Prayer & Praise/Praying Through The Pandemic
PALM SUNDAY
Liturgy of the Palms, Matthew 21:1-11
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, âGo into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, âThe Lord needs them,â and he will send them at once.â This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
âSay to the daughter of Zion, âBehold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.ââ
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, âHosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!â And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, âWho is this?â And the crowds said, âThis is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.â
PALM SUNDAY
The Collect
Almighty and everlasting God, in your tender love for us you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon himself our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and come to share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at youâhis appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankindâso shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because of him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turnedâevery oneâto his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Psalm 22:1-11
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, * and are so far from my cry, and from the words of my complaint?
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not hear; * in the night season also, but I find no rest.
But you remain holy, * enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
Our fathers hoped in you; * they trusted in you, and you delivered them.
They called upon you, and were delivered; * they put their trust in you, and were not confounded.
But as for me, I am a worm, and no man, * scorned by all, and the outcast of the people.
All those who see me laugh me to scorn; * they curl their lips, and shake their heads, saying,
âHe trusted in God, that he would deliver him; * let him deliver him, if he will have him.â
But you are he that took me out of my motherâs womb; * you were my hope, when I was yet upon my motherâs breasts.
I have been cast upon you ever since I was born; * you are my God, even from my motherâs womb.
O go not far from me, for trouble is near at hand, * and there is none to help me.
+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end. Amen
Philippians 2:5-11
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Matthew 27:1-54
When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.
Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, âI have sinned by betraying innocent blood.â They said, âWhat is that to us? See to it yourself.â And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, âIt is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.â So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, âAnd they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.â
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, âAre you the King of the Jews?â Jesus said, âYou have said so.â But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, âDo you not hear how many things they testify against you?â But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, âWhom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?â For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, âHave nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.â Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, âWhich of the two do you want me to release for you?â And they said, âBarabbas.â Pilate said to them, âThen what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?â They all said, âLet him be crucified!â And he said, âWhy? What evil has he done?â But they shouted all the more, âLet him be crucified!â
So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, âI am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.â And all the people answered, âHis blood be on us and on our children!â Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, âHail, King of the Jews!â And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, âThis is Jesus, the King of the Jews.â Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, âYou who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.â So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, âHe saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, âI am the Son of God.ââ And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, âEli, Eli, lema sabachthani?â that is, âMy God, my God, why have you forsaken me?â And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, âThis man is calling Elijah.â And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, âWait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.â And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, âTruly this was the Son of God!â
What a collection of Scripture! The continuity of the Book should not be overlooked. What a plan of Redemption! What a Redeemer! What a redemption! How sad to deny it.
Em…I love your rejoicing and your glorying in His redemptive plan..indeed, known by many as “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” Who would’ve conceived of this tale? What human author could’ve ever envisaged such an astonishing plan? What human storyteller would’ve ever dreamt up such a fantastic narrative? Yet, as you say, Em, so sad to deny. đ So sad because of the clear and obvious divine mind behind it all! Praise be to God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, the humble King, the martyred servant, the wonderful GOD-MAN! My heart exults with you, dear sister!
Thank you Mike… Happy we’re both rejoicing – God keep
Praying this morning for a renewed focus toward Easter. I have to be honest…Lent was a wash for me. I vacillated between just completely distracted, or completely overwhelmed. Not panicked…but burdened by the fear I heard in many friends and my imagination of those who are in terribly difficult situations at home.
I know it has been ages since I have come in here to pray, so I hope I don’t offend any with just jumping in.
So…
Lord, help us. Help us not be overwhelmed by the flood of news coming to us each day this week. Help us instead to hear with wisdom and discernment, and with selectivity, that we can be informed but not distracted from the the significance of this week.
Stir us, Lord, by your Holy Spirit. Stir our hearts in this time that we have pause, in this time that we have time…stir us to turn our faces toward You. Stir us to read and to listen and to be before You. Remind us of the reality of God with us, and of the deep world-changing reality of Easter.
Stir us, Lord, by Your Holy Spirit…stir our faith and our hope. In a time of fear, of anxiety, of distraction, of real struggle and need…stir our faith. Remind us of the testimony of Your faithfulness in our past. Remind us of the moments when You have been present and we knew it. Remind us of Your promises…not that we will be immune to struggle, but that You will be present and You are working in this.
Lord, have mercy. Have mercy on those who are locked in homes with those who wish evil upon them. Lord, protect them. Calm hearts that are angry and lash out. Do a work in their midst…draw those to You who do not know how to control themselves. Speak peace into households where there is chaos. Listen, Lord, to those who cry out to You in fear and in desperation. Move in our country. In our physical isolation…speak loudly. May this time not be wasted, and may there be genuine transformation.
And, Lord, as we draw near to Easter, stir that desire for joy and worship. Stir that longing to shout with joy that our God has come, and that he has conquered death and the grave. Stir our longing to be among your people, and prepare us for that day when we can meet as congregations once again. May our worship come from our need and our hope.
