“Again I say to you, that if two believers on earth agree [that is, are of one mind, in harmony] about anything that they ask [within the will of God], it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.” Then Peter came to Him and asked, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered him, “I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:19-22 AMP

Today, all I want to do is focus on prayer. I have a sense that many of us are struggling and what we need more than anything is the love and support of this community of believers, especially in the context of one unified prayer to our Heavenly Father. For many of us (myself, included), praying aloud in front of other people is a difficult thing to do. We tend to feel self-conscious and fear inadequacy in our verbal exchange with God. We all forget that God is less concerned with fancy phraseology and complexity in our prayers, but instead is more concerned with our willingness to simply talk to Him. He wants us to approach Him with love, trust, and honesty. Next time you have the opportunity to pray publicly on behalf of yourself and other people, you need to worry less about how others will view your words and focus entirely on talking to God. The Spirit will help you with the words…and the Spirit will be there to fill in the gaps on those things you just can’t seem to put into words.

Our dear Heavenly Father… We come before you now as one unified body of believers. We come to you in love and we come to you with faith that you will hear our prayer, trusting that our pleas will be answered according to your will. Father, we are living in a broken society. Everywhere we turn, we are faced with the overwhelming influence of Satan, and every single day we are fighting to keep hold of you. Just as we can be deafened by the volume of the music at a rock concert, we are easily deafened by the volume of pain and anger that fills our society. We are constantly at war with our own worldly appetites, often holding on to anger and frustration, unsure of how to loosen our grip on those negative feelings and allow your love to overtake the pain and fear.

We are blessed, Lord. When we take the time to look around us, we can easily see the many ways we’ve been blessed in this life. We know that peace can be found in focusing on these blessings and the gratitude we feel for them. Father, please help us to shift our minds away from the pain of loss, to the joy of having had something to lose. Please help us see the gifts that are all around us, and not get lost in the insignificant inconveniences of our worldly existence. Instead of being frustrated by the person in front of us in the grocery store with a giant book of coupons, help us to be thankful that the person has been blessed with a way to obtain what is needed to care for their family.

Father, there are many things each and every day for which we need your grace and forgiveness. On behalf of everyone choosing to share in this prayer, dear Lord, I ask that the much needed forgiveness be granted. You sacrificed your Son in order to provide us a way home to You, and it is in His Holy Name that we come to you for mercy, having faith and true confidence that we are heard and we are forgiven.

Now I pray that you will bless the life behind every set of eyes that views these words, my precious Father. Bless them with strength of spirit, with courage, with peace, with love, and with the ability to face their daily struggles with a joyful heart.

On a more personal note, I ask that you bless my beloved husband. Keep him safe as he moves through his day, and give him whatever he needs to stay close to you and face his challenges with grace. Bless our families, Father…children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Bless our family of friends, our church family, and our church leaders. And finally, dear Lord, I ask a blessing upon my precious sister. Grant her whatever she needs in each moment of the day. Give her peace and fill her with love. Draw her close to you and keep her safe in every endeavor.

We ask these things humbly, with faith that we are heard and loved, and that all we’ve asked will be given…and we ask it all in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ…

Amen