Pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16 NIV)
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This morning our son is undergoing his third hip surgery. The first was an emergency procedure, the second was to correct complications and improve his long-term health, and today’s surgery is to remove the metal plate that was placed in his hip after last summer’s operation. We would greatly appreciate your prayers for a safe surgery, a smooth recovery, and no complications. Thank you for lifting him—and our family—up in prayer.
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Yesterday I was in a very wide ranging discussion that I closed with a prayer I prayed over all the members of the group. Today I pray it over you, too.
“For this reason we kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. We pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen us with power through his Spirit in our inner beings, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith.
“And we pray that, being rooted and established in love, we may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Help us to come in childlike faith and sit at the feet of Jesus. Help us to trust that our God is so big that he can work ALL things together for good. Help us to believe that all power belongs to you, Lord, and with you is unfailing love. (Psalm 62:12)
We pray for the Spirit’s holy discernment to be upon us and our families – may we know when, what, and how to pray and speak. Help us to trust you when we have to wait. Help us to have healthy boundaries, depending on you for discernment and grace, but to go and do all you call us to go and do.
Help us to focus on your GRACE in the hard places, and lovingly walk away from burdens that aren’t ours to carry. May we be people who are so deeply attached to Jesus, the Vine, that the oil of our lives overflows and blesses those around us to whom we are called to minister.
“Now to you who are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to your power that is at work within us, to you be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
(adapted from Eph. 3:14-21 NIV)