Lord's Day Devotion - Devotional Prayer - Afflicted

  Note:  This was written during the COVID-19 pandemic thus the references to it and its fallout.  Thank God we are getting clear of it now (January 2023).

Father, You told Your people to go home and shut their doors til Your fury had passed (Isaiah 26:20).  What a scary time that must have been. What was happening?  What tumult!  Hearts, minds and very lives, at risk.  All, kept in until danger had passed.

The children of Israel put the blood of the unblemished lamb upon the lintels and door-frame of their homes; shut themselves in, and ate their meal of unleavened bread and roast lamb.  The blood, so the angel of Death would pass over and move on.  Yet they were in a full force state of readiness to comply to their marching orders once the "all clear" and Moses', "March!" was heard in the streets.  In quietness, they marched right out of their Egyptian predicament.

Their cries had gone up to You.  You had heard them and delivered them from their degrading servitude.

Psalm 22:9 (ESV) comforts,

"The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied..."

Why?  It's because...

"...those who seek Him will praise the LORD!"

With courage and confidence we can then proclaim,

"May your hearts live forever."

Right now, Father, it's extremely good advice, to put it mildly, to shut ourselves up into our homes in a state of quarantine.  It is the 'era' of COVID-19.  The peoples of the world are sorely "afflicted".

May the peoples of the Earth turn in droves, to You, through Jesus, Father.  May they, "seek" You so they in turn, can praise You and their hearts live forever.

There's another group of people who are "afflicted," Father:  those routinely, mercilessly persecuted for their faith in Jesus and their trust in You.  I don't say this in an accusatory manner.  No, Father.  However, they are afflicted and they do seek You.  Be their Protector and Comforter as they face such constant danger.  Help them to break free, to find safe haven, lighten their path so they can grow to be strong in You and in their faith.

Even the children who live by terror day and night, cling to You, praise You.  May their hearts live forever.

Your Son, Jesus Christ, was afflicted for us all; on our behalf.  He took the punishment for our sin.  Your wrath, oh Father God, compounded upon Him in full-blast wrath.

For our (the whole mass of humanity) sake, He became poor that through His poverty we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

What sacrifice!  What affliction!  One of the cruelest deaths imagined!  

Hung upon that cross.  

The pain, the humiliation!  

The separation from You, the most excruciating affliction of all!  Father and Son ripped apart for our eternal welfare.

You allowed it for us!  So we could eat and be satisfied and have our hearts live forever!  What a mighty God You are!  It is truly good, then, that we continue to seek You, to praise You with our everlasting hearts.

From the bottom of our hearts then, we give You praise, adoration and thanksgiving.  All this, as, on a Lord's Day, we remember our Lord's affliction through the symbols of breaking the bread and drinking from the cup of wine.  These symbols of His undying, unconditional love that compelled Him to the cross with purpose and determination that He could bear our affliction upon Himself.

You have to pardon us, again, Father.  These few Lord's Days we can't gather together with our brothers and sisters-in-Christ to do this.  We are shut up in our homes--"social distancing," it's called-"hiding ourselves until the fury of 'corona' has passed."

Heal us, Father, as You have healed our hearts.

In the Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Mediator, we pray.

                                              ~ERC  22 March 2020~

Prayer based on Psalm 22:26

Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted

Another version of Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted

Weeping Eyes, Weeping Hearts

My eyes weep.  My heart weeps.

This morning my husband was reporting the list of statistics of the numbers per day of recorded COVID-19 cases and death tolls around the world; but especially in Italy and then the USA.

So many.

So tragic.

So devastating.  

Not only in those countries but China, Korea and throughout Europe and now even the Prime Minister of the UK!  

The virus is no respecter of persons.

Feeling helpless.

Turn to God.

Cry out to Him.

We do not know the why's and wherefore's of all this.  

We do not want to point the fingers at this nation or that nation as to who perpetrated it all.  That does not help.

Turn to God.  Put your faith, hope and secure salvation in Him through Jesus Christ.

If the COVID-19 gets you; the outcome is indefinite.  You may recover.  You may not.

Be ready to exit earth and enter eternity.  Now.

Now is the time.  Come to Jesus NOW!  Come while there's time.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem as I weep now for the falling and fallen:  some who willfully did not obey the order and wisdom of  "STAY HOME"; many who did, but still contracted corona.  

Jesus wept because of the nation of Israel's rejection of Him at the time.  He only wanted to have them come to Him so He could give them protection.  Protection like that of a mother hen who clucks to her chicks and they come scurrying over and hide under the shelter of her wings (Luke 13:34).  

Weep for your lost ones from COVID-19.  Weep too for those lost to eternity with Christ. 

Weep.  Mourn.  Pray.  

Pray for the saving of souls before its forever too late for them!

