Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;  

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.  

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

The Prayer of St. Francis

I love the concepts in this prayer.  It sure sounds like something directly from the Bible – but it isn’t.  The words, however, are loaded with Biblical principle.  During times like these we need people who are willing to follow this prayer. Acts 20 tells what the Apostle Paul encouraged the Ephesian elders to do and the reward that goes with it.  Verse 35 talks about helping the weak.  Right now, we are hearing about protecting those who are most vulnerable physically.  While caring for the physically weak is a good principle, this verse is talking about protecting the spiritually weak.  We have so much focus on physical health right now that we are at risk of forgetting about spiritual health. 

There are countless needs right now. All kinds of needs.  Will you pray with me to meet whatever needs you can?  No one can meet every need – each of us has limited resources of our own.  However, through a relationship with Jesus Christ we have unlimited resources available to us.  God will bring us through, His way – and we will be blessed.

Dear Heavenly Father, there are so many hurts and needs right now.  Thank you for the many people who have already sought to reach out.  Please help us to set aside our own wishes and seek to help others as You want us to. I want to be an Instrument of Peace.  Please guide me and give me strength.

I pray this in Jesus’ name.

God is so good.