The Prayer of Encouragement for 21 August
Sister Shala Dinald offers the Prayer of Encouragement for 21 August 2020 for our country, businesses, frontline and other workers.
My Brothers, Sisters and Friends, we hope that you are well.
I had an interesting experience this week. I was driving and shortly after taking a turn there came a big fat pig running towards me with its mouth opened. It was grunting. I was not driving fast so that was a good thing. It is very unusual for me to see a pig on the Boulevard as I was heading towards Half Way Tree. I slowed down and turned so that it did not charge into my car. I was able to escape any kind of damage. Thank God!
I kept thinking about my encounter with the pig and two things came to mind. One is that someone could see what happened as an opportunity to buy a lotto ticket. The other is that we could see it as a reminder to be aware and alert. In this regard I am reminded of David’s experience with king Saul. This story can be analysed in a number of different ways, but my attention is taken to the exposure of Saul due to the letting down of his guard.
It was one of those occasions when Saul was pursuing David to kill him. Saul went to relieve himself and was not in a close enough proximity with his men. David was able to get close to Saul and cut off a piece of his robe. The Scripture says:
“He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish. Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.”
1 Samuel 24:3-5 (NIV)
David tried to get Saul to a place of awareness. David said to Saul
“See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life.”
1 Samuel 24:11 (NIV)
Saul was anointed but at that time he did not enjoy the connection that he once shared with God. He no longer heard from God, he was jealous of David, who later became the king. He spent his energy pursuing David who tried to show him that he was not the enemy. Saul lost his true focus. He had already let down his guard when he fell out of fellowship with God. He had to place a heavier reliance on his men who never had the power of God, he had to let down his guard where they were concerned. However, they could not be everywhere with him. David was relying on God, and he was in fellowship with Him, a God who was everywhere with him.
When that pig came at me, I had to keep my focus, stay alert, and think quickly as to the best way to proceed or get out of its way. I could not stop to pray. The only prayers at those times may be Lord, help! Lord, have mercy! Lord, cover me! Peter reminds the Elders and Brethren “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV).
We could say that the pig appeared out of nowhere, but calmness, courage, sound thinking and staying the course were required of me. As followers of Christ, how do we treat our relationship with God especially as it relates to our personal encounters? Do we remain in constant fellowship with Him? Are we instead working around Him? You know, I have to constantly and purposefully work on my relationship with God. I thank Him for the experiences, which give me an opportunity to grow, not to buy a lotto ticket. My Brethren, Friend, what do you have to say?
Today, as we meditate we lift up our country before the Lord. Our own Sister Shala Dinald will lead in this prayer:
Let us pray:
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1 KJV)
Mighty God, Heavenly Father, we humbly come before You today, acknowledging that You are God and God alone. You alone Mighty God are worthy to be praised. When we consider all of creation and what You accomplished in six days, we have no choice but to be in awe of You. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship You.
Lord, no one can be compared to You. You hold the world in Your hands. A thousand years in Your sight are but a day that has just gone by. You number the stars and call each by name. Even the very hairs on our head are all numbered. There is nothing that takes place that You are not fully aware of, so it is this God who we now bow down to and worship. So Lord, we worship You today. We give You all of the glory, honour and praise for You deserve it. You Lord inhabit our praises. We lift our hands and our voices to You and say be magnified, Oh Lord. You are highly exalted, for there is nothing that You can’t do, Oh Lord our eyes are on You. Be magnified Oh Lord.
Father, as we kneel and bow before Your throne, we are fully cognisant of our unworthiness. We are like filthy rags before You. Against You and You only have we sinned and done evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when you speak and justified when You judge. But Your word also tells us “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NIV).
Lord, we confess today that we have not been faithful. We confess that we have done evil and our thoughts and motives are not always pure. Forgive us Father. Forgive us lest we perish. Father, create in us clean hearts and renew the right spirits within us. Cast us not away from Your presence, Oh Lord and take not Your Holy Spirit from us, but restore unto us the joy of Your salvation and renew a right spirit within us.
Father, as we wait on this renewal we bring our country, Jamaica, land we love, before You. Lord, You know Jamaica is a nation who loves You and that we are special to You. But just like the Israelites, we have gone astray. We at times forget Your goodness and mercy towards us. We have taken our eyes off You and have allowed our nation to be seduced by worldly standards.
Lord, the fear of the Lord is no longer the way it should be in our hearts so crime, violence and corruption now run rampant. We have become accustomed to and accept this new norm and are no longer perturbed by it. As we stand by, our families, churches and communities decay daily because we are at ease in Zion. Father, I pray that You would renew an awakening in us. Cause us to sense the urgency of the matter. Cause us to be tormented and perplexed by the current state of affairs in our country.
