Pray - For Those in Financial Difficulty

Lord God, I remember and pray for all those suffering severe financial problems; the unemployed, the homeless, the bankrupt, the hungry, and those in desperate fear of such problems; people who are deep in debt, not to be able to pay bills, who are losing or have lost possessions to foreclosure, or who have to watch their dependants go without things they need. I open my heart to them. I pray that Your Holy Spirit will be with them, that they find comfort in utter trust and faith in You, and that their anxieties be alleviated by certainty of Your love. And if it is Your will, I pray that they can find a way out of their difficulties, into financial stability. 

And finally, I pray that I not close my eyes to them; and that I not judge those in pain, however they might have acted; but instead, that I might love them as You have loved me, despite my faults. And if it is Your will, that I might do what I can to ease their pain. In the name of Christ, who loved us so perfectly, I pray, Amen.

Take heed that you are not led astray

How would you respond if someone prophesied that your home, land, or place of worship would be destroyed?

Jesus foretold many signs that would shake peoples and nations. The signs which God uses are meant to point us to a higher spiritual truth and reality of his kingdom which does not perish or fade away, but endures for all eternity. God works through many events and signs to purify and renew us in hope and to help us set our hearts more firmly on him and him alone.

First signs of the end times

To the great consternation of the Jews, Jesus prophesied the destruction of their great temple at Jerusalem. The Jewish people took great pride in their temple, a marvel of the ancient world. The foretelling of this destruction was a dire warning of spiritual judgement in itself. They asked Jesus for a sign that would indicate when this disastrous event would occur. Jesus admonished them to not look for signs that would indicate the exact timing of impending destruction, but rather to pray for God's intervention of grace and mercy. 

Jesus said there would be many signs of impending conflicts and disasters - such as wars, famines, diseases, tidal waves, and earthquakes - which would precede the struggles of the last days when God's anointed King would return to usher in the full reign of God over the earth. In that day when the Lord returns there will be a final judgement of the living and the dead when the secrets of every heart will be brought to light (Luke 12:2-3; Romans 2:16).

Jesus foretells the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem 

Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem was a two-edged sword, because it pointed not only to God's judgement, but also to his saving action and mercy. Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the dire consequences for all who would reject him and his saving message. While the destruction of Jerusalem's temple was determined (it was razed by the Romans in 70 A.D.), there remained for its inhabitants a narrow open door leading to deliverance. Jesus said: "I am the door; whoever enters by me will be saved" (John 10:9). Jesus willingly set his face toward Jerusalem, knowing that he would meet betrayal, rejection, and death on a cross. His death on the cross, however, brought about true freedom, peace, and victory over the powers of sin, evil, and death - not only for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but for all - both Jew and Gentile alike - who would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Do you know the peace and security of a life submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ?

We need to recognise the signs of God's judgement, mercy, and grace to save us

Sometimes we don't recognise the moral crisis and spiritual conflict of the age in which we live, until something "shakes us up" to the reality of this present condition. God reminds us that a future judgement and outcome awaits every individual who has lived on this earth. The reward for doing what is right and pleasing to God and the penalty for sinful rebellion and rejection of God are not always experienced in this present life - but they are sure to come in the day of final judgement. 

The Lord Jesus tells us that there will be trials, suffering, and persecution in this present age until he comes again at the end of the world. God intends our anticipation of his final judgement to be a powerful deterrent to unfaithfulness and wrongdoing. God extends grace and mercy to all who will heed his call and his warning. Do not pass up, even for one day, God's invitation of grace and mercy to seek first his kingdom of righteousness and peace. This day may be your only chance before that final day comes.

"Lord Jesus, your grace and mercy abounds even in the midst of trials and difficulties. Help me to seek your kingdom first and to reject whatever would hinder me from pursuing your way of peace, righteousness, and holiness. Fill me with the joy and hope of your everlasting kingdom."

source: From the desk of Don Schwager, 

hosted by Kairos Europe and the Middle East

Please pray for those suffering from cancer ....

