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Prayers for Mass Shootings and Natural Disasters
In the wake of storms that have devastated communities across the Southern United States, and following Read More
Lee Escobedo | Read Jeremiah 8:18-22 , Read Jeremiah 9:1
Jeremiah began prophesying to Jerusalem and Judah in 622 bce, during the time of the reforms of King Josiah. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia, destroyed Jerusalem in 586 bce, ending the southern kingdom of Judah—a tumultuous time. Today’s verses express God’s anger toward the Israelites for disrespecting the Lord, but they...
God of healing, when we weep like Jeremiah, bring us your comfort as we live toward your final deliverance. Amen.
Three of the texts for this Sunday deal with intercession; although they certainly will not make praying any easier, they may make it more hopeful. The readings from both Jeremiah and the psalm depict the anguish of one who identi es with the pain of God’s faithless people. Prophet and psalmist grieve with and for the people and join in the persistent and impatient plea for health and renewal. But God turns out not to be an impassive or distant deity but one bound up with the anguish of the prophet and the anguish of the people. Likewise, the psalmist discovers that the God who refuses to tolerate Israel’s faithlessness nevertheless cannot nally abandon the chosen community. First Timothy also challenges readers to offer prayers of intercession and speci es that they be made for those in positions of political leadership.
• Read Jeremiah 8:18–9:1. Jeremiah weeps for the self-will and disrespect of his people toward God. What do you see in the contemporary world that causes you to weep?
• Read Psalm 4. How do you, like David, acknowledge God’s guidance in your life?
• Read 1 Timothy 2:1-7. Paul reminds us to pray for everyone, no matter their relation to us. How can you be more inten- tional in praying for others?
• Read Luke 16:1-13. In what ways can you take more per- sonal responsibility in being a steward for the things God bestows to humanity?
Respond by posting a prayer.
