September 5, 2020 A daily prayer during this COVID-19 crisis During these difficult days, members of the Commonwealth West District of the New England Conference are sharing a daily prayer based on the Revised Common Lectionary for the week. You are welcome to use these in worship or in your own devotions.
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Today’s prayer
Praying through study of scripture. Hello brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray and hope that everyone is doing well and staying healthy during these tough times. Let us give thanks to God for carrying us through this year. The scripture texts I will be focusing on today are Exodus 12: 1-14, Psalm 149, Romans 13: 8-14 and Matthew 18: 15-20.
When we look at Exodus 12: 1-14, it tells the origin of what we know as The Passover. In this scripture, we see that the Lord speaks to Moses and Aaron that were still in Egypt. The Lord told them that on the tenth day of the month that each Israelite man should get a year old male lamb or sheep that is healthy for their family. The Lord said that they should watch over the lamb or sheep up until the 14th day of the month. On that day everyone from the community of Israel should slaughter the lamb before dark and put the blood on the top and sides of their door frame. After killing the animals they should cook and eat it. When they eat it they should be dressed up as if they were prepared to travel because it will be the Lord's Passover. This meant that the Lord would go around Egypt and kill every firstborn man in the household that doesn't have blood spread on their door frame. The Lord said that the Israelites should remember that day, as it will be a special feast for generations to come. This scripture details the importance of Passover and why we celebrate it. This event lead to the Israelites being free from Pharaoh and free from slavery so that is why we celebrate it. The Passover also could represent why we should have trust in God and when he gives us a message we should go out and pursue it.
The next scripture reading is Psalm 149. This passage focuses on us giving thanks to God and praising him for all he has done for the people of Israel and Zion. It speaks on how God has saved us and that we should rejoice because God has casted away all of our enemies.
The next scripture reading is Romans 13: 8-14. This passage speaks on how we can live out lives in a Christ-like way. It explains how we should all have love for one another, the same way Christ had love for all of us. This scripture also explains how we shouldn't live in a sinful way, this meaning that we shouldn't commit crimes or live to party. We should live to be right with God and prepare to not give in to temptation that is brought upon us.
The last scripture reading is Matthew 18: 15-20. This passage focuses on what we should do if someone wrongs us. The Bible doesn't tell us to seek revenge upon them, but to approach them one on one and discuss about what they did to hurt you. If they don't listen when you are both alone, then bring along a few others so that you can confront them with others there. If they still don't listen, bring the issue to the church. And if they still don't listen, treat them as someone who doesn't know God. We shouldn't try to solve problems with retaliation or vengeance, we should resolve them in a peaceful and civil way. Thank you for your time and have a great meditation. God Bless.
Barnabas Forndia, youth equalization member to Annual Conference, youth delegate to the Northeastern Jurisdiction and member of the Quinsigamond UMC, Worcester, MA.