My kids made this sign to celebrate today and the change that Martin Luther King Jr. made. Below that is a picture I took a few years ago of his words from 1963, which spoke so much life and hope into despair years ago, and still do today.
In the spirit of unity, hope, and Jesus, I would love to pray together…
Lord, I thank you for Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream that we would see people for the “the content of their character” over all else, and that the “jangling discords of our nation” would be transformed into a “beautiful symphony of brotherhood”.
In a time where it seems like so much has gone awry, Lord, bring us to that “beautiful symphony of brotherhood” that honors you. Lord, you said in 1 Samuel 16:7 that “The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Lord, we confess times we haven’t looked at the heart. Jesus, would you give us all hearts to see how you see? Lord, would we care more about the heart of a person than all else? Would you bring people together in your name, as we lay down discord, pride, disagreement, and come together in peace, selflessness, kindness?
Oh, Lord, would you move in a mighty way? You say that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed that we can move mountains and that nothing will be impossible for us.
Lord, we ask you to move mountains in our world, our country, our hearts. Jesus, we pray there would be great change in our world by the power of your Name.
God, would you bring peace to our nation?
We pray that you would change hostility to selflessness.
We pray you would change anger to kindness.
We pray you would change pride to humility.
Would you move us to let go of anger, social media arguing, name-calling, and hatred?
Instead,
would we see Jesus in others?
would they see Jesus in us?
would we love as you loved us?
would we be lights for our world, our nation, our community, our family, our children?
Lord, would you be our center, our strength, so when we feel weak, helpless, not enough, that we would remember we are enough in You, our Rock, our Deliverer?
We thank you that out of a mountain of despair, there is indeed a stone of hope. You are our Rock, our Deliverer, our greatest Hope.
We can always, always have hope in You. With You, all indeed will be well.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” Psalm 46
Linsey Driskill 