Who are fighting a good fight against cancer. Grant them your prayer and support for a complete healing. God works wonder and nothing is beyond His power. He will grant them His miraculous healing touch and may every cancer cell be wiped out by your powerful hands. Amen.

Plea for Deliverance from Suffering and Hostility ~ Psalm 22

22 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Why art thou so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?

2 O my God, I cry by day, but thou dost not answer;

and by night, but find no rest.

3 Yet thou art holy,

enthroned on the praises of Israel.

4 In thee our fathers trusted;

they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

5 To thee they cried, and were saved;

in thee they trusted, and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm, and no man;

scorned by men, and despised by the people.

7 All who see me mock at me,

they make mouths at me, they wag their heads;

8 “He committed his cause to the Lord; let him deliver him,

let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

9 Yet thou art he who took me from the womb;

thou didst keep me safe upon my mother’s breasts.

10 Upon thee was I cast from my birth,

and since my mother bore me thou hast been my God.

11 Be not far from me,

for trouble is near

and there is none to help.

12 Many bulls encompass me,

strong bulls of Bashan surround me;

13 they open wide their mouths at me,

like a ravening and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax,

it is melted within my breast;

15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue cleaves to my jaws;

thou dost lay me in the dust of death.

16 Yea, dogs are round about me;

a company of evildoers encircle me;

they have pierced my hands and feet—

17 I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me;

18 they divide my garments among them,

and for my raiment they cast lots.

19 But thou, O Lord, be not far off!

O thou my help, hasten to my aid!

20 Deliver my soul from the sword,

my life from the power of the dog!

21 Save me from the mouth of the lion,

my afflicted soul from the horns of the wild oxen!

22 I will tell of thy name to my brethren;

in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee:

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!

all you sons of Jacob, glorify him,

and stand in awe of him, all you sons of Israel!

24 For he has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted;

and he has not hid his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him.

25 From thee comes my praise in the great congregation;

my vows I will pay before those who fear him.

26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the Lord!

May your hearts live for ever!

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember

and turn to the Lord;

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before him.

28 For dominion belongs to the Lord,

and he rules over the nations.

29 Yea, to him shall all the proud of the earth bow down;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

and he who cannot keep himself alive.

30 Posterity shall serve him;

men shall tell of the Lord to the coming generation,

31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,

that he has wrought it.

Act of Compassion and Love ~ Pope Francis hugs and kisses a man suffering from severe facial disfigurement and skin disorder

during his audience in St. Peter’s Square on 6 November, 2013 (Wednesday). Pope Francis, prayed and blessed the man similarly St. Francis of Assisi, who also embraced a leper. This was truly beautiful an act of compassion in the likeness of Jesus healing the leper in Matthew 8-1-4. 

Act of compassion and love,

is what Christ wants each of us to do.

The man was as suffering from neurofibromatosis, which causes great pain and can result in paralysis, impaired vision, deafness, mental retardation, migraines and even cancer. Treatment of the condition is very complicated. People with this disease, which is genetic and not contagious but often face discrimination because of their appearance.

Matthew 8:1-4

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

8 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

For all our Sufferings, we Praise and Thank the Lord.

Why does God permit sufferings?

Acts 17:27, "God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us."

In all our sufferings, Praise the Lord and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

• For all our Sufferings Lord, we Praise and Thank You. (repeat 5 times)
• After every sorrowful experience You lead us to great rejoicing in the Holy Spirit.
• Jesus, You died on the Cross on Mount Calvary, but with great power You rose from the dead.
• Soon after the pains and agony of Good Friday, You lead us into the joy of Easter Sunday.
• We praise You Lord, we Thank You Lord. (repeat 2 times) 

Romans 8:28

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

 

Hebrews 12:6

because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

 

 

 

Matthew 6:33

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.