of refinement. We are not allowing life to roll on come what may. We are living consciously and intentionally in the Presence of Almighty God. Words and actions are deliberate and intentional. Nothing is done idly but we remain present in every moment fully aware of the Presence of God at all times.

There is no reason to be the same when this period of fasting and prayer is over. God desires for us to be in good health and to prosper as our souls prosper. All that is needed for us is to feed ourselves with powerful spiritual food in prayer, worship, praise, service and fellowship.

If you become grumpy, cranky during the fast, do not blame the lack of what you would regularly eat. Probe deeper. Deal with the real seat of the emotion the food has been covering up. Ask God to reveal the problem and to heal you in that area.

Healing is available to you. Believe it and Receive it.

Deliverance is available to you.

Abundant living...

Joy...

Peace...

Love....

All available. Open yourself and RAISE YOUR EXPECTATIONS!

God has been waiting for you to enter into this very moment. Your life is going to be awesome. God is going to make it so!

Rev. Roderick Belin

www.ibelin.me

Is God Enough?

"Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; All things pass: God never changes. Patience achieves all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices."

Those words were written on a bookmark from Theresa of Avila's prayer book. Is God enough for you?

All sufficient God, quench my thirst for the things of this world with the things that matter the most to you. When things fall apart or fail, help me to remember that you never fail and nothing is impossible to you. God, you're God enough alone. In Jesus name, Amen

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LENT: PRAYER AND FASTING

“In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” Daniel 10:2, 3

People all over the country and other parts of the world will be fasting and praying together during this Lenten Season. Without listing all the troubles and conflicts affecting the world today, I am sure you will agree there is an urgent need for prayer and fasting in this hour. So, your brothers and sisters are praying that you will be a part of this international prayer team that will embrace an awesome move of God so needed in the world today.

God has laid it upon our hearts to participate in a Daniel Fast in which nearly everyone can participate. Essentially, during a Daniel Fast, you will eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains and beans. The Biblical basis for this fast is found in Daniel 1:8-16 and 10:1-3.

This fast has physical benefits, but be assured, our anticipated goals are spiritual. Daniel 6:3 tells us that Daniel had an “excellent spirit” that caused him to be distinguished from among his peers. It is no leap at all to believe that the excellent spirit in Daniel was related to his life of spiritual discipline through fasting and prayer. As such, like Daniel, we will pray three times a day seeking the face of God and interceding for our families, churches, communities, nations and the world. Additionally, Christian brothers and sisters have volunteered to write a devotional guide that will build us up throughout the fast.

The Lenten Fast begins on Wednesday, February 17th and concluding on Resurrection Sunday. Until tomorrow, remember to pray for each other to be strengthened in anticipation what God is going to do in and through us.

Rev. Roderick Belin

www.twitter.com/ibelin, www.ibelin.me

Armed and Dangerous

God, Creator, Redeemer and Friend, thank you for your presence because without you we can do nothing. You have loved us before we loved you. You have called us before we’ve called upon you. You have turned your attention towards us before we turned towards you. Thank you for your generous gifts, high expectations of us and for loving us too deeply to leave us the way we are.

Forgive us of unclean thoughts, words and deeds. Cleanse our minds, purify our hearts, and mend stress fractures in our relationships with you and others. Take away our indifference to the plight of others who cannot rise above the their circumstances.

Lover of our soul, clothe us with your righteousness. Arm us with the shield of faith. Help us to hold it high to block the flamethrower’s darts that seeks to delay, deny and destroy us. Today make our enemies sad because our faith and mad because of your favor!

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ASH WEDNESDAY

The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2010. There is a tradition of sacrifice with the Lenten season. People usually give up something such as meats, sweets, sodas, smoking or habits that are debilitating. You can also take up something. You are invited to take up an increased prayer and devotion through the 40 days of Lent. There will be a special devotion in the “read” section of www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com, Lenten prayers on this site and a Daniel Fast. Sign up in the comment section. I want to know how many will be joining the journey!

Everlasting Love

“Let the morning bring word of your unfailing love for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way O should go, for to you I lift up my soul” Psalm 143:8

Lord, thank you for loving us with an everlasting love. Your love permeates our very being and guides us through the ups and downs of loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. Develop in us the character of your Son so that we may love each other with honesty, kindness, understanding and forgiveness. Help us to be a friend who listens, encourages and cares. Help us to be patient with each other’s weaknesses and grow from each other’s strengths. May our love for you be reflected in the love we demonstrate to each other.

In Your Name, Amen

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Lent begins next week. Plan to join us in the Daniel Fast and daily devotions and prayers from people all over the world on this site and www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com. Take the journey and let us know in the comment section. Invite others to join you! Subscribe. It's free.

Remember you can always share your original prayers, thoughts and prayer expeieinces on this site. Look on this site to see how.

Forever Love

“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge and put their trust under the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 36:7

Gracious loving God, remember those today who have covenanted with you and each other to live and share in a forever relationship. May days of comfort outweigh days of challenge. Help them to draw closer to you as they draw closer to each other; and may they live long prosperous lives together.

