Prayer & Praise/Praying Through The Pandemic
The Collect
O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Acts 17: 22-34
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: âMen of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: âTo the unknown god.â What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ââIn him we live and move and have our beingâ; as even some of your own poets have said, ââFor we are indeed his offspring.â
Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.â
Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, âWe will hear you again about this.â So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
Psalm 148
Praise the Lord. O praise the Lord of heaven; * praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his; * praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon; * praise him, all you stars of light.
Praise him, all you highest heavens, * and you waters that are above the heavens.
Let them praise the Name of the Lord, * for he spoke the word, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.
He has made them stand fast for ever and ever; * he has given them a law which shall not be broken.
Praise the Lord upon earth, * you sea monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog, * wind and storm, fulfilling his word;
Mountains and all hills, * fruitful trees and all cedars;
Beasts and all cattle, * creeping things and birds of the air;
Kings of the earth and all peoples, * princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens, * old men and children together.
Let them praise the Name of the Lord; * for his Name only is excellent, and his praise above heaven and earth.
He shall exalt the horn of his people; all his faithful shall praise him, * the children of Israel, the people who are near him. Praise the Lord.
+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
1 Peter 3:8-18
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For âWhoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.â
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
John 14:15-31
âIf you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
âI will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.â Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, âLord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?â Jesus answered him, âIf anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
âThese things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, âI am going away, and I will come to you.â If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.
As always Michael, thanks for the Collect for today.
As an aside, since the BCOP was well established by the mid 17th century, it would be interesting to see if there any records, writings, sermons, etc. of Anglican pastors during the Great Plagues of London that took place between 1665 and 1666. It would be interesting to see the Collects and the like from that very time frame.
please remember in prayer
Michael â tachycardia
Our Phoenix Preacher family, health, healing, joy, peace
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
Miss Kitty was chased by a dog last night and I haven’t seen her since. Small matter in the big picture,but a big deal to me…
I think the “big picture” is made of small matters. God cares about the small things.
Come home Miss Kitty…
Praying for Miss Kitty this afternoon….
Poor little Miss Kitty, praying dog is gone. and she comes home
Daughter’s dog ignores her 2 cats, but the neighbor’s cat is fair game… Fortunately, we have lots of trees…. Could Mis Kitty be up a nearby tree?
Will be praying here today also
No sign of her yet…thanks for praying…
Praying here, Michael
Late update…she’s alive and well. Back home. Thank God…thank you for praying.
Was going to say “hot dog!” . … But …?
Thank You, Lord for returning Miss Kitty
Sleep well, tonight, Michael
Yay!