Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
—Isaiah 40:21-23
Great Lord of heaven and earth,
We pray for our world.
But it is not our world, of course, it is your world. By your sovereign choice you created the heavens and the earth. Your power and beauty are everywhere to be seen in the creation. You chose to make humanity according to your image.
But we men and women have chosen to follow our own ways. We separated ourselves from you. We ruined the world.
We rejoice that you so loved the world, that you have come in the person of Jesus Christ to save us.
And so we pray for the process of salvation in our world.
Help us to see your light even when darkness seems to surround us.
Help us to proclaim Jesus Christ, the light that has come into the world, at every opportunity.
Grant freedom so we may proclaim the gospel without impediment.
Help those whose very lives are threatened in persecution.
Bring your holy judgment onto cruel evildoers.
Let your justice roll down like waters.
Bring peace to troubled regions of the world.
Guide us into the ways we can be peacemakers, as the Lord Jesus commanded.
Give us the courage to be peacemakers when others only want conflict and war.
Build in us an integrity of attitude, behavior, and character that will let the world know that we can return to your goodness.
In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.
[from Prayers for Our Lives: 95 Lifelines to God for Everyday Circumstances by Mel Lawrenz]
In Europe we have had Paris then Brussels and yesterday in Pakistan the killing of many young Christian children and their families. It seems like endless pressure to slide back into a WW3 situation.
It is so difficult to express feelings in just words and that is why I agree that there is a real need for written prayer and guidance.
I am nearly 80 years old and getting forgetful. Realising this, I decided this Lent to re-read Genesis since I had forgotten much of its content. Glad I did. Now it will be Exodus before Pentecost. Why? Because OT stories remind me over and over again that God really cares about us and in his own time and place we shall be reminded that his will prevails.
For many lives seem a continuous “Good Friday” believing that a “Resurrection” moment never comes . But it does! It is for us to stand firm trusting in God and Jesus. Thank you. (nothing earth shattering here but just my way of saying thanks for your emails which are much needed – especially by me!)Happy Easter. Alleluias
Real shocking and tragic events are taking place all around us in this World of ours, sometimes makes one to wish that the Lord should now intervene before we obliterate ourselves completely off the face of this earth, even my very own country South Africa is in a political mess, and can only pray to God to really give our political leaders wisdom to realize that they are not in these positions to amass some wealth for themselves only but to Serve its citizenry and improve its living conditions, this is my prayer for my country and everyone living in it, and in the great name of my Lord Jesus Christ, may this one day come to pass and He may allow it to be so, Amen.
Could we possibly be living in the last days now?… would be interesting to hear from other knowledgeable biblical scholars, God Bless us All!!
Kindest regards.
This is a wonderful prayer and I have been so blessed over a very long time by the e-mails I receive regularly. But I’m uncomfortable with the line in this prayer that reads:
“Bring your holy judgment onto cruel evildoers”. Would it not be more perfectly aligned with the spirit of Easter if we were to pray, as Jesus did from the cross, for forgiveness rather than judgment?
Even the one of the criminals being crucified with Christ told the other, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve…” (Luke 23:41).
Thank you for this prayer for the world! Often times I just don’t know how to pray for this world but when I think of this as God’s world and think of why He placed me in this world at this time, I know that I should be praying for this world that He created. The picture of the earth from the moon speaks more to me than words could…He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth!
This is so beautiful. I could not have expressed like you. Thank you.