Today we lift before you couples who are under stress; couples with no openness, no trust, no work, no money, no united front or fierce loyalty to one another. We pray for couples just starting out. Protect them and the love they share. We pray for couples that have been together for a long time. May the love that brought them together grow, flourish and mature with each passing year.

In Jesus Name, Amen

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Love Week

It's Love Week. Someone needs to know that you love them. Someone you know needs to know that God loves them.

Help Us to See the Need

“Beloved let us love one another, for love is from God…”

I John 4:7

Dear God,

Open our eyes today to the time in which we live. Help us to see our brother’s needs and our sister’s concerns. Help us to do unto the least of these, those who are hungry, thirsty and held captive by physical and social incarceration. Help us to remember those who cannot do for themselves because of age and infirmity.

Grow us beyond indifference to compassion so that the love of God is shown through whom we are and what we do. Help our hearts to understand what is at stake so we can focus our witness and work as an outreach of love.

In the name of Him, who is love, Amen

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Love Week

It's Love Week on our prayer blog and at www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com. Explore with us the subject of love in many forms. Share you prayer experiences and prayer requests on this site.

Lent

The season of Lent begins February 17, 2010. Plan to join in our Daniel Fast. There will be special devotions and prayers. Share your original prayers with us during the 40 days leading up to Resurrection Sunday.

Subscribe

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Perfect Love

God of Love, your perfect love casts out fear. Unbend hearts that have been twisted by fear of things present or things to come. Unbend minds twisted by fear of things that have no power to hurt and from the burdens that are blessings in disguised. Release our hearts from any anger that weakens it and from guilt for sins long since forgiven.

Perfect Love take away all that holds us back. Usher us into the empowering presence of your agape love. In the loving name of Jesus, Amen.

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This week is Love Week at www.thisisyourwakeupcallonline.com and at Praycation/Seleh: Stop Here Before Moving Forward. Share your favorite love scriptures, prayer experiences, and prayers for those you love in the comment section.

The Season of Lent begins February 17, 2010. Join us in the Daniel Fast and daily devotions. Subscribe to the site to be sure you get all of the latest information on how to participate in this mighty move of God!

Then Sing My Soul

I extol thee O God and praise shall continually flow from my mouth in all seasons. There are times when I sing with the psalmist "My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me?" Yet I must also sing "you have kept me from my mother's womb." Help me today to know that my circumstances do not determine your goodness. You are fully present in my circumstances and I have hope that the grace I experienced yesterday has prepared me for your brand new mercies today.

I set aside moans and complaints and replace them with praise and thanksgiving. Bring me to a place where like Paul, no matter whatever state I'm in contentment calls my name.

Go with me now through this day. I thrive in your ordering of my steps. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Common Ground

Eternal God Almighty, from whom all of the earth's nations and people have been made. We appreciate the diversity of your creation and the wide spectrum of hues, kindred and tribes. We appreciate that we come from many walks and ways. Apart, we long to be one. Together we rejoice in our diversity. Teach us to probe beneath the surface, beyond skin tones and external divergences to the substance of who you created us to be.

Lead us to find the harmony that unites us and establish us into one communion of peace and respect. Lead us to value the worth of humanity excluding none of our brothers and sisters. Help us to find common ground and a common agenda so that unresolved issues do not derail the beloved community of the apostle John and the prophet Martin Luther King Jr. Help us to make the sacrifices necessary to build a strong community and a strong country.

Let us rise this day to become hearalds of your righteousness, bearers of peace and agents of your love. In the strong name of Jesus. Amen.

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The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen

* Several persons have been credited for writing this prayer including Reinhold Niebuhr, 18th century theologian Friedrich Oetinger or 6th century Roman philosopher Boethius. A.A. uses it in their twelve step program.

Prayer for the Healing of God's Nations

O God our heavenly father, we come before you now because we have no other papa who is acquainted with all our sorrows; we have no other daddy who understands our grief; we have no other father who understands tears as a language.

We need you Lord - Come by here. We need you now – Come by here.
People of all nations who speak different languages need you now.

Lord, at such a time as this, when people all over the world are faced with issues of: Homelessness
Poverty
Political division
Depression
Anxiety
HIV
HPV
H1N1
We need you Lord.
All over these nations our children are faced with abduction, abandonment, exploitation and the like.

We come boldly before you asking that you come in and do what you do best – to heal body, mind and spirit. We pray with one heart, one desire and one faith because we know you can do all things. We think we can. We tried to do what we can, but we have to fall at your feet and watch you heal, watch you deliver, watch you break bondage and watch you set people free.

You are the greatest physicians. Your prescriptions are in your Word.
Right now, from every nation, from the North, South, East and West:
We take authority over our financial health, in the name of Jesus.
We claim healing over our family lives, in the name of Jesus.
We claim a mighty healing over our spiritual health, in the name of Jesus.
We take authority over our physical healing, over cough, sneeze, cancer, and HIV in every nation.

Start the process with me, my neighbor and to the entire world.
Heal body, mind and soul, in Jesus name, Amen.

Winyee Charles-Lawrence
16th Episcopal District, Women’s Missionary Society, AMEC
Haiti
•Prayed at the WMS Executive Board, New Orleans
1-28-2010