Resources for prayers at home - Lent 4 (22.03.2020)
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:13
Silence
Call to confession
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am
willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Let
us come to him, in sorrow for our sins, seeking healing and salvation. Matthew
8:4
Silence
L: Our
selfishness betrays you
In silence: The
amount of food we stock and pile failing to be mindful if there is enough for
those with a daily wage
R: Father
forgive us and heal us.
L: We
fail to share the pain of those who suffer and we flee from the afflicted
In silence: Our
attitude to the afflicted and the
quarantined
R: Father
forgive us and heal us.
L: We
are afraid of being known to belong to you:
In silence: Our
lack of faith when situations of the world challenge us
R: Father
forgive us and heal us.
Collect
Liberating God, who broke into
human history with compassion and healing for all, give to the world at this
time a sense of neighborliness so that we may turn fear and anxiety into
patient listening, isolation and social distancing to the healing of memories
of hurt and an assurance of a social embrace through our presence, through
Jesus Christ your Son our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit One God forever and ever. Amen
Psalm: 23
New Testament: Ephesians
5:8 - 14
Gospel: John 9:1 - 41
Today we are living in days of fear and uncertainty.
If a person touches us, if someone sneezes or coughs, or if a foreigner walks
into a place where there is a crowd, people are afraid. In such a situation
fear means there is distrust and fear means myself first, which is
understandable as, we are all human and care for our loved ones as well as for
our own lives.
It is in such situations we need to
recall the many sermons and messages, the books we have read and the bible
itself where we have heard of and learned about God, a protector, healer and a
help and about putting our trust in God. it is nice to hear such messages but
we stand challenged when we are faced with a situation.
The reading we have from the gospel
of John is very relevant to our times as we have Jesus heal a blind man from
birth. Whilst this miracle of Jesus created some controversy, the Jesus who
healed the blind man is one who knows our needs, hears our cries, feels our
pain, and heals our wounds.
That alone gives us confidence in
today’s context as well as increases our faith in Jesus the divine physician
who can heal our nation and our world of this virus.
We
ought to be like the man who was healed. See how he progressed in understanding
Jesus.
He first thought Jesus was just a
man (v11) but then he went on to respond that Jesus is a prophet (v17), then a
person who is worthy to be followed (v27), and then as one who was sent by God
(v33), and finally as one who should be worshiped (v38).
Through your life’s journey with
Jesus, what is your understanding of Jesus? How do you understand Jesus in
todays context? How do you understand Jesus who touched and healed a leper and
who sat and spoke with a Samaritan woman in the midst of fear that you too may
contract the virus?
Your answer will help you to understand your spiritual
vision in this time of fear and uncertainty. Your answer will determine the
level of faith you have in Jesus the divine physician.
In this time let us turn our focus onto Jesus the
light of the world and Jesus the Good Shepherd. Let us find comfort and peace
in him. Let us trust in him, our healer and protector. And let us also heed the
advice to stay protected and also prevent the spread of the virus.
Intercessions
He will cover you with his
pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield
and buckler. In faith we come before God with our prayers. Psalm 91:4
We prayer for all affected by
the Corona Virus. For God’s strength and healing and for confidence.
We pray for the families of
the affected. For God’s love and comfort in times of fear, concern, and
uncertainty.
We pray for the doctors and
medical staff and all others involved in the care of the affected; For their
dedication, courage and for strength.
We pray for all those affected
due to the prevailing situations; the daily wage earners, the poor, small
businesses,
We pray for the general
public; that they may come together with responsibility and acts of kindness
and generosity, and be instruments of healing and comfort.
We pray for the leaders of our
nations and the leaders of the world; for right decisions to be taken as they
keep at heart the citizens of their nations, and work for the benefit of
all.
We pray for the church and its
witness in this time of pandemic; that the church will walk in the path of
Jesus, giving courage and strength to a world that is affected, living in fear
and uncertainty.
O Lord hear our prayer, when we call answer us come and listen to us
Going out in confidence
L: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in
trouble. Therefore, we will not fear,
R: The Lord Almighty is
with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
L: “Be still, and know that I am God;
R: The Lord Almighty is
with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:1,2a, 7, 10a
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