Be present, Lord. What a week this could be. Speak wisdom to the leaders all over our country and our world. Slow this virus, and give wisdom to those seeking cures. Speak wisdom to our spiritual leaders, especially as they prepare to lead us through this very unique Easter week. Draw their hearts to You in renewal. Give them clear words for their congregations. Give them the words of hope and of courage and of faith. Give them wisdom in how to minister and care for their people in this moment.
Take this day, Lord, and be present with us. Thank You that we can come before You at any time. Thank You that You promise to hear us, that You bend Your ear toward us. Thank You that You give peace in time of trouble. Thank You that You are the Resurrected One. Hold this broken world in Your care today. Strengthen those in our health care, strengthen those who are trying to keep their employees employed in incredibly uncertain times. Be with us.
In
I was going to say….
In Your Holy Name! Amen!
Thank you, thank you, Sarah…and amen and amen…
Anf amen…. Again. đ
please remember in prayer
Kelly -I have a real need to continue to see my counselor. In addition to the other reasons I see him for I have been having day long panic attacks that I hide behind a smile since my kids are schooling from home. I donât know if video counseling is going to work out and that adds to the panic on top of the depression and PTSD-C symptoms. (Add to that not know if my husband will continue to have a job and health insurance to pay for counseling.) 2 â 4 months feels like forever to not have that support. Please pray for those of us that have mental illnesses that need that support to function in this insane world. I pray my kids never detect this anxiety and have the care free childhoods they deserve.
Alissa-We just experienced this as well. My sweet husband has Autism and was let go from his job yesterday. For Autistic folks change is doubly difficult. Routines are altered and anxiety increases leading to meltdowns and stress. Finding a good job that understands and can adapt with folks on the spectrum is essential. It is heartbreaking that this is happeningâŠ.butâŠ.GOD IS IN CONTROL. Lord please calm your childrenâs minds. You know how each and every BEAUTIFUL autistic mind functions. Please pour out your peace which surpasses all understanding. Please give support, understanding and routine back into lives. Thank you for providing those jobs for that season. Guide us and direct us, in Jesus name. Amen
filbertz -my wife and I are fine. I went to immediate care a couple days ago for symptoms and Iâm simply sick, not with the virus-that-must-not-be-named. Thatâs good. We closed our cafĂ© after trying to keep the doors open and a couple staff employed, but had too little business to justify staying open. CateringâDOA for nowâall dates have been cancelled. Iâm out of school and the building is shuttered until the end of April. Iâm concerned for our students. Iâm concerned for my kids whose jobs are teetering on the brink. But we will get through it. Iâm keeping busy, being available to anyone who needs a hand. Iâm not fussing over my retirement fundsâmaybe Iâll have to work longer, who knows. Iâm peaceful for now and praying for wisdom for myself and those who have difficult decisions to make. Iâm praying for peace and comfort for those who have deep stress and anxiety. Iâm praying that the Spirit of God will move in his people to mobilize them for good and service in their communities and with their neighbors in the name of Jesus. Iâm in a good space, but have been in bad ones before so I understand how transient and unpredictable these things are.
Patrik -Pray for me, an ER nurse in Indianapolis. You are right in what youâve said about the public generally not knowing what they are dealing with. I am concerned about contracting this stuff in time.
Dan form Georgia-Pray for me too. I work in aviation/transportation. We are getting hit HARD as many of you know. I am not even confident when I go into work everyday that it will be my last day (layoff or termination). Also struggling alot with anxiety.
Cathy Andrews -I am not one who panics easily, but I can tell you, this has me all twisted upâŠnot for me, but for my coworkers, my church family and my neighborsâŠI have been furloughed as of tomorrow, two of my coworkers have no other income other than what we make at workâŠI am scared for themâŠmy stepson just moved in with us recovering from a horrific auto accident in novemberâŠI am scared for himâŠI am scared for my brother & sisters in my church family who have compromised lungsâŠI am scare for my pastor who is not physically well at allâŠI am scared for myself because I am helpless to help themâŠbut I am repeating and repeating âPeace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.â John 14:27âŠperhaps we should all keep repeating thisâŠ
Bride of Christ-My daughter works for the city of Honolulu coordinating data storage for the new rail project there. She and her employees are planning on working from home for the next two weeks. She has two employees who donât have computers at home and she is conflicted about what to do. The two employees both are borderline poverty level and she doesnât know how to proceed. Public libraries are still open in Oahu but I told her they will probably be closing soon. The cost of living in Oahu is the highest in the country, so this might explain why x me donât have computers or internet connection at home. She also will be working with a 3 month old baby at home with her since her private daycare center isnât sure how long they will remain open. Her husband is in the Army and they had to cancel their planned trip to Monterey where she was to be the maid of honor at her best friendâs wedding next month because the military has forbidden military and their families from traveling anywhere more than 50 miles from where they are stationed. This alone is a hardship for many military families because so many are stationed far from home. My daughter called me this morning asking for prayer. I just came home 10 days ago from Hawaii after staying with them for a month after the birth of their son . I am so grateful I went when I did and was able to meet my new grandson. My husband and I were planning to go to the wedding in Monterey and my husband was so excited about meeting him then, but now that the wedding has been cancelled heâs wondering when he ever will be able to hold his new grandson. Our military families are facing even stricter travel prohibitions than the general population and facing higher anxiety than normal.
