The Lord's name is holy; from one generation to another, he shows
mercy to those who honour him. He has stretched out his mighty arm and
scattered the proud with all their plans. He has brought down mighty kings from
their thrones, and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good
things, and sent the rich away with empty hands.
Lynn Green, who is the General Secretary of the Baptist Union, sent out a message last week to all of us in the Baptist Family,
"On 10 December 1940 King George VI called the nation to pray
for the troops who were stranded on the Dunkirk beaches. This was an act
of spiritual leadership that had an amazing impact. Next Tuesday MPs will be voting on the Brexit proposals after their five days
of debate. Whatever our political views, this is undoubtedly a very
significant moment for the UK. I am calling ...us to pray this weekend and in particular on Monday night (10 December)
for our MPs and the parliamentary processes at work: that God’s love,
righteousness and justice would prevail.
For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of
the Lord."
Our nation, and our government, is in a mess right now. Whatever your political views, or your spiritual beliefs - if you are a person who prays, then I'd encourage you to make your Advent Pause this week a time to pray for our MPs and the outcome of the vote on Tuesday. Lynn also shared this prayer for lighting the second Advent candle, written by Baptists in NW England. [the artwork below is another of Martha's special UCF Christmas pictures]
Another flame announces its message of hope,
Amidst a world where thousands of voices demand to be heard,
Claiming that theirs is the way; that they have the solution,
That their truth is the right truth.
But this faithful flame invites us to listen for another voice;
One that may not choose to demand a hearing in every public square;
To tune our ears to the voice of our creator;
To listen out for God’s melodies of hope;
Despite the screams of despair,
That seek to drown their every note.
God can speak, and God is speaking;
Speaking in the midst of a nation’s anguish and struggle;
Speaking when hopes are dashed and spirits crushed;
Speaking where fear abounds, fuelled by uncertainty;
Speaking within and through every circumstance,
For in such ways and places, our God has always spoken.
And when our arguments are exhausted,
Our debates have run their cause,
Our media outlets have nothing left to say,
God’s word will stand; God’s truth will remain.
Amidst a world where thousands of voices demand to be heard,
Claiming that theirs is the way; that they have the solution,
That their truth is the right truth.
But this faithful flame invites us to listen for another voice;
One that may not choose to demand a hearing in every public square;
To tune our ears to the voice of our creator;
To listen out for God’s melodies of hope;
Despite the screams of despair,
That seek to drown their every note.
God can speak, and God is speaking;
Speaking in the midst of a nation’s anguish and struggle;
Speaking when hopes are dashed and spirits crushed;
Speaking where fear abounds, fuelled by uncertainty;
Speaking within and through every circumstance,
For in such ways and places, our God has always spoken.
And when our arguments are exhausted,
Our debates have run their cause,
Our media outlets have nothing left to say,
God’s word will stand; God’s truth will remain.
I hope the prayers of the people will be heard and the vote taken in parliament will be the right one for your country. There's so much going on all over the world that the world as a whole needs prayers!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bless, for your kind words.
ReplyDeleteI will pray! I hope, oh how I hope!
ReplyDelete