How long, Lord, must I call for help and You do not listen … Why do You tolerate wrongdoing?  Oppression and violence are right in front of me.  Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates.    (Habakkuk 1:2-3)
 

Irvine Regional Park was a mess the Monday after Easter.  Hordes of picnickers had left garbage bags stuffed to overflowing and litter everywhere: plastic eggs split open or splintered, plastic cups and Styrofoam cups, Doritos bags, paper plates galore.  The mess was overwhelming, and I was glad I wasn’t responsible for cleaning it up. Our world is just as messed up.  Addictions, broken families, antagonism between races and classes, terrorism, modern-day slavery – the list is endless.  Praying for our horribly fallen world can feel like an overwhelming task.  Thank God that He is responsible for dealing with it, not you and I.  Express frustration to God, as Habakkuk did, and grieve with God over His world, all the while trusting Him to make all things right in His time.
 
Here are other suggestions for prayer this week:
 
1.  In the face of our overwhelmingly messed up world, it is tempting to avert your eyes and do nothing.  Ask God if He has some small role for you to play in redeeming His world, if there is one small piece of garbage, so to speak, that He wants you to bend down and pick up.
 
2.  Continue to pray for those among us with health problems.  They include Greg Hodgson, Erick Newman, Marcus Greene, and Annette Dee – and you may know of others.
 
3.  Show me, Lord, where I am leaning on my own understanding and relying on my own efforts.  Show me how feeble and fruitless that is and help me submit myself fully to You.
 
4.  Our elders typically meet the first and third Thursdays of the month, which means they are meeting this Thursday evening.  Lift up these six men to the Lord, asking Him to guide them in doing what is right.
 
5.  How easily offended are you?  Before you give a quick, self-satisfied answer, examine your interactions with people over the last week.  How many times have others offended you?  If your skin is thin, ask God to add layers of grace.  Great peace have they who love Your law; nothing shall offend them or make them stumble. (Psalm 119:165)
 
6.  Lea Ann Myers requests prayer for the Braille Institute’s Cane Quest, to be held next Saturday.  This contest for blind children, grades 3-12, tests their ability to navigate a challenging walking route.  Ask the Lord to cup each child in His hand of protection and to use this event to boost the confidence of the kids. 

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert, Prayer Chair
Calvary Community Church of Brea