Chris -My wife started her second career as a nurse this week on the hospital floor that they treat the Covid patients. She is courageous with her own health but scared of bringing it home and killing one of our family. Pry for peace and courage and health
Em â For those who have prayed for my daughterâs BIL with Corona V: he is not out of the woods, but todayâs report IS a miracleâŠ.March 8, 2020
âThe breathing tube was removed this morning. They put him on whatâs called âBipapâ and he absolutely hated it. We were able to change to a âhigh flow oxygenâ system and heâs more content with that. That being said, heâs lost 8+ days of his life and is really surprised when we tell him what has transpired during the last week.â today is his first conscious dayâŠ.
his wife knows many are praying and always expresses her gratitude
Em â A lovely man died last night â a neighbor who suffers from PTSD went into his garage and turned on his car â he leaves a 2 1/2 year old child and a wife who is 4 months pregnant â hopefully the VFW here will help
as would prayers from the pray-ers here
thank you and God keep
Linneia â gall bladder, which is another issue!) and joint and muscle aches
Nancy â uested prayer for her discernment of an unexpected opportunity to become a more public advocate for the homeless, especially the challenges that homeless women face. Sandra participates in her churchâs ministry of providing meals, clothing and occasional housing opportunities. She understands the serious responsibilities of being an effective and sensitive communicator of those needs and also the benefits and temptations that a more public presence might bring into her life. Her passion is great to be obedient to God and truly serve others. I am blessed to be one of her beneficiaries!!
Em â daughter is healing from fracture spine
Babylonâs Dread â My ministry partner got ill manifesting mental instability. He is a stroke survivor so we returned early. He is now in hospital being tested for stroke. He is my friend of 25 years and was my co-pastor starting our church. Because of the coronavirus heâs in quarantine protocols â he has no symptoms of infection but all international returnees with illness go into these protocols. He is very confused and unstable.
Michael â I would appreciate prayer as wellâŠlife is pretty overwhelming right now.
Em- my nurse daughter took a nasty fall, cracked a vertebrae and there is no one else on staff at the hospital that can do her job, so sheâs been working through it, sometimes wearing a brace⊠we need prayer that with so little respite her vertebrae will heal correctlyâŠ
BrianD â I lost my sister, and now a friend of the family (my mom)Sherrie has died of cancer. Please pray
Captain Kevin â Appreciate prayer. Iâve been in a Fibro/fatigue/depressed funk all week.
Also, Iâm teaching piano and voice at a local studio, and need many more students to make things work.
Linnea â Would you pray for Greg? He and my husband play tennis. He was treated for an aggressive brain cancer and thought he was clear, but it has roared back. Please pray for healing and that he and his wife come to know the Lord. Thank you!
Xenia-+Pray for the churches of Sri Lanka
Paige â Asking for prayer for a family issue⊠God knowsâŠ. and the silencing of a lying gossip who is spreading slander about me to family members and others. Itâs an on going issue that is quite perplexing, and apparently demonic. Twisted, delusional and strange.
I spoke to a trusted friend about the issue and was told âSatan has given XYZ power to turn people against youâ and âXYZ has been used by Satan to destroy your former marriage and harm the church and now to divide your familyâ.
This XYZ happens to also be cyber stalking me here on the Phoenix preacher.
May God enlighten all souls to see and know Truth and walk in it by His Spirit.
cash â depression , PTSD
David H â I could use a prayer. I was diagnosed with Bellâs Palsy . Right side of my face is paralyzed. Prednisone and an antiviral.
Michael â heart aneurysm and a bad valve, bad back and neck issues.
Captain Kevin â Please pray for my oldest daughter. She is separated from her husband. This is probably the 3rd time in the 3 years theyâve been married. Iâm not sure who is more at fault or if there is any abuse, so I just pray for Godâs will. They are believers, I think.
JD â Marshal whose mother told him that she doesnât love him
Linnea â Jon and Sarah. Please pray that they would know Godâs love and would follow Him out of horrible lifestyles to freedom.
Michael, Rick, Joel, Dan, capt. Kevin, Owen â wand to hear from God in their prayer life
JTK- ongoing back issue.
David H â Aunt Ramona has Adenocarcinoma primary lung cancer.
Victor- chronic back pain
Linnea- sister salvation
Paige- 4 boys to be pleasing to God
Thank you , Dusty!