Prayer in the Midst of Unrest
“Pray for us… Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13: 18a, 20-21)
“Pray for us… Now the God of peace”
Father, we recognize that during this time in America, unrest is a seemingly common matter at hand. The coronavirus has changed the trajectory of this nation, as well as political unrest. After the events of January 6th, once again the nation is being shaken to its core. It can be hard to know where this country is heading, but, God, You are the God of peace.
You make it clear that You are for peace, and You call your people to be peacemakers. However, not just that, but You bless Your children with peace in their hearts in the midst of storms. Father, we pray that You would fill our hearts and our minds with peace in the midst of the current situation that our country is facing.
“that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus”
Father, Your Word is clear that You are truly powerful, and nothing is outside of Your sovereign control. You are able to do whatever You choose and whatever You delight in doing. All of the commotion and chaos is not outside of Your control, and Your Word says that You are truly powerful enough to turn this nation in a direction that is pleasing in Your sight. Your Word says that You raised Jesus from the dead. You truly have power to save and to bring life out of death. Father, we pray that You would bring life in the midst of the recent tragedies and unrest.
“that great shepherd of the sheep”
It is hard to know where You are leading Your people at times, Jesus, but we pray that You would help us to trust. Knowing the destination is not as important as knowing You. If we could just know You and Your faithfulness as the Good Shepherd, peace would truly fill our hearts. Teach us, Lord, to trust Your leading. While we may not understand everything that is going on, we pray that You would lead us beside still waters and lead us home. We thank You that a day is coming when sin will be no more. We thank You, Lord, that a day is coming when suffering will no longer be a reality. We thank You, Lord, that one day You will wipe away our tears.
“through the blood of the everlasting covenant”
At times, it can be hard to think that You are for us, Lord. But that is not Your fault; please forgive us for our sin. You have truly shown that You love Your children with an everlasting love and the love of a Savior. There is no greater place to see this than the cross. Your love pours forth from the cross. Your compassion pours forth from the cross. The depths and heights of Your heart for Your children can be seen here. You entered into this world and dwelled among Your people during a time somewhat similar to our own. The Roman Empire was full of political unrest and uprising. The Empire was full of different belief systems and ideologies. But, Jesus, You entered in and walked with man. Thank You for reminding us through Your Word that in the midst of all the chaos, we can find our rest in You as Your words echo in our ears, “It is finished.” The work has truly been done, and those that You have ransomed need not fear.
“Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight”
Father, during times such as these, it can be hard to find the way. Division over the current events seems to reside on every corner. Should we wear masks or not? Should we avoid large gatherings or not? Should we go to church or not? As we look at the Presidential election map, we see some states are blue, and others are red. Even Christians and the church become divided over the direction of our country. Help us to come back to Your Word to find the path that we must travel. It truly is a lamp and a light to us as we walk the darkened path. Your Word tells us that we as believers are to perform good works and do that which is pleasing in Your sight. Father, we pray that You would help us to do good and that our aim would be to please You in all things.
“through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
In the midst of the chaos and in the midst of the storm, we pray that You would help us to remember to maintain our focus. Help us to keep our gaze on Jesus and not get distracted by everything that is happening. Jesus, You are truly the reason for life and the reason for our hope. Hope is alive. Hope is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. We pray that You would be glorified in our lives today. Help us to know what we ought to do to do that and leave the rest in Your hands. We trust Your leading, and we trust Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.