Weep the conflict

We frayed; we fought. 
I wept, I cried…but not for you, but for my pride. 
I want; I want; my way today. 
And soon I lost. My friend; I cried.
O help me cry, for you my friend. 
My tears, for us. 
My heart, your soul. 
As Christ, he cried, for us, he died. 
Turns tears to joy. 
Reconciled!

by Geoff Gertzen

5 Tips to fight better - 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11

Father you always deal with us with sincerity and grace.
You have done what is best for us even when we have resisted you.
You have acted to spare us pain, always driven by your anguish and tears over our situation.
And you have overwhelmingly loved and forgiven us
May these things to be in us too
For your glory alone
Amen

Suffering?! Why?! - 2 Corinthians 1v1-11

 

Father
We hate suffering. We hate pain.
Thank you for the comfort of your presence
Thank you for the comfort given by your people.
Thank you for the hope of deliverance.
Thank you for the hope of resurrection.
Thank you that your Son experienced extreme suffering for us.
We pray that you would make us fully reliant on you.
Make us to seek you with all we are.
Make us to love you as the desire of our hearts.
Make us to know you as the craving of our souls.
Thank you for the expectation of resurrection from the dead and may we not fail to pray for the deliverance of those in suffering.
Amen

 

Lies we tell ourselves #3 -“I am what I feel; I am what others say about me” Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 2:1-10

Father forgive us that we define ourselves by our feelings
Forgive us that we care a great deal about what others say about us and little about what you say about us.
Turn our thoughts to your true diagnosis of us.
May we increasingly display the fruit of the Spirit
And live by the Spirit
Rejoicing in our identity as sons of God
Saved by grace
Seated in the throne room of heaven.
To your honour and glory alone.
Amen

The lies we tell ourselves #2 - I am what I have; I am what I do

Father
You are the owner of everything.
You have promised to care for us.
Forgive us for defining ourselves by what we have.
Instead may we see and seek our value in knowing you.
Enable us to sow treasure for heaven.
Forgive us for seeing our value in our activity.
May we seek our worth in being children of God,
Adopted,
Known by God,
And fellow heirs with Christ.
Amen 

The lies we tell ourselves - "I don't lie" - Philippians 4:8,9

Our Father
Set my mind on truth
Set my yearnings on your honour
Set my longings on justice
Set my desires on purity
Set my cravings towards loveliness.
May I constantly think on what is commendable
May I seek excellence in all I do
And may I pursue what is praiseworthy
As my renewed mind is increasingly set towards loving you and others.
Amen

Racism, Drunkenness, Gaza, Israel, The Curse of Ham and lots of other stuff - Genesis 9:18-29

Father, forgive us for treating people as our servants
Forgive us for not treating others with honour and respect
As made in the image of God.
Thank you for giving us a saviour to fix the mess of this world
Amen