Prayer of Encouragement for 28 January 2022
Deacon Arlene Burton offers the Prayer of Encouragement for 28 January 2022. Deacon Burton owns the copyright to this post. We reprint here with her permission.
Hi Everyone, God’s blessings, and favour! How are you progressing? The year is still new, yes, and we continue to face many challenges in our personal lives and as a country. This has led some people down a path of fear resulting in anxiety, depression, etc. Hold on! Remember that we serve a God with endless capacities and abilities. Tough as it may get, keep the faith and allow our creator and God to lead the path ahead. Yeah! Yeah!
Also, please remember, if you have a prayer request, let us know and we will pray for you.
I will continue to talk about the pathway that we take in life. As I previously indicated, my mind is stuck on this subject matter. You know, the thoughts continue to roll down that path. In the last writing, I talked about Esther’s path. In particular, how she got into the palace, fell in love with, and married a king who was not of her beliefs and practices. What was that about? Hey! Yet, she was seen as finding favour with her God. Wow! Were the series of events that took place in Esther’s life all about her? She went on a path of finding love. She was swept off her feet (so to speak) by a king. Not just a prince but a king. Esther found wealth, and power within a short space of time. Some would say it was sudden. Yeah!
What was God’s purpose in Esther’s life? As I reflected on my own life, I know that there are places where the Lord has kept me and I would prefer not to be there but because I love Him, I stay and do His will. The hard part is that many people around me do not understand my path. So I have to stick closer to God for His will to be accomplished through me, trusting Him to work around and through the many challenges that are thrown at me. Esther was in a place that she thought was all good. Yet she was about to face the unexpected. Did it become an uncomfortable place for her?
Let us see what Esther was about to face:
A Background – Haman, one of the king’s officials, hated the Jews with a passion. As I thought about passion, I recalled the passion fruit. Usually, it overpowers anything else that I put with it when making juices. It is strong in scent and taste. This helps me to understand the way Haman’s passion or hatred occupied his sense of being. Also, Haman had a trigger, Esther’s uncle, Mordecai.
The Honour – “…King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honour higher than that of all the other nobles.” (Esther 3:1, NIV).
Rejection – Uncle Mordecai rejected Haman by not bowing down to him. We are told that “All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honour to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honour.” (Esther 3:2, NIV). Oh no, uncle Mordecai. How could you do such a thing?
The Plea – “Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, ‘Why do you disobey the king’s command?’ Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore, they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behaviour would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.” (Esther 3:3-4, NIV). Oh no, this was going to brew trouble, like coffee brewing in a hot pot.
Haman Noticed – “When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honour, he was enraged.” (Esther 3:5, NIV). Now, this was about to cause trouble for Esther and others. UNCLE MORDECAI! Yikes!
The Revelation Triggered a Plot – “Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead, Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.” (Esther 3:6, NIV).
Queen Esther was a Jew and lived in the palace with her king. Haman was about to come up with a plan to annihilate the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes (Esther’s husband’s kingdom). Hey! Life was about to change for Queen Esther. Think about those situations that you dread and those that you did not have time to consider. Chat bout it, think bout it, and let us talk about what happened next with Esther. See y’all.
Let us pray:
Lord, You are Almighty. You are a God of excellent greatness. Your capabilities and abilities are beyond our understanding. We acknowledge Your infinite greatness, and we bow down and worship You. Lord, You are awesome! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Lord, we thank You for waking us up each morning in our right minds. We thank You for Your grace. We are grateful that because of Your mercies we are not consumed. Great is Your faithfulness, O God.
Lord, we come in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask that You have mercy on us. Blot out our sins and forgive us. Help us to forgive those who sinned against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver and keep us from all kinds of evil.
Lord, we are trusting You to address the woes of our society. We continue to be bombarded by activities of evil that have seemingly seeped into every area of society. So Lord, we call upon Your powerful forces to identify and disconnect, dislocate every evil network. Nullify them, sap every bit of their resources, and block their entrances and abilities to steal, kill and destroy. Let Your peace reign in our lives, and over our country.
Lord, we pray for those who are back in school including students, teachers and administrators, and government representatives. Grant them wisdom, courage, knowledge, and the spirit of excellence as they prepare for life’s journey. We ask for Your favour and covering over them, especially those who are vulnerable. So Lord, protect our children from the forces of evil.
Lord, we pray for all leaders of our country. We ask that You grant them discernment to make the right choices, the wisdom to know how to proceed amid the ongoing effects of the COVID pandemic, economic issues, and criminal activities. Grant them the courage and will to do the right thing and the resources to do it. We pray especially for our church leaders, the Honourable Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness, Minister of Health and Wellness, Christopher Tufton, Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Nigel Clarke, health workers and support staff, Minister of Education, Youth, and the Environment, Fayval Williams; Minister of National Security, Horace Chang and his team, Minister of Justice, Delroy Chuck, and the leader of the opposition Mark Golding and his team. We also remember the judges in our congregation, Paula Blake Powell and Grace Henry McKenzie.
Lord, we ask for Your mercies, favour, and blessing on those persons who are in business. We lift up to You those among us who are in business: 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.
We also pray for the frontline workers who are in the medical and related fields. We ask for Your hand of covering and provision in their lives. Also, we pray that You grant them uncommon strength and compassion as they pursue their daily tasks. We also lift up those who are connected with GMC: Medical Doctors: Asana Anderson Wilks and Rohan Wilks, Kahlete Falloon, Tina Kong, Vernon Jones, Leighton Logan; Esther Reynolds, Medical student-Gabrielle Channer; Dentists: 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 continue to keep in prayer Sister Jhenelle Black who is pursuing further studies in Dentistry in the United Kingdom (UK). So we thank God for taking her safely back after the holiday.
Lord, we remember those persons who are not well. Send forth Your healing power in every part of their minds and body that needs to be restored. We present to You those among us who are on the usual sick and shut-in list, as well as Sisters Nicole Evans, Kadene Stewart, Iris Lawrence, Valerie Smellie, Lelith James, Jennifer Nicholson, Virginia Muir, Marville (Cherry) Murray (Sister Iris Lawrence’s daughter), Janet Chen-Young, Joyce Bailey, Lucille Alexander, Jhada Graham, Cherrie Lee; Brother George Gabbidon, Brother Lloyd Trusty and his niece Deloree, Sister Dawn Ashley’s parents and aunt, Mr, Delorn Dixon (Sister Rachael Dixon’s husband), and Brother Astley Hall’s mother.,
Our help comes from You, Lord, maker of heaven and earth. You are our Shepherd, the light of our salvation. Lord, You are our refuge and strength, a present help in times of trouble. So, Lord, help us along the way as we take life’s journey. Fill us with Your peace and cause it that we feel the embrace of your love, in Jesus’ name we pray with thanksgiving.
Amen.
Our Prayers of Encouragement are for everyone. Therefore, please contact us with your request if you also need prayer or comfort. We would be so very happy to share with you.
Grace Missionary Church is a member of The Missionary Church Association in Jamaica.
