In a recent conversation with a close friend, with whom I talk and pray each week, we were reflecting on the extreme challenges of this time in which we all currently find ourselves. None of us could have imagined these circumstances and none of us can be quite sure what to expect, as the impact of this pandemic continues to unfold. My friend and I observed that God uniquely equips people for what they must face. Therefore, our conclusion is that God knows that the people of our world (ourselves included) who are praying and trying to navigate our way through this have been given what is necessary to deal with this crisis. I am reminded of the conversation that Esther in the Old Testament had with her cousin Mordecai. When Esther was questioning if she could do what was both risky and necessary to save her people, the Jews, from impending danger, Mordecai wisely responded, “… And who knows but that you have come to your position for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14b) Do we believe that God has designed that we be the people who live our faith and trust Him to guide us, “for such a time as this”? How is it that God prepares and equips people in every generation for what they will need to step up to and step into? I am convinced that if we are to be available to serve and to rely faithfully on God “for such a time as this” that we will need to continue to pray earnestly and consistently. When we are praying, we are choosing to look to God and to let God show us His way. Today, Wednesday July 29th at 1 pm, we will again unite in prayer together as those God has chosen, “for such a time as this.” You can pray the prayer provided and add your own prayers as God inspires you.
Here is our prayer:
Eternal God, we consider Your wise plans from the beginning of time. We thank you that You choose people like us to rise to the occasion, to be available for such a time as this. It is not that we think of ourselves as strong and able, but we know that You are strong and able. Our God, we trust You that as You have used people before us to represent You and to shape history for your purposes, You can and will now use us, in this time. Thank You that we have been born into this time in history as those uniquely equipped for the challenges we are now facing. Our faith in you gives us hope and courage. Today in our prayer together we are praying for churches trying to determine how to plan for the days ahead. We know how important and necessary it is for Your people to find ways to be Your church in these constantly changing times. We ask that Your Spirit will provide creativity in fresh expressions of Your grace and willingness to consider how to worship and grow in our faith and serve for such a time as this. Together we are praying for plans for education and schools for the fall. We think of all that is involved for leaders to make wise decisions and pray for them. We pray for parents and students and teachers and other staff who are wondering what to expect and are anxious about safety. We ask You God for learning experiences that can still be worthwhile and engaging and enjoyable for everyone. We pray for parents who are uncertain about how to plan for work and child care. We pray about the devastating effect that Covid has had on the economy. We keep on praying for our frontline health care workers. We pray for people who have returned to work, but do not feel safe. We pray for those who are being given responsibilities that are overwhelming. We pray for those who have lost jobs and do not know what they will do to support themselves and their families. We pray for people who keep waiting for things to “return to normal” when that is not the outlook. In our prayers today, we pray for people who are struggling to trust You when what they thought they could count on has shifted. We pray for ourselves when we doubt our ability to have what is needed for such a time as this. Remind us that we have You and You are the one who can bring us through. We ask You to increase our faith through this time of turmoil. We ask You to increase our compassion and awareness of how each person is being affected. God, we know that the way we respond to such a time as this will have lasting impact for now and for the future. We want to be who You know we can be, nothing more and nothing less. Forgive us for limiting what You can do in us and through us in such a time as this. Forgive us for complaining about what we do not have instead of recognizing all that You have provided for us. We pray for other areas of our world where this corona virus is spreading rapidly. We ask that people of faith in these areas will also know that they have been equipped for such a time as this. Without you God, we could not hold on to faith. With You, we want to welcome what You are going to bring about in miraculous ways as we ask you to guide us and sustain us, for such a time as this. We thank you that You know who we are and how we are and still You choose us to serve You. God, may we never lose sight of You and may we never forget how You are going to bring us through this time equipped by You for such a time as this. In the name of Jesus, Your Son Who lives and reigns forever. AMEN.