Father, cause it that we as a church will raise up and take a stand. Help us to become beacons in the communities, where we speak out about crime, corruption and injustice. Lord, we ask that we will not only take a stand collectively as a Church but individually in our spheres of influence, in our families, colleagues, community, among friends. Therefore, we pray for courage to be bold in standing up for integrity and righteousness.
Lord, we pray especially for the business leaders in our congregation:
Ewan and Maxine Oliver; Lanna and Desmond Bennett; Warrick Bogle; Carol and Leroy Blake; Marcia Leair; Robert and Bevelin Smith; Paulette Dixon; Kemorine and Karl Henry; Ava Comrie; Catherine Barkley and husband; Cornel Richards and family; Everton Lewis; Pauline and Mark Garvey; Brother Astley Hall; Maxine and Benedict Ranger; Melva Knight; Nicole Fender; Sharon Baldie; Karl Jones; and others.
As they stand as beacons we pray for Your covering and protection from criminal elements. It is not easy to run a business in Jamaica, Lord. The risks involved can be daunting but we pray that You will place a hedge around them. Father, with the economic downturn as a result of the pandemic, Jehovah Jireh, we pray that You will provide all the wisdom and resources that they need. So we pray that as they fulfil their purpose in their respective sphere of influence that Your name will be glorified.
Lord, we pray for the leaders of Jamaica. We call by name:
The Honourable Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness, Minister of Health Christopher Tufton, Minister of Finance Nigel Clarke, health workers and support staff, Minister of Education Karl Samuda, Leader of the Opposition Peter Philips, and their families; Jamaica Defence Force and Jamaica Constabulary Force personnel and Security Guards, all other leaders of government and their support staff. We pray that You grant them wisdom to know what is right and the courage to do it.
Minister of National Security Horace Chang and his team, as they fight the good fight to overcome the challenges we face each day. Lord, we put to You and ask for Your blessings on the Minister of Justice, Delroy Chuck. We also remember the judges in our congregation, Paula Blake Powell and Grace Henry McKenzie. We pray that You guard their hearts that they may be fair and exercise mercy as they seek to administer justice in our land.
As Jamaica along with the rest of the world battles to control this Covid-19 Pandemic, we pray particularly for the frontline workers. Therefore, we thank You for their sacrifices and commitment, and pray that You will renew their strength and protect them and their families from infection.
We remember the frontline workers connected with GMC: Medical Doctors: Asana Anderson Wilks and Rohan Wilks, Kahlete Falloon, Tina Kong, Vernon Jones, Leighton Logan; Dentists (doing emergency cases): Jhenell Black, Dania Jones, Eleanor Reynolds; Pharmacists: Sandra Bucknor-Jones, Viveen Watson; other doctors and nurses from GMC or in connection with members and adherents of GMC who are working on the frontline (for example Dr. Richard Reynolds) and their families.
Lord, we ask that You cover and keep them. Cause that Your love will shine through them in their interactions with patients and that Your name will be glorified, honoured and praised.
Father as the nation adjusts to this new norm of remote working and social distancing, we pray that You will strengthen us. The isolation is taking a toll on many persons. We are not able to gather, meet and socialize and for many this was therapy. Not everyone has access to the internet and so they have been displaced and left to fend on their own, disconnected from their various “Trees”. It is summer and children are not able to undertake their usual summer activities and adventures. They too are displaced and are experiencing emotional distress.
Father, help us to remember one another, especially those without access to the resources and facilities they need. Lord, times like these may cause many, especially the “spiritually weaker” ones amongst us, to fall away. Place in our spirits the burning desire to reach out to each other, lest one is left behind. So now is the time Lord for Your love to manifest through us in a tangible way.
Lord, have mercy and deliver us from the criminal elements that plague our communities. We ask that You protect our country and people. Lord, cause it that we look out for each other, not just in the way we think but in our actions.
Lord, as we face the hurricane season, we ask that You sustain us and ask for your continued mercies and protection.
As we enter the season of elections, we pray that we as a people will use the time to reflect on what lessons we can learn from these significant milestones in Jamaica’s history. Reveal to us Lord where we need to emancipate ourselves from destructive attitudes and practices. Help us as a country to capitalize on all the liberties that our ancestors fought for, and that we too may leave a legacy of which our descendants may be proud.
Lord, we pray for your peace over Jamaica. Let Your peace reign, Lord.
In Jesus’ name we pray with thanksgiving.
Amen.
Our Prayers of Encouragement are for everyone. Therefore, if you are also in need of prayer or comfort, please contact us with your request. We would be so very happy to share with you.
