40 DAYS OF PRAYER (2021)

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Day 40 – Time to repent, Time to grow, Time to evangelize

Dear Heavenly Father,

Praise the Lord, God Almighty, who wake us up every morning, who restore our life every day, who bring forth the food from earth faithfully every meal, who give us your word, and who hear our prayer from heaven.

Praise the Lord, God Almighty, who bring us to the wilderness of pandemic with your good purpose and will. Lord, please open our eyes to see. You bring us to the wilderness of pandemic, that you might humble us, testing us to know what was in our heart, whether we would keep your commandments or not.

Lord we know that we were busy on our own things, school, career, children, family, travel, entertainment etc. and that is where we spent most time on, but we spent less time on you. We were proud and we thought we could do things on our own to leave you behind. We were ignorant that we take light on our relationship with you. When everything goes on our expectation with your blessings, we actually go astray.

When the pandemic hits on us, we just figured out that there is only one thing we need and that is you, Jesus Christ our Lord. There is only one comfort and hope, and that is you, Jesus Christ our Lord, who could give us real peace and take away our fear and insecurity. When the pandemic comes, we just realized everything is not under our plan but on the one who control the universe, and that is you, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Therefore, we humbly come to you and be thankful that you give us such time to remind us and reveal us what was really in our heart. In such way, we come to confess our sins before your throne, and we admit our weakness. Lord we are sorry, and we do need you, your forgiveness, your mercy, your love, and your healing. Lord, you bring us to the wilderness of pandemic in such time in order to purify us and lead us to grow spiritual maturity.

It is time for us to cleanse and move away whatever interrupted our intimate relationship with you. It is time to prioritize what is most important in our life and that is you, Jesus Christ our Lord. It is time for us to cleanse and reject the mindset that we usually compromise to this world and assimilate with today’s culture and value but not stay firm on our faith and biblical teaching in circumstances.

Lord it is such journey you walk us through to new stage of life that we would grow spiritual maturity, being more like you. Then we could see what your will and purpose is to put us in such time, bringing forth good news, comfort, hope, and love to those who are in needs, to those who are afraid, to those who are insecure, to those what are grief, to those who are hopeless, and to those who are worried.

Lord please empower us by Holy Spirit and give us the wisdom so that we could stand up with courageous and proclaim the hope of salvation in such time to our community, to our family, to our workplace, and to our society. May Your people be added in such time. May Your name be established in such time. May Your glory be shined in such time. Pray in the glorious name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rev. Paul Chang
EFC Berkeley