It was Karl Barth who first claimed that the best preaching happens with Bible in one hand and a newspaper inthe other. In observance of the World Day of Prayer today, I decided to see if the same could be said of intercessory prayer.
I believe it can. I sat with the Wall Street Journal webpage this evening and began praying through the headlines. I'm surely not the first person to do this, but I can say that it did affect the way I read the news. Before long I'd prayed for President Obama's talks with Iran over nuclear weapons, the young student involved in the Ohio shooting as well as his victims and their families, a U.S railroad tycoon fighting pancreatic cancer, tornado victims in Indiana, those who are about to lose their homes in Namie, Japan, and for the ongoing violence in Syria.
I am still no expert in determining a solution for these international concerns, but I am all the more grateful to be heard by the one who is. Remember me in you mercy, Lord: and unite us by your cross.
Welcome to the conversation! For as long as our own discipline will allow, I hope to use this resource as a forum for prayer and reflection for the community of Perdido Bay United Methodist Church. We'll be working through Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals as our daily devotional guide. Since we're beginning the journey on Ash Wednesday, the hope is that this will be an additional venue for us to pray together throughout this holy season.
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