Father,
Thank you for revealing yourself to us. You are the fountain of delights and it is our joy to know you more. You speak to us from the scriptures. We know you from your providential dealings with us in our lives. You show us your work in creation. We experience the work of your Spirit in our hearts that teaches us truth and binds our affections to you in childlike love. For all we know of you, we never know you well enough that we could ever anticipate what you will do. There is always more of you to wonder at, and you draw us into worship.
We know and are grateful that in your goodness and holiness you’re committed to our good and sanctification. Yet you bring times of suffering into our lives that can be so bad that we are tempted to say, “there is no good here”. It can seem like the time when you could have brought good out of evil has already passed and it’s already too late. Some of us here have experienced the hardest kind of suffering to deal with, which is abuse and mistreatment at the hands of another person, either physically, or sexually, or mentally, or emotionally. I want to pray specifically for these this morning, that the roots of their faith would not be scorched by the heat of affliction, but that Christ would indeed be their sure and steady anchor and that they would taste his comfort and sweetness, even when the rest of life is bitter. Instead of damaging their faith, use the affliction to bring about a flourishing of virtue in their soul. Help them to be like Jesus who, in the middle of his suffering, was overflowing with kindness, and compassion, and love. Give them sober judgment and a clear mind to see how the light of your word illuminates the path of righteousness without the confusion that can come from mistreatment. And then give them your strength to act decisively and fearlessly when fear and pain would want to make them quit and retreat. We ask that you who are the rescuer would rescue. Take away the power of those who do harm. Restore deep joy to lives where it once seemed impossible that joy should ever exist there.
Help those of us who have known your comfort in the past to be a genuine comfort to those in trouble now. Help us not to be so aggressive that we add to each other's burdens or so passive that we’re no comfort at all. Help us not to sound so wise that we’re clinical and cold or speak so foolishly that we cause pain through our thoughtless blundering. Help us to be more like Jesus who’s every word was like an apple of gold in a setting of silver. As we stand speaking with our brother or sister, may you who made our souls fill us with love and you who made our mouths give us words. Make it a habit in us to walk beside each other in our difficulties, truly bearing each other's burdens and not shying away from the suffering of our brother or sister in order to make our own lives more pleasant. Make us like you who runs to the side of those who are most in need.
As crowds came to Jesus for the healing of their bodies, may his churches here in Toronto be a place where people come and find healing for their souls. Not that we, either individually or corporately, through our own power or piety can bring restoration. But we have lived and walked with you and seen your glorious work over and over again. Bring comfort to those who have been hurt that they may know your fatherly compassion. Stir up faith in the hearts of the sinful that they may come to love Christ and pursue holiness. Give strength to the discouraged that they may use the gifts your Spirit has given them to do the good work you have prepared.
May you be praised for all your work among us.