Day 14

Families & Social Services in Recovery

Ephesians 3:14-21 14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer:
Our Heavenly Father, throughout your Word and in Your dealings with the people of the earth, You have both spoken and demonstrated Your deep love and protection for families, marriages, and children. We know that You have established righteous structures and patterns for families that, when lived out in humility through You and before You, give fathers and mothers the means to directly reflect Your great love to their children, even in the midst of these difficult days. And, Father, we recognize that, in our human frailty and sin, we have fallen short of these ideals both in our homes and in our country, often leaving our children, and the children in our midst, with emotional and spiritual scars, doubts and anxieties.

Knowing and trusting that You are the Father of mercy and grace, the One true healer and restorer, we come in humility, repenting and asking, in the name of Jesus, for forgiveness for any and all pain our sin and shortcomings have caused within our own families, and for the sin of the people of our nation. We ask too, that in Your mercy You will heal their wounded hearts and restore to them Your promised peace “which surpasses all understanding,” to “guard their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

As we look beyond our own families, Father, we recognize that many families, locally and across the nation, have been emotionally and spiritually traumatized in these past several months by financial difficulties, the upheaval of our social structure, and the anxieties of an uncertain future. And, Father, we have been made aware of the spike in domestic violence within homes across our land, causing even greater wounding and distress. We know, Father, that these things break your heart, and that Your Word tells us that You hold a special place for those who are weak and vulnerable. You, indeed are, “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,” and that you, Lord, “set the solitary in families,” and “bring out those who are bound into prosperity.” (Psalm 68:5-6)

Lastly, Lord, we acknowledge our place at the side of children and spouses who are vulnerable and lonely; that we would be the tangible hands and feet that reflect Your heart. As your servant James reminded us, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27). We join You in Your heartache and commit ourselves to Your mercy and grace.

Father, we earnestly pray for all law enforcement and government officials who are tasked with the responsibility of assessment and intervention for our families in crisis. We pray that Your Spirit will go before these public servants, even if they are not your followers, and that they would choose wise and righteous plans of action and restoration that reflect Your heart and your guidelines for children and families. We pray further mercy and healing for our officials, as they are often overworked and overexposed to situations of abuse and trauma, and pray that they may find peace and relief, especially when they are tempted to sin in response.

Father God, we have violated Your principles by enacting laws that violate Your Word. We have passed laws which undermine the sanctity of life at conception and allow unborn babies to be taken up to the moment of birth by abortion. With our laws we have under-mined the marriage. You have defined in Your Word between one man and one woman, and as a state and nation, we have caused, perpetuated and funded extreme gender confusion and anxiety. Father, we confess this as sin and repent for it. We need Your help to get these laws overturned. Lord, please forgive us for silently watching all this take place. Help us put godly people in positions of authority. Help advocates stand up. Help ordinary citizens take a stand, pray and write letters to convey our concerns. We ask for mercy and help. Give us strength, power, passion, and endurance to pursue Your righteousness.

We pray these things in Jesus’ name,
Amen