Father, over 2000 years ago your Son sacrificed his ability to know everything, be everywhere at once, and have full access to His power to become a human like us. He lowered himself to get intimately acquainted with our joys and our sufferings—though He never sinned.
Jesus was man enough to suffer for our sins and God enough to be our Savior. He is awesome! We praise Him for His faithfulness, and we thank You for the love that set the plan in motion.
But we remember Jesus didn’t always want to sacrifice his life for us.
He so dreaded the agony awaiting him He sweat blood asking You three times for a way out, before surrendering to the only way to save us.
And we marvel at a God who knows so well what it’s like to be us.
To know what it’s like to be called to what doesn’t directly have anything to do with us but is best for our neighbor.
We’re learning in this Coronavirus pandemic that our neighbor isn’t just the person next door or on our block. It’s the person in the next county, state or country over. It’s the person halfway around the world who, with a plane ride, can infect many.
And even though we know, Father, it’s tough to honor a stay a home order for weeks on end, missing face-to-face conversations and hugs from loved ones, we do it to love our neighbor as ourselves. To protect the people You love as much as us, to save lives.
But sacrifice hurts.
So we thank You for the grace to love our neighbor in some small measure, the way Jesus loved us. Nothing we’re suffering in staying home and temporarily keeping our distance from others compares to the tearing of his flesh, the piercing of his hands and feet, and the bearing of our sin and its judgment.
And unlike Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, loving our neighbor with this distance is as much for our good as theirs.
So, Father, help us love ourselves.
Because what an awesome price you paid for our lives! Root us and ground us in your love for us so that loving our neighbor is so much easier.
It’s in the incomparable name of Jesus we pray and give thanks. Amen.
Inspired by Galatians 5:14
“I have no words right now.”
We’ve all been there. Life hands you a problem you can’t even put into words, much less solve. And whether you’re a longtime believer who’s discouraged, you’re new to faith in Christ or you’re wondering what this “Jesus stuff” is all about, talking with God about what you’re facing feels so far out of reach.
What if there were a way to making talking to God easier?
You may not know what to say or you may not want to pray. But if you’re overwhelmed, speechless, and confused about what to do next, Jesus wants to help you.
Got A Minute to Pray is a collection of 60 Bible-based prayers for today’s challenges like worry, anxiety, and depression.
These prayers are both powerful and practical. They connect your needs with God’s heart by echoing what God has already promised you. Because, unlike people, God always stands behind His word.
These guided prayers reduce anxiety and restore the peace you long for.
Christian prayer is not about religion. It’s a relationship with the living God. And when you have no words for what you’re facing, Jesus has plenty. So, you got a minute to pray?
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Vanessa A. Harris 