“As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease.”
(Genesis 8:22 NIV)
It’s bitterly cold here today—much colder than usual for January. Perhaps you’re enjoying the warmth of summer in the southern hemisphere, but we are not. Instead, we’re experiencing the harsh reality of frigid air from Siberia that has crossed the North Pole and settled over our region. The forecast calls for daytime highs in the single digits Fahrenheit, with wind chills plunging below zero.
I’m not a fan of the cold, so my plan is to stay inside where it’s warm and avoid the outdoors as much as possible. I imagine most people in our area will do the same—staying home or heading to work in heated spaces, only braving the cold for quick trips from car to building, and otherwise not being too affected by the weather.
However, not everyone has that option. Some jobs by nature are out-of-doors, and some of those are vital to others’ ability to stay warm and fed. Farmers care for livestock. Snowplow drivers clear roads. Electric linemen repair downed wires. Natural gas company employees keep the heat source flowing. Emergency personnel assist with fires, car crashes, crimes, and other challenges.
So, today, let us remember and pray for those who work outdoors and/or to keep us warm and fed.
God,
Thank you for the beauty of your creation. Thank you for the reminder that we are all connected on this planet, even when we forget that something like the cold air from Siberia can reach us too. Thank you for the modern systems of electricity, natural gas, and other sources of heat that keep us warm.
Today, we pray for those whose work takes them outdoors. We ask for supernatural protection from the dangers of prolonged exposure to the cold. We pray that any mechanical repairs or interactions they face will be smooth and without complications. We also ask for safety as they travel and for protection from accidents on the road.
We lift up those who do not have regular access to warmth—especially the homeless, the addicted, the mentally ill, and those whose financial struggles leave them without proper shelter. God, in your faithfulness and your righteousness, come to their relief. Through your Church, mission organizations, or other resources, provide the shelter, warmth, food, and care they need.
We pray in the name of Jesus, asking for your mercy and hand of protection over all of us. AMEN.
Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. (Psalm 4:1 NIV)
Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. (Psalm 143:1 NIV)