The Prayer for Paris That Brought Peace

Hello, tender friends!

We have enjoyed the days of rain the past week, but they have seemed to take my summer tan away.

But it’s okay. We’re extremely grateful for the rain and definitely needed it!

Speaking of summer, I don’t really watch the Olympics other than the occasional clip of Simone Biles, whose talent is so extraordinary that it sometimes makes me cry a little. It also inspires me to increase my own strength goals.

I was therefore late to discover what happened with the opening ceremony “parody.” I had the following thoughts:

1. I’m grateful God promised he’d never flood the earth again or I’d be building a boat right now.

2) God could smite those who participated in the parody like Sodom and Gomorrah if he wanted.

3) God could display his supernatural strength like when he tore down the statue of Dragon.

4) Is God still a man of war? (Exodus) What will he do next?

5) Those people onstage may be different than me, but also may not. I have no way of knowing if they deserve more grace than I’ve received myself.

Some part of me wanted a dramatic display of supernatural might. Thunder and lightning and perhaps for the stage to open up as if there was an earthquake.

Instead, this is what I prayed the night I found out. I believe it was aligned to God’s will because He filled me with a sense of his presence and peace when I prayed it.

Lord, I don’t know what you want to happen now. I don’t know the hearts of those onstage. It’s possible that we’re a lot alike.

I ask that your righteous judgment would fall if that’s your will. I ask that you would show them the truth of who you are if that’s your will, that they would have the opportunity to follow you.

I believe you will work this for good. That’s your promise to us.

I’ve always found it easier to be more merciful in my prayers with people that I don’t know personally. I have way less skin in the game than I do when I feel betrayed by a friend or angry with my own husband.

Given how God responded with his sweet presence to this prayer, I’m applying it to situations where I have more skin in the game. When Anthony irritates me, rather than point of the situation and say, “God don’t you see this!?” I’m going to try to let go of my own agenda.

If surrending my agenda equates to peace, I’m all in.

Ok, that’s all for today, tender friends! Thank you for stopping by, and thank you for sharing!

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