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Gracious heavenly Father, there are some people for whom we find
it very difficult to pray. Yet Jesus has called upon us to live in
astounding ways, in these words: "Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in
heaven." Certainly our Savior proved Himself to be a faithful Son
of the Father when He prayed for those who were nailing Him to the
cross, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are
doing." We want to share His Spirit, dear Father.
We come to talk with You today about some of Your children who seem
to us to be very misguided. Some of Your human creatures have taken it
upon themselves to bring judgment, terror and death to others. Some of
them have touched the lives of people close to us. Some of them even see
themselves as agents of Your divine will in their acts of hatred and
destruction.
Lord, we do not pretend to be able to sort through the motives and
attitudes and actions of all people. But we do ask You to prove Yourself
a faithful and wise judge in discerning the thoughts and the hearts of
all, including our own motives and attitudes. We know that prayer is not
given to us as a tool to change others to be more like we want them to
be, but to shape our wills to be more like Your own.
Point out to us the hatred that still lingers in the corners of our
own hearts, a hatred that could easily be fanned into flames as hot as
those that burned and brought down the Twin Towers. Reveal to us,
painful though it may be, the bitterness in our own hearts that blames
You for tragedy and catastrophe and that keeps us from seeing Your will
clearly in times of trial. Uncover to the eyes of our minds the satanic
deceptions that keep us from loving our neighbors with the same zeal and
energy that Jesus demonstrated.
We ask You, Father, to curb the forces of evil that would leave our
world in tatters and splinters through hateful actions. We do not ask
You to eliminate problems and trials from our life, for that would
require a new world, and this may not be Your time for that yet. But we
do ask You for the strength and patience and endurance that we need to
bear up under the pains and stresses of life that may involve also
severe suffering.
Lord, help us to remember that You have a divine plan for this world
that one day will eliminate evil and tears, suffering and pain, terror
and fear from every heart. That plan took shape most sharply and clearly
in the life and ministry of Jesus, and for His love we praise You this
day. Thank You for His willing endurance of terror’s frightful
countenance, for His eager embracing of Your will even when that meant
suffering, for His desire to serve You even when that meant His own
death. Assure us that His death is the end of death’s power and that
His resurrection is our own guarantee of life that never ends.
Lord, wherever the terrorists roam, keep Your people as the apple of
Your eye. Give wisdom to all political and military leaders so that
their service would result in a greater measure of peace and justice for
all. And keep each of us eager and willing to serve our enemies’ needs
especially by the sharing of the Good News of Your love in Jesus Christ,
our living Lord. AMEN! |
