Friday Prayers
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
¶ If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday. (Isaiah 58:9-14)
Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in (Isaiah 58:12).
Psalm 103:1-8
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits—
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
¶ The LORD works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12 28-29).
But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” (Luke 13:15-16)
Let us pray:
God of consuming fire, we light the lamp of prayer and ask for help. We bless your holy name and all the power and might connected to your name. We know only enough to call you by name, O LORD, so that you will know at least that we know that much. Isaiah reminds us that you will come to us only if we behave in a way that so merits your walking our way, and we acknowledge that we are far from that, so we bend the knee, beg your forgiveness, and cry for mercy. Come and save us from ourselves.
With menacing hands, our shaking index fingers pointing to heaven, we utter threats against the powerless, and we know you do not approve. Forgive us and come save us.
With our big bellies full of manna and quail, we do not share with the hungry. We use food and water as weapons of war, and it is the children of our enemies who suffer most. Forgive us and come save us.
Children in Gaza and the West Bank are hungry, and live in darkness and despair. Forgive us and come save us.
God, made known to us in Jesus, we call upon your name and ask you to come help us. In Jesus you forgive us; you heal our diseases; you pay the cost of our release from debtors’ prison; you surround us with steadfast love and mercy. And we forget. We forget to remember that you do these things so that we might be forever youthful and faithful and strong. We forget to remember that you do these things so that we might do the same for others. We forget to remember that we are no better or worse than those we see as less or more. You love the world, even those in the world that we do not love, or like, or think as good as we think ourselves good. We forget that you are a vengeful God who stands in the gap for ALL who are oppressed. We forget that that ALL includes ALL, even all those not chosen. We forget and we are sorry and we beg your forgiveness.
Thank you Jesus for healing that bent woman. Thank you for noticing her and loving her. Thank you for reminding us that those who suffer are your daughters and sons and that you want them whole again, and that one day you will make them whole again. Thank you because that woman is someone we know and love, and one day, she will be us.
We love you Lord. We stand in awe before you. We thank you for a kingdom come that is greater than any kingdom won or loss.
In Jesus’ name, we pray – AMEN! So BE it!
HERE I AM!
