Our Loving, Heavenly Father,
We thank You that you are our constant, dependable and faithful God. You never change in your love for us, in your provision for us, in your care and concern for us, in your compassion and mercies toward us. We are so grateful that in the midst of changes around us, and in us, You remain the same, yesterday, today and forever. You alone are holy, just and righteous, and in You alone can we find our stability, security and strength.
Thank you for watching over us day by day, though so often we are oblivious of this fact, and have taken your Presence, your Protection, your Peace and your Power for granted. Forgive us Lord for all our sins – ignorance, neglect, selfishness, and much more! We all like sheep, have strayed away from You, falling short of your glory. Forgive us for our audacious behavior in thinking that You must always be at our beck and call; that it is our entitlement and your responsibility to hear us whenever we pray, and that You must quickly answer whatever we demand!
Oh Lord, cleanse us and create in us clean hearts. Please refresh us, renew us, revive us and restore us as your redeemed people, bought with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. Help us to heed your voice and humble ourselves as we come before your holy presence, with fear and trembling. You have promised that when we come in humility and repentance, You will hear our prayers, forgive our sins and heal us, and the nations we represent – whether it be it Covid-19 or any other affliction, disease, pestilence or evil.
Therefore with a penitent heart, we now come to You with all our petitions and requests on behalf of peoples and nations, believing that You will not only hear our cries, but You will answer them according to your perfect plan for us as your people, and your Church.
Like the Psalmist of old, we too have asked You: “How long O Lord... will these afflictions last? How long O Lord will we need to suffer…? Many people have died of this virus, many healthcare workers have given their lives sacrificially for the sake of the patients and have also died so that their patients may live. Older people and young children have also succumbed to this disease. Many others throughout the world have suffered a deep sense of loss – loss of freedom and space; jobs, friends, loved ones, and more. Like the psalmist we say, be gracious to me O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also….
As we cry how long O Lord, You know exactly how long it will take. You are working out your purposes on earth as it is in heaven. So, Lord, grant us the patience and perseverance that we may hold on to You despite these adverse circumstances. Grant us your peace and the assurance that You are the Lord who sits enthroned over the flood, the storms, the diseases… as King forever…You will give strength to your people and you will bless your people with peace because You are our Refuge and Fortress, the God whom we can always trust!
We commit all the people who have been gripped by Covid-19 and are fighting this disease. May You the great Physician, our Jehovah Rapha, heal and restore them back to full health and cleanse our world from this pandemic altogether. May the economy of the nations be restored and prosper; may jobs and businesses be returned to those who have suffered deep losses; may religious meetings be resumed, may social connections be restored and may we always give thanks to You our awesome and almighty God who remains forever the same - our unchanging, faithful and dependable God!
We pray all these in the name of your beloved Son, our resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
Amen.
Violet James