Don't reject Jesus.

Accept Him today.

He wants to save you from a fate worse than COVID-19.  He loves you.  He cares about you.  He wants you to be under His protection.  He is calling you.  Come.

Come to Jesus while you may.

                                                 ~ERC  March 2020~

Come to Jesus as sung by Chris Rice

Prayer - Open Your Mouth Wide

"You shall have no foreign god among you. You shall not bow down to an alien god.  I am the LORD Your God who brought you up out of Egypt.  Open wide Your mouth and I will fill it" (Psalm 81:9 & 10)

"You shall have no foreign god".  Lord there are so many worthless gods out there, that people follow after:  whether its idols or money or whether its being obsessed to find a boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife; following a career, becoming a workaholic to attain the heights of said career; or to become the richest person alive, all these can become obsessions that take over a person whether for greed or for whatever reason.  Lord, these things can become an "alien god" because any other god, other than You, is an alien, foreign god.  

You are the God over all and You say do not bow down to those other things;  we must worship You and You alone.  Lord God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is also my God, the God of those who have become followers of Jesus Christ.  You brought us up, not necessarily out of Egypt, but symbolically, from many other places and circumstances such as living a life with drugs, alcohol or from prostitution, or libertine ways or as directly, as Satan worshipers.  There are so many other numbers of things that people have been "brought up" out of:  some from their own doing, other's, at the hand of perpetrators; however, You, Father, can set them free!  Liberty!  Victory over those bitter ways that enslaved us.

If they would just open wide their mouths.  

You must be the Dentist of all dentists, Father, because You ask us to ,

"...open wide our mouths and You will fill them" (Psalm 81:10 ESV)

A dentist asks his patients to do the very same thing, "Open a little bit wider please, so I can reach to that tooth waaaay at the back" or "to do this or that to help preserve your teeth".

In addition, Lord, we open wide our mouths and fill them with food especially at times of feasting.  So much good food.

Similarly Lord, You will fill ours with so many good things:  Your blessings (Ephesians 1); love, joy, peace, to learn patience, to learn Your goodness, to learn Your meekness.  This is good character.  

We can also learn of Your compassion as shown to the multitudes among whom Jesus walked here on earth.  Such compassion, to heal and to help and to fill their mouths with joy, shouts of joy and singing for joy as their  bodies were healed; released from evil spirits, and the people came to follow Him; Your Son Jesus.  Lord we thank You for this promise to rescue us.

You don't want us to be "just rescued" and that's it, set adrift again to our own devices.  No.  You rescue us and set us on Your way and ask us to walk in it.  When we do so, to keep our mouths wide open so You can fill them.

It's like in the winter time and kids (and the young at heart) go out into the falling snow, tilt their heads up, mouths agape, gleefully attempting to catch a few flakes upon their tongues.  May we learn to listen to You, oh Father, listen to You, to follow Your ways, and not our own.  To have our mouths wide open to "catch" what You have for us.  

When we do listen to You and follow Your ways, You would subdue the enemies that would come to harass us, to plague or disturb us.  Those enemies which come to persecute us. Lord help us to learn to forgive and bless them.  Help us not to hate those who hurt us.  I know Lord, that You will deal with  those who deal unjustly, mercilessly, and wickedly against us, Your followers.  

There will be punishment that will last forever for them but Lord, again, You do not want to see anyone perish but all to come to the saving knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:9), to make Him their Savior.  When they do so, and when they have their mouths wide open, You will feed them with the finest of wheat and with honey from the rock.  Like one time You had water flowing freely, abundantly, out of a rock for the throngs of Israel in the wilderness;  the whole crowd, perhaps millions of them!

Here it's honey, from a rock!  Honey!  Honey which will satisfy us and them.  I love honey.  You satisfy us with the best of it, too.  It won't be half diluted with water or sugar either; it'll be pure, I'm sure.  (Psalm 81:16 ESV)

People will have their mouths wide open Lord, but its interesting to see that You ask us to do it.  You had to ask.  So ironic.  If something good would happen, why wouldn't we automatically open up?  However, Father, compel us to open them and keep them open to You, to Your Word, to Your will, to Your ways, enabling us to get the maximum nourishment from them.  

In the end, may we  become more like Your Son, Jesus Christ in the way we behave and carry His Name upon us, resulting in giving You honor and not bring, as we exclude all foreign gods, shame upon Your Name.

I ask all this in the precious name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the One true God.

Amen.

                                                    ~ERC  March 2020~

Prayer based on Psalm 81.

Prayer - Leaders Serve the LORD

Lord, the Psalmist of Psalm 2 may have been a leader of some caliber (quite possibly David), You know, or perhaps, just an observer of leaders in power.  Whatever, the writer noted that kings of the earth take their stand along with other rulers against the LORD and against His anointed one.

