Father God,
Make us sad. Don’t allow us, your Church, to become so busy “getting ready” for Easter that we miss the pain around us. Give us a glimpse of Your sadness as you watch your children in Miami die in sin while your church makes plans for spring break or beautiful Easter events. Let us each have just a small taste of the hopelessness and sorrow that Christ took upon himself on the cross. But, Father, protect us from despair with the reminder of your absolute love and faithfulness. Take us to a place of sadness but let us emerge with authentic joy in the knowledge of the resurrection of Christ. May we go out into the world this week empathetic and acutely aware of the need for your healing and peace all around us. May we go out into Miami this week with sad hearts but with eyes reflecting the joy of Christ and mouths proclaiming His peace.
So Be it.
Amen! Father God, burn away what is left of my human nature and pour into me Your divine nature. Take my life, Lord. As the saints of old, I choose to count that as my reasonable service. Where I am weak, make me strong. Divinely connect me with others of like faith. As I go out, I want to be a representative of a Body of believers who have become a great weapon of corporate faith. Grow my church, my community, my city, my nation into a corporate Body that is full of Your great faith. May we line the nation with bright, beautiful, golden shields of faith. Enable us to stand together as one, locking our shields together so that our strength may be multiplied and every wicked scheme of the evil one will be extinguished. Bind us together in love and in the unity of the Spirit. May we go out together in a beautiful, strong, corporate expression of faith. Give us the corporate faith that breaks down every stronghold and principality, moves in signs and wonders, and forcefully advances the Kingdom of God. Strengthen us Lord, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
amen
Amen.