Reflections for Lent
The theme throughout Lent is on the Divine Mercy of God and of our need to pray to God for His Mercy on all mankind. Prayer changes hearts and minds, staves off disaster and allows God to work through each and every one of us. With prayer all things are possible. There are many beautiful and powerful prayers for mercy and none more so than those given by Jesus Himself to Sr. Faustina of Poland, now a Saint.
The prayers for mercy are for ourselves, our families and extended families, our friends and neighbors, our work colleagues and school friends, our nation and for the whole world.
Prayer provides us with a protection against temptation and evil and leaves us open to the grace of God. This little saying sums up a heart at peace and how that one heart can touch the hearts of others:
"If there is righteousness in the heart,
there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character,
there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world."
Confucius
Prayer isn't just about you, it's about others. Behind every great spiritual awakening, the kind that radically changes people and shakes up communities, there's an unseen, unstoppable force known as 'intercessors'. Many of the victories we celebrate in the open were first won in the secret place of prayer by these intercessors: It's their specialized ministry. And God could be calling you to be one of them!
It's a two-fold calling; first you minister to the Lord through worship, then you minister to the lost through witness. Even though your feeble limbs can't carry you beyond your own front door, through prayer you can limit satan's movements and defeat his best-laid strategies.
"How?" you ask.
By calling the forces of heaven into any situation, anytime, anywhere, for anybody. No wonder the enemy will do "whatever it takes" to keep you from praying! Check out these two Scriptures:
(1) Psalm 2:8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. (NIV) It's time to move beyond your "bless me" prayers and begin to touch nations. What you prayerfully declare on earth (as long as it lines up with His Word) God will authorize in heaven.
(2) Matthew 9:37-38 He said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fiels." (NLT)
It works like this: Your prayers move God. God moves people. People move nations. Nations are changed. The whole thing begins with one praying person--- today let that person be you!
1 Timothy 2:1-6 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people--- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. (NIV)
Psalm 2 (1) Why are the nations so angry?
Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
(2) The kings of the earth prepare for battle;
the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one.
(3) "Let us break their chains," they cry, " and free ourselves from slavery to God."
(4) But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.
(5) Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury.
(6) For the Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.
(7) The king proclaims the Lord's decree: "The Lord said to me, 'You are my son. Today I have become your Father.
(8) Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.
(9) You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.'"
(10) Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
(11) Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.
(12) Submit to God's royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities--- for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him! --- NLT
Short prayer:
Father God, I pray for all Your children here on earth. Those seeking You, those who have strayed from You and especially those who do not know You. I pray Father, that they will find their way back home to You. Father, I pray for all the leaders of the world, that they may seek Your guidance and join together in a resolution for peace and unity. In Jesus' Mighty Name, I pray. Amen.
This was submitted via e-mail by a wonderful sister in Christ. Thank you so much for this "Lenten Reflection" and I pray it will be very useful to those who read it. God bless!