Talking about leaders that rise up, quite often those who are in such positions of power believe they are gods, themselves.  However, here there's a warning for those in power.  They will be "broken with rods of iron" (verse 9) and other such things if they don't watch out.

At present, the whole world has been brought to its knees!  Father, may one and all, "kings" and "subjects" alike, turn to You in all humility.  May we all repent and come to You!

So Father, for any of us who find ourselves in any position of authority, let us be reminded that any such position comes from You and You alone.  You are the One enthroned in Heaven.  You will laugh at us as we "play" our power games, so to speak; even scoff at us.  

Sometimes its a real rat race; a dog eat dog world, jockeying for those coveted power places of position.  History gives examples from which to learn; even from ancient times of yore.  There were emperors and the kings below them and then the chiefs below them, down to the plebeian personages of little account.  Kings would rise up against one of greater power and so on up the chain of command, seeing who could be "top dog".  Who could be the king of kings, attaining a lasting, impressively powerful dynasty, in all of that hierarchy? 

LORD, human nature is so, greedy for the top positions.  Help, Lord.  Help the leaders of the world, of individual countries; and then those who gather together at the UN.  Yes, they are very important positions but LORD, help them to wield their power greatly seasoned with Your wisdom and with realization that they are only there because You have put them there.  They exist because they were appointed by You, Oh Father God (Romans 13:1)!

May they all be warned, those rulers of the Earth, be warned.  Father, let them serve You with fear and rejoicing and with trembling.  Compel them always, as You are these past few months.  May they take heed and turn to You.

There will be an accounting some day.  Whether now, during their lifetime, or, later on at the resurrection of the dead at the judgment throne of Christ.  

May they acknowledge, that in the end, they will have to face the Ruler of all rulers; the King of all kings, the LORD of all lords; the Judge of all judges, Who is Your Son Jesus Christ.

Lord, we thank-You, that those who do serve and fear You and rejoice in You will not be destroyed.  Rather, bless them when they take refuge in You.

I ask this in the Name of Jesus.

Furthermore, Father, I want to bless all current leaders and rulers of the world, especially at this time of the COVID-19 crisis.   May they be unceasing in their efforts to contain and to give necessary treatment.  However, Lord, even at any time, bless them.  At any time, they need You whether they know it or not.  It's not an easy task I should imagine; very stressful in actual fact to rule a nation or kingdom.

Bless and keep them, make Your face shine upon them and be gracious unto them.  Turn Your face towards the leaders of this world and give them peace as they indeed put their trust in You, Almighty God; to trust You for wisdom; for good leadership qualities, that they don't let the power go to their heads.  Rather, may they rule aright; govern aright as they take refuge in You.

I ask this in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

                                                              ~ERC~

   ~originally prayed February 2020-revised and blogged in, March 2020~

Prayer based on Psalm 2.

Crown Him King of Kings Medley, Tom Fettke

Prayer - Looking at Your Mountains

LORD, when I look at Your mountains, the grandeur of them and how majestic they can be, my inner being is stirred.  It is spurred on to ponder on You  on Your greatness and how majestic You are.  After all, You are the One to have creatively created those very mountains.

Thank-You for mountains.  Thank-You for the plethora of gorgeous flowers' genera that breathtakingly blend their hues.  Thanks, too, for the birds that twitter and flit among the treetop foliage; the insects that "tick," "chirp" and "buzz" like the cicadas, crickets and bees, enlivening the 'silence' with their reverberations of sound; first this side, then on that side, playing hide-and-go-seek with our ears.  The butterflies, too and other color-endowed bugs, lending a cornucopia of mesmerizing and soothing tints and tones to our eyes.   You did all this  and more for Your pleasure, yet You let us share and delight in it all too.

Indeed Father God, Creator of it all, "how majestic is Your name in all the earth!"  No matter how intriguing, and awe-inspiring Your creation is, we must always see it comes from You.  From Your hands, Your Word, that You are the Creator and Maker and turn and worship You, the One over it all and that You are the magnificent One.

You are such a God of wonders and delight!

Unto You oh Lord do we lift up our souls and our eyes to Your hills (and mountains) from whence comes our help.

In Jesus Name we give You thanks and praise.

                                                           ~ERC  March 2020~

Prayer based on Psalm 8

Song, God of Wonders Third Day

Prayer - Patient Discipline

When I read Psalm 6:1 & 2, it reminds me of parents and teachers, and their children and students.  How frustrating our children and students can be!  They can really stir up the anger like an "active volcano" gathering momentum.  Parents' and teachers' wrath can erupt and spew forth verbal "lava".  That's molten audio one does not like to behold or hear!

Then the children and students cringe.  Therefore, like the Psalmist David, they wish to entreat their elders, 

"...do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath."

