In the midst of this Global Pandemic I commended to you Rachel Jones’ new book “5 Things to Pray in a Global Crisis.” Rachel is the author of the series of books “5 Things to Pray ….” (Kids, Church, World, People you Love, City). In this most recent book she addresses how we can best pray in the midst of our current crisis. These days of crisis Jones encourages us to pray in 5 categories:

2 Weeks ago - Pray for our Heart
Last Week - Pray for our Family
This Week – Pray for the Response

1. Pray for Healthcare Workers – 2 Corinthians 1:3-11
a. Thank God that he looks at our broken world with compassion and stands ready to comfort all those who turn to him for help. (vv:3-4)
b. Pray for Medical Staff as they seek to comfort the sick (v:4) especially with the comfort we have received from the Gospel.
c. Pray God’s help for those under great pressure – (vv:8-9)
d. Pray for the Lord’s gracious deliverance – (v:10)
e. Thank God for the ways He has answered our prayers – (v:11)

2. Pray for our Government – Romans 13:1-7 (In a day when social media does not have a shortage of ways to criticize our leaders, as believers lets pray for them) See also 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
a. WE pray for them because they have been established by God – Romans 13:1 – Thank God for our leaders by name.
b. WE pray and seek to live lives of willing submission to our leaders – 13:1
c. We pray recognizing, that they are working for our Good – 13:4
d. We pray recognizing that our leaders (Government, Police, etc.) seek to enforce the law and limit evil – 13:4
e. We pray for our leaders because they are owed our respect – 13:7

3. Pray for Key Workers – Proverbs 15:1-33 - “Key workers” are those whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response (e.g. health and social care, food production and delivery, utilities, etc.).
a. Praise God that He is Sovereign and rules over all. This does not catch Him by surprise – 15:3
b. Pray for those planning and changing plans to meet the changing demands of this crisis – 15:22
c. Pray protection for the vulnerable – 15:25
d. Pray that this crisis will end soon – That these workers will have good news – 15:30
e. Thank Our Key Workers and ask God to draw many to faith in Jesus – 15:33

4. Pray for those who are sick – Mark 1:29-39
a. Pray often for those who are sick, tell Jesus about their need – 1:30
b. Pray for healing – 1:31
c. Pray for healing for many and that we will all be able to gather again – 1:32-34
d. Pray that people will find spiritual rest and refreshment in the Lord – 1:35
e. Pray that the message of the Gospel will spread – 1:38

“See” You Sunday

Pastor Byron

(Pray also that I can stop putting “See” in quotation marks)