Prayer as We Face "The Devil in the Details" During the Pandemic
Saturday April 18, 2020
Today we are reminded that God cares about and even delights in all the details of our lives. So, we're glad to pray and bring our lives to this God who is attentive to our cries and able to do something with the most frustrating and uncertain details we face today.
I don’t know if you grew up with the phrase, “The devil is in the details” and it meant that you better do your proper research and know what you needed to know so you wouldn’t face trouble ahead.
Doctors and scientist and health officials in many countries are working with models and ongoing numbers of COVID-19 infection cases, death, effect of various measures like social distancing that have been put in place to see what has influenced the flattening of the curve in places like my home
What I want us to take from all that today is the hope that there will be a way forward soon and some relaxation of restrictions will be forthcoming – not probably in days but it seems in weeks. However small it’s nice to know there is a light at the end of this tunnel, isn’t it?
In the meantime, I take great heart and hope you will too, from the fact that we don’t have to wait until the end of the tunnel to experience the fact that our God, our loving father can be found in every detail of our lives.
Psalm 37:23 reminds us - The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
It’s really hard for many parents who are needing to work from home during this COVID-19 crisis and have young children around them needing their attention. They may also have elderly parents somewhere else that they are thinking about too. So many details and so difficult to find the time to care for all the details in the live of those they love as well as for their own needs.
Aren’t we blessed that our needs never overwhelm God. He has the time. He is giving attention. He’s longing for us to come with all the details of our emotions, our relationships, our finances, our kids, our uncertainties – anything – he cares for us and delight to help us.
Lots of people – including me – think about and rattle on about their hair during this time of the salons being closed and no chance of getting help with our hair. How close is God to us during this time of pandemic? Even the hairs on my head that give me frustration every day right now are counted by God and are a reminder to me that I am valuable to Him in every aspect of my life.
So, let’s pray and bring our lives to this God who is attentive to our cries and delighting in the details of our current situation.
Loving Heavenly Father, we are so glad we can come to you today confident that you are interested in us and in all the details of our lives. I’m still smiling inside a bit about the hair issues, God, but so thankful that even our hairs remind us that you care and that there’s action behind your care. Why you bother to count our hairs I’ll never know but it certainly reminds me that there’s nothing that misses your loving gaze and nothing about our lives that you’re not willing to be a part of if we will just let you.
We’ve always needed your help but we’re just made more conscious of our need during these uncertain times. Thank you that your care is constant even when our attention to you and your thoughts and plans wanders here and there.
As we think about this invisible virus and how it is wreaking havoc on so many areas of our lives we pause to give thanks that you ad you alone know all about our bodies, how we are made, what we need, how to deal with things when they go wrong. The Bible so clearly reminds us that:
And so we dare to bring all the pieces of finding a way to stop the virus to you. Would you help the scientists quickly to figure out treatment for this virus and its effects on our bodies, a cure for this virus, a vaccine against it, protection for all of us so we can begin to live a somewhat normal life soon.
We thank you for the wisdom and thoughtful planning of those who are studying the virus in our society and we pray that you will help them see what measures are necessary to keep in place and what restrictions can be relaxed or removed so we can visit and worship and work together again.
The truth is that many have died as a result of this disease and others have to continue to wait with suffering and debilitating conditions because elective surgeries have been cancelled. So many have been laid off and some will not have jobs to return to when this is over. It’s time of great pain and sorrow for many. Lord, I’m grateful that you recognize every detail of the sorrow and pain in every life. Your word tells us:
We open our hearts to you today to receive the love and care and blessing that You are wanting to pour into our lives at the very places where we feel the most pain and loss and sorrow today. Come, loving God, fill our heart, fill our thoughts, fill the spaces and gaps in our lives with your power and everything we need to live meaningfully and blessed today and going forward.
We entrust ourselves, our loved ones, our suffering and sorrow, our frustrations and disappointments, and our hopes and dreams into your care because You care for us. We choose to rely on You and your promises today that you will give us everything we need to live an excellent life today. We thank you for the hope we have in your kind and thoughtful care for the details of our lives. Amen
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