Midweek Mindfulness ~ October 18th 2023
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Let us take a moment to sit and rest with Jesus, the spring of living water
We offer you a silence and a simple prayer
A Silence
This week you are invited to take a few minutes of silence with God
to pray for the war in Israel and the Gaza Strip
A Prayer
When you're ready, let's pray the following prayer with Him
If you want a sister or brother to pray with you, click the bar below.
The accompanier will pray the whole prayer with you
You are invited to join in praying the purple italicized words with them
Today we meditate on Isaiah 25:1-9
The Shroud
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food,
a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food filled with marrow,
of well-aged wine strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people
he will take away from the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
lo, this is our God;
we have waited for him,
so that he might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
We cherish Your promises
with heavy hearts this week.
For in the very land
where your Word was fulfilled,
and your Son won
His great victory over Death,
unravelling the suffocating shroud,
Death yet refuses to die.
Soldiers draw swords once more,
and great is the blood already spilled.
Save us, LORD!
Save us from ourselves!
We are skilled in war, not peace.
Our leaders call out for blood,
assembling councils of war.
Great is our skill in forging weapons
of word and steel,
in harnessing bitterness,
at brewing resentment,
at cultivating violence.
How brightly our hate can burn
in the furnace of our feuds.
We throw open the door
for the Death You disarmed,
baiting it to pounce on our enemies,
but are stung ourselves.
When will You step in, Father?
Take away our weapons!
For we have sharpened stony hearts
into axes and blades.
We need you to save us from them!
To bring Your salvation to the earth!
Finish what You started on Calvary,
O LORD of hosts!
We need the peace and the healing
that only You can bring!
But the new beginning is not here, not yet.
For now, guide the hearts of our leaders.
Give them wisdom to find peace.
Protect the innocent
O Father, protect the children!
Make ways for aid to flow.
Help those fleeing to find shelter.
Keep the hearts of those with power
from closing off to the needs of the weak,
who are being sacrificed on altars of war.
Break the bow and shatter the spear
that slays the innocent.
Deliver us from evil.
In your mercy, Lord,
hear our prayer.