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Prayer Requests 12-31-20

It’s Thursday, so don’t forget to pray for Jo, her former students, and the people of PNG.

Anyone else?

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

1 If the Lord had not been on our side—
    let Israel say—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
    when people attacked us,
3 they would have swallowed us alive
    when their anger flared against us;
4 the flood would have engulfed us,
    the torrent would have swept over us,
5 the raging waters
    would have swept us away.

6 Praise be to the Lord,
    who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
    from the fowler’s snare;
  the snare has been broken,
    and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

16 thoughts on “Prayer Requests 12-31-20”

  2. Praying through the horror for Kathleena’s extended family again this morning. I can hardly grasp what the family must be feeling.

    In my own family, my 93 year-old-uncle likely has COVID–but cannot get tested owing to the overloaded health care system in Southern California.

    His family posted photos of the entire gang–with one exception–gathering for Christmas last week. About 20 people from all over.

    The extended family–who weren’t there– was aghast and many are now angry.

    My daughter had to remind another relative earlier this week, “It’s not your fault you got sick,” after he compared himself to the lepers in Ben Hur.

    (Ben Hur! I was thrilled he spent Christmas Day watching that movie!)

    So, this morning, I’ve been thinking about the foolish people I love with whom I’m irritated, and decided to extend love, grace, and mercy toward them, and to bite my tongue.

    It’s the only way I think I’ll survive all this–life?–with my soul intact! 🙂

    Liked by 7 people

  3. This isn’t an urgent prayer request, just one that has been tugging at my heart all year. Yesterday, I went to drop off my gifts to the Youngests. The children were delighted to see me, but the eldest of them, Little Niece – who is seven now and was the second girl born into the grandchildren after Eldest Niece, who is eleven years older than Little – was very quiet and a bit withdrawn. She is the only one of her siblings who experienced extended family gatherings without the restraint that Youngest in-law’s strict demeanor now imposes upon any such event (the past few years at family gatherings before COVID, the atmosphere got very strained when Youngest in-law entered the room, and he and Second in-law have barely anything to say to each other). Little adores her older cousins, the Eldests, who cannot be here this year. My mother and I both agree it is as if she has caged herself up, and we are concerned. This year, in addition to the gift of a book, I gave her the Sunday School booklets I made up for her when I used to teach her Sunday School, in the days when she was the only child in the tiny church. Her father’s twisted ideas of Christianity and conspiracy cannot help but warp his children’s ideas of Christianity (in their living area, he has hung a portrait sized picture of Gustave Dore’s engraving of Christ driving out the money changers of the temple – and that should not be the only portrayal of Christ), but I pray that the light of the true Gospel will shine into Little’s breaking heart, because I think it is breaking.

    Liked by 10 people

  7. Daughter and son in law are going out to lunch after the MRI. Please pray that God’s Presence will be felt and they would have peace and reconciliation.

    Liked by 7 people

  8. Mr. V has COvID; Mrs. V is not feeling well and expects she has it, too.

    Father is isolated, sleeps a lot.

    Mrs. V spoke to Mr. COVID, and then I took over our space heater and air filter for Father’s room, along with two N-95 masks— currently impossible to buy— and vitamins D and C, Melatonin, and chicken noodle soup.

    Mr. V said it felt more like a bad cold, but Father not getting sick is the prayer request. Thanks.

    Liked by 4 people

  9. I’m late getting to the blog today. Just want to let you that I have not had a chance to talk to Boy today regarding what I wrote last night. He was picked up by his other grandmother to spend the day at her house.

    Please pray that I will have the wisdom and insight to know when – or if – to expand on what he said, with a brief explanation of the gospel. And for the right words. Just enough but not too many. As I said last night, he is usually resistant to me saying anything at all.

    But I am still amazed at what he said last night. Most adults don’t understand (or reject) that concept. Must be the Holy Spirit at work. 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

  10. Michelle, for clarification. I assume Father lives with the couple, of whom the husband has Covid and the wife likely does? Is he “Father” to them, or to you? I know you’ve mentioned them before, but all of us mention a lot of different people, and I don’t know if these are relatives of yours, fellow church members, or friends. Thanks.

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  11. Lunch went very well. Continued prayer as it sounds like she is interested in reconciliation. I tell son in law he is not allowed to use her misdeeds to “punish” her in future. Forgiveness is permanent.

    Liked by 4 people

  13. Church friends. Father is Mrs. V’s 93-year-old dad.

    Their 2020 saga ranks up there with Kathaleena’s. I saw no point in explaining it all; this is the immediate crisis after an Exhausting and depleting year of tragedy.

    Liked by 6 people

  14. Well, I finally had a chance to follow up with Boy about his remark from the other night. It was very brief, but hit the main points. He didn’t have a strong reaction one way or the other, which I guess was positive in a way. Now I am praying that the Holy Spirit will take my meager attempt at explaining the gospel to him and work it into Boy’s heart.

    Liked by 4 people

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