COVID19 Call to Prayer – April 1: Lead Us Not into Temptation
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your name,
Your Kingdom Come,
Your Will be Done,
On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
And lead us not into temptation…”
Perhaps this is better translated ‘testing’. God does not tempt us to do evil (James 1:13), but He does allow us to go through periods of testing. It is an immature and foolish follower of Jesus who desires such periods. A mature disciple knows their own weakness and prays to be delivered. And so we pray to be delivered from temptation and testing.
Petition: Please join with us in praying for:
- China – The country where this all began. According to official figures, there have been 81,518 cases, with 3, 305 deaths. After a strict lockdown of several weeks, Wuhan and other Chinese cities are opening up again, and industrial production is starting again. There is some concern about new cases coming in from overseas.
- The Northern Territory – Now has 16 cases (up from 4 a week ago). Still small, but concern remains about the impact if this spreads into the indigenous community.
- Angela Merkel, Macron and the other EU leaders, as they struggle with the burdens they are faced with.
- Christian media – as they seek to bring the Word of God in this situation and have to struggle with the difficulties of isolation and finance – whilst continuing to produce hope-filled content.
- For those facing financial uncertainty and especially those in the ‘gig economy’ who have lost income and have little security.
A Prayer of Repentance:
LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath.
Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint;
Heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.
My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long?
(Psalm 6:1-3)
A Prayer of Thanksgiving:
LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth!
You have set Your glory in the heavens.2
Through the praise of children and infants,
You have established a stronghold against Your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger. Amen.
(Psalm 81-2)
___
Daily devotions by David Robertson via Christians United — COVID19 Call to Prayer.
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