Praying the Word!

As the country prepares to open up, how should we pray? None of us saw how this cataclysmic event would unfold, so it is reasonable to assume we can’t accurately project how to position ourselves for the future. One thing we know, those of us in America have grown accustomed to a land flowing with milk and honey. To desire for this land to somehow come out of the devastating economic slide that we have experienced could be a start. 

Fortunately for us there have been other nations who have experienced  devastation, and they have been rebuilt. It began with a Word from God. Going to the Word of God, we find that Amos prophesied to the children of Israel of a future for them. This seems like a good prayer to pray:

^13-15 "Yes indeed, it won’t be long now." God‘s Decree.

"Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. I’ll make everything right again for my people Israel:

"They’ll rebuild their ruined cities.
They’ll plant vineyards and drink good wine.
They’ll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables.
And I’ll plant them, plant them on their own land.
They’ll never again be uprooted from the land I’ve given them."
God, your God, says so. Amos 9:13-15 (MSG)

Reading this is like hearing a recording of my heart, and I’m sure yours too! We want to see our cities bloom again; for farmers to be able to take their produce to market, and not leave it by the wayside to die; we want people who have been struggling to keep their houses and not lose them, and people who have been struggling for houses to get acceptable housing. Most of all we want to see a time when this kind of devastating never disrupts our nation again.

While we can’t predict the future, this looks to me like this is a good starting prayer to pray, that God’s mercies would turn to us, just as it did for Israel.

Maria