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.

VMM

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.

VMM

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.

VMM

“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.

VMM

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