Praying To Live in God's Pure and Effective Protection

 Masks and Clean Hearts

Well, yesterday, after several weeks, I was able to pick up some N95 masks.  They are the “gold standard” when it comes to air droplet protection, so we’re told. 

As I’m thinking about protection from Covid-19 germs I’m also thinking about the teaching Jesus gave us about what comes out of us being more the problem of our life than what we take in.  Let me read just a few of those verses for us:

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.  Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” … He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”  Mark 7:14-15, 18-23: 

When we read this list we can each stroke off quite a few pretty quickly.  But, too quickly we bump into things that are still too much a part of our journey. 

That’s where we come to pray today, that God will come and give us the humility to see ourselves as He sees us – beloved but broken, needing to allow the Holy Spirit to shine the light of His truth into our hearts and sort out what is dark and what is light.  Will we allow ourselves to be called to life today?  Let’s pray:

Loving God, we are so quick to look at the sin and the ways others infect our lives.  It’s easy to blame this person or that set of circumstances with what we are experiencing and yet You reaffirm to us today that the most important things that are going on in our lives today that we need to be protected from are those that are coming from our own hearts.  You have the answer to what we need so our hearts can be pure and clean and not bring harm to others.

We may not be acting in sexually immoral ways but we allow ourselves to be entertained with sinful words and actions that infect our minds and hearts and draw us away from You.  Forgive us Father, and help us to make adjustments to keep ourselves pure before You.

We may not be those who pick up a gun or a knife to harm or murder someone but You know the angry resentful condemning thoughts we’ve held towards others and their actions. Help us to always love and care for the souls of others regardless of how difficult their actions may be. 

We all think we need more than we do in comparison to what others have and we need that envy and greed weeded out of our hearts as well.  Help us to give generously and to look first with gratitude rather than allowing greed and envy to distort our desires and actions.

We end today Lord with that wonderful Prayer for Purity prayed in so many churches.

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open and all desires known.  Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You and worthily magnify Your Holy name, through Christ our Lord.  Amen

Let’s live in God’s good and pure protection today.