Normally, our family prays for a people group or country each week in the morning after breakfast.
BUT, this week, I have decided to lead our kids to pray for the entire world as we all are being affected by Coronavirus/COVID 19. I'd love to share a few ways we are praying for the world starting today. I'd also love to hear ideas from you that we can incorporate into our prayer time this week--send them to my email (brandygainor@gmail.com) or send me a personal message on Instagram (@brandygainor).
Our ideas and suggestions are NOT exhaustive, I just wanted to throw this together to share some of where we started today. Maybe this will encourage you to start somewhere!
1. We give thanks to God because we know He is sovereign and in control over this. God reigns and we can trust Him! We also are thankful for some of the positive updates we have heard of about the Coronavirus! I especially like Dave Ramsey's "Good News" Instagram Post that is full of Good News of which we can focus on!
2. We are praying for churches, missionaries, pastors, and all believers to be creative and successful at sharing the Gospel and loving and serving others in different ways.
Here are just 3 great instagram posts with helpful information I'd like to share with you: The Serviette, Redeemer Queens Park - London, and Nick & Allison Roark.
3. We flat out just prayed for the Coronavirus to STOP spreading. We also prayed for people to do their part to stop the spreading!
One of the ways our kids are ready and know how to pray for the Coronavirus is we have been watching documentaries, sharing information and statistics with them, and especially helping them understand the importance of social distancing. Also, since we have been home every night together, last week we watched a show every evening together, but before the show, we watched some documentary or update on the Coronavirus--Gray is good at keeping up with world news and documentaries, so he would choose one each night. Here are two of the ones I really liked and think are helpful in helping kids understand WHY we must practice social distancing and how it is important.
Here is another one that is helpful to explain the importance on hand washing. I especially like this one because of the emphasis on soap over hand sanitizer (a little soap box of mine--hehe--pun intended).
4. We prayed for our family personally and how we are affected by this. We still plan to move to Czech Republic next summer, but our visa process is now on hold. We are not sure when that process will resume, how it will resume, and how our plans might be affected. We are not worried, and we are holding our plans loosely at this time. We are asking God to work through this and to continue to lead us as He always has! We trust Him!
5. We are asking the Lord to be glorified in this. We know God is at work everywhere--ALWAYS! We love partnering with Him, watching Him, and helping others see Him at work.
"Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children." Psalm 90:16
This verse in context is beautiful:
"Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!" Psalm 90:15-17 We do want the Lord to make us glad--only He does that! We want to see His work and are looking for it! We are asking to see His glorious power! We also desire His favor and want Him to establish our work and show us what our work looks like during this time. For even more reflection, read all of Psalm 90 and think on the sovereignty of God!
May we know He is in control, trust Him with our days, and seek to do our part, whatever that is--social distancing, praying, and helping others in need!
We also were very encouraged by this verse in another devotional this morning:
"Stand strong. Do not let anything move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. You know that your work in the Lord is never wasted." Corinthians 15:58
So, we talked about this verse and thought on this verse like this: Stand strong and not let anything--not even the Corona Virus--move you! Do your part fully and with your whole heart to the work of the Lord--and during this time, that might mean social distancing and prayer for others. You should always work unto the Lord in everything (Colossians 3:23), so no matter what your work is during these wild days--keep working...it is NOT wasted! He is going to use it and establish it--see also Psalm 90 above!!!