I'm on vacation in Colorado, staying with my sister and brother-in-law. My sister and a friend of hers lead a knitting group at the local prison and they sometimes incorporate prayer as part of their visit, including selections from my daily Pause for Prayer. So last Thursday I accompanied my sister and had an opportunity to meet the women in the group and pray with them. I invited them to collaborate with me on writing a prayer post for my blog. I told them I had in mind a "prayer for things to change" and asked them what changes they might pray for... Their response and our prayer together was a rich blessing for me and I'm pleased to share with you the fruit of that visit in today's Pause for Prayer...
Change is hard, Lord!
Sometimes it takes too long for things to change
and sometimes things change way too fast!
In fact, it's only fairly seldom
that change happens at a nice, leisurely pace,
right on the schedule, like we'd hoped and prayed for...
Praying for change...
I guess a lot of our prayer is a plea for change, Lord:
praying for change in the world around us,
praying for change in the nation we call home
and praying for change in ourselves...
We pray for big changes and little changes,
for political, legal change
and for personal change...
We pray for change
to fill the bellies of hungry children, Lord,
children all around the world
thirsty for clean water and hungry for good crops
and a full, nourishing harvest...
We pray for change
for real and lasting peace, Lord,
for an end to terrorism, war and violence
between nations, between faiths,
in our cities, neighborhoods and families...
We pray for change
in politics and law, change to ease
the plight of the poor,
the desperation of immigrants and refugees,
the long, lonely wait of those in prison
and those held captive by doubt and fear
by worry and anxiety...
We pray for change, a change of heart,
to help us see the good, the very best,
in every human being,
in every single man and woman...
Help us see what you see, Lord:
each and every one of us your son, your daughter,
each and every one of us our sister, our brother...
Help us accept the things we cannot change
and give us the courage we need
to change the things we can...
Help us change, Lord,
help us to learn to live in the moment,
leaving behind what haunts us from our past
and keeping our lives in today, this day,
the day that you have made and given us,
a day to see how your love changes us
for the good, for the best and,
by your grace,
for ever...
Amen.
(What changes are YOU praying for?)
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