"Have mercy on me,..."

However, many of the younger folks may not dare such pleading.

Notice the words of beseeching.  David did not say, "...do not rebuke me".  NO.  Children and students often need admonishing and they know it themselves.  The plea is to not to do  so "...in anger...".

So often we do.  

Parents and teachers, those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ, let His Holy Spirit govern you.  Walk in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26).  

One of the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit is patience.

The aggravating situations we get entangled with, with our offspring and scholars are "opportunity-gifts" from the Lord to teach us His patience and to increase ours.   No one invites such circumstances but we need to fall down on our knees and cry out in earnest supplication for His help when they threaten to boil over.

David's appeal can inspire us to greater endurance and self-control.

Father, God, like David, perhaps our children and/or students cry out in their hearts to You, desiring that their parents and teachers would not rebuke them in anger.  We do know that Your anger would be righteous and just.  You deal with all Your children thus.  However, we human beings often let our own will and ways to be the governing force and we forget to let Your Holy Spirit to take control, thus a missed moment to become more Christ-centered and show forth Your unfailing, unconditional love to our charges.

Father, we are sorry for the many times we've reacted in unjust anger towards our prodigy and pupils.  We thank-You from the bottom of our hearts for Your ready forgiveness.  Ever teach us Your will and ways and to be merciful to all those You place under our care.

Heal those who have been hurt by our histories and anger.  Teach us Your patience, righteous anger and to be just in our disciplining, as You do.

Grant us a double portion of Your wisdom and grace to lace our emotions and our dealings with, with others; especially the children.

Jesus said, 

"Let the little children come unto Me and forbid them not"  (Mark 10:14).

May our actions, attitudes, emotions and words be seasoned with salt and not elements that would push any single one of them away from Jesus and You, oh Father God!  Save us, turn us, deliver us, all, because of Your unfailing love so we can proclaim Your wonderful Name to one and all with integrity of heart and action.

Thank-You for hearing and accepting our prayers.

This I ask and give thanks, in Jesus Name.

Amen.

                                                  ~ERC  March 2020~

Prayer based on Psalm 6:1-10

The Fruit of the Spirit: Patience (With Herbert the Snail)

A little sketch:  Sesame Street: Zac Efron & Elmo

Enjoy.

Prayer - A Seat at His Right Hand

David fought in many battles executing many victories, rarely defeated.  That's heady stuff!  Nevertheless he didn't let it go to his head.  In fact, it appears he was rather sedentary fighting his foes.

Look at this:

"The LORD says, to my lord:  "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet" (Psalm 110:17 NIV).

"My lord," being, I believe, David's reference to himself.

David metaphorically sat and let the LORD fight his foes for him.

Think back to David's history.  In his shepherd boy days he fought against a lion and a bear and overcame them.  Amusingly enough, those victories were on his resume when he applied for the job of going against the giant Goliath of Gaza.  We all know how that ended..."and the giant fell down dead" (1 Samuel 17).

Another mighty victory.

David went on to fight in many more battles. The young maidens welcoming the soldiers back from the wars, especially greeting David with,

"Saul has slain his thousands, but David his tens of thousands"  (1 Samuel 18:7).

Those words of praise really riled up King Saul's ire and jealousy!  They made David's life very miserable for him with Saul hightailing all over hill and dale in murderous hot pursuit of David

The LORD worked mightily for David and gave him many escapes time and time again.  David gave the credit right back to the LORD.

Our solace and strength are from that very same Source.

Almighty Father, God, we can trust in You, knowing You are on our side, the side of the just and righteous who follow after You with their hearts, souls and minds; who belong to You through Your Son Jesus Christ.  The battles we fight are often fearsome but You can make Your child to...

"...rule in the midst of his/her enemies" (Psalm 110:2)

We are Your royal priesthood and You will "crush" the wicked with Your wrath but give Your people refreshing drink from the "water of Your word".  As David put it,

"He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high" (Psalm 110:7)

You, Father, do give Your children victories.  Victories to conquer our own shortcomings; and victories in seeing us through trials of many kinds.

David still had to fall his foes as do we.  However, we are grateful we do not face them alone.  

Truth be told, when we rely on, ask for, Your help You are ever attuned to our cries, and reach out Your helping hand, allowing us to "lift our heads high" in victory, making our "enemies our footstool for our feet" (Psalm 110:1 NIV).

Father, if You had not been on our side, then we would perish (Psalm 124:1, 2; Romans 8:31).

Indeed, You are 

"our refuge and fortress, our God, in whom we can trust" (Psalm 91:2 NIV).

Thank-You, Father, from the bottom of our hearts for that seat at Your right hand (vs 1).

In Jesus Name we give You thanks.

                                                   ~ERC  March 2020~

Prayer based on Psalm 110