A Prayer of Faith: A Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic
Click Here for a PDF Version of this Prayer of Faith.
We are all facing unprecedented societal changes in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), which was declared to be a global pandemic on 3-11-2020. I am inviting and encouraging people of faith to continue to pray for our community, our nation and our world, even though the March 15 designated National Day of Prayer has passed.
Will you intentionally schedule time to pray?
I continue to meditate on and pray these 12 things:
1. Lord, I humble myself and realize that human efforts alone are not enough. I need you and need your help. I need divine wisdom, divine peace, divine intervention, divine solutions and especially divine mercy. Thank you that you hear my prayers and you can heal our broken world as we turn to you for help (2 Chronicles 7:14).
2. Father God, thank you that you are a good, good Father, who is not just loving but IS love (1 John 4:7). Thank you that your unfailing love continues to flow towards me and this world. Thank you for drawing me closer so I can be more aware of your heartbeat and your goodness (Psalm 34:18). Let me experience more of your perfect love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18) and allow me to live in peace that passes even human understanding (Philippians 4:7). Even when the storms continue to swirl around me on the outside, let me be at peace and at rest on the inside because I know that you love me (Matthew 8:24).
3. Creator God, thank you for incredibly designing our bodies with built in immune systems to fight infections and heal our own sick bodies (Psalm 139:14). Strengthen my physical body to fight any infection. Give me greater wisdom on living a healthy lifestyle and having good personal hygiene, especially during this social distancing response to this virus. Thank you that I can put things in perspective as I work in my garden or take a walk with you in your beautiful creation, being thankful that beautiful sunrises have not been cancelled.
4. Comforting God, I pray that you would give increased protection and strength to those who are elderly and to those have underlying health conditions. Give those isolated in nursing homes comfort as they feel separated from family. Help me to give honor in special ways to the elderly and let younger people find ways to serve those in need (Ephesians 6:1-3). For those who are extremely sick, perhaps even watching the last sunset of earthly life, and for those who are standing with them, help them keep eternity in perspective even as they believe for healing (John 3:16-17). God, hold close and comfort those who are sick or mourning.
5. God of Wisdom, thank you for giving medical professionals knowledge and insights to bring medical healing through prevention, treatment and medicines (Proverbs 2:6). Thank you for emergency responders, doctors and nurses who work tirelessly on the front lines – strengthen and protect them. Give our hospitals divine wisdom on how to best address community needs, including the use of telemedicine and treatment phasing to ease the demand on hospitals as well as other ideas to improve our medical delivery system. Give research scientists divine accelerated breakthroughs in testing, vaccines and drugs. Help people to have a better understanding of the medical aspects of this virus, without having a panicked fear of the virus.
6. Divine Healer, I am so thankful you are a supernatural God and that you do interact with humanity in supernatural ways (Exodus 15:26). I pray for more miracle healings of those who are sick and thank you for the testimonies of people throughout human history being healed by a touch from you. I pray for a supernatural intervention that would stop this global spread in some accelerated way. Thank you for the prayer of faith that heals the sick (James 5:15). I am thankful that all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
7. Almighty God, thank you for our elected leaders – locally, statewide and nationally – and for their leadership (1 Timothy 2:2). Give them greater wisdom on how to lead our communities and nation with calm and clear direction, without a political agenda or spin. Bring greater unity as we humble ourselves and seek your divine guidance together (Psalm 133). Give me a proper economic perspective as I pray for business leaders and workers who still provide our much-needed goods and services. Give our business world new creative ideas and solutions. I pray for those who are being laid off and help us find ways as a community to come together and help. Thank you for meeting my needs and the needs of others as I trust in your provision and abundance (Matthew 6:25-34).
8. Father of Humanity, thank you for the blessing of children (Psalm 127:3-5, Proverbs 17:6). Give grace to parents and families as schools are cancelled. Thank you for technology innovations as we make a cultural shift and transition to online learning, online working, and to more online living in so many ways. Thank you for families coming together, as they are a reminder of what is important in life. Give me ideas on things to do together during this time without the usual entertainment options, including eating together around the table at home, reading and playing games. Give young people wise ideas on how to serve others in need, including helping those who are staying at home with age or underlying health-risks.
9. Jesus, thank you for your example of sacrifice and laying down your life for me. You commanded me to love others as you love me (John 15:12-13). Help me to find bold and courageous ways to love others, to not focus on just my needs but also the needs of others – giving freely out of the abundance I have, even if the first step is as simple as sharing toilet paper with a neighbor. Thank you that you created me to be interdependently linked with others rather than to live alone (Genesis 2:18). Give me ideas on how I can bless others.
10. God of Peace, thank you for this season of societal slow-down that allows me to quiet the busy-ness of life. Give society the grace to reflect on what is really most important in life – relationship with you and relationships with others. Let me personally take the opportunity to be still and know that you are God (Psalm 46:10). More importantly, help me to know how I can live in a greater way as your son (or daughter), so deeply loved by you Papa-God, especially when school, work and play is not the normal preoccupation and routine we have been used to. You are the true source of my life, not my work or my play, and I am content with your perfect love being enough. Let me rest in You alone.
11. Holy Spirit, thank you for your infectious faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13) that produces the contagious fruit of peace, joy and life more abundantly (Psalm 16:11, John 10:10). Help me to be your divine conduit and voice in such a time as this, allowing me to properly represent your heartbeat, your perspective, your wisdom and your love to those around me. Thank you for giving me an ear to hear from you as I take the time to listen. Give me insight as to how to minister the Good News outside of four physical walls, even when church services inside the four walls may be shut down. May this season transform what it means to ‘do’ church and for me personally to be Christ’s ambassador, even in the midst of physical social distancing. Help me not distance myself relationally during this time. Prompt me to who I should call to say “Hi, how are you?” Help me to listen to their needs, to in-courage them, and to pray with them.
12. Jesus my Savior, thank you for dying on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins and to break the curse of every disease and sickness (Matthew 8:17). I repent and ask your forgiveness, including for living a busy life in my own strength and without greater dependency on you. Let me be more aware of the power in your blood that was shed for me and all humanity. Help me to understand what it means for me to no longer live but for Christ to live in me (Galatians 2:20). Help me to live in the revelation that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power than is at work in me (Romans 8:11, Ephesians 1:19-20). Thank you for eternal life, which is knowing you intimately and being loved by you, not just in heaven for all eternity but also here on earth today.
God, lead me in how to celebrate LIFE (Living In Father’s Extravagance) through LOVE, even when everything is shifting around me in the storms of life. Thank you that your love still remains the same and never fails – so deep, so wide and so rich – far more than what I can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:14-21). Thank you for being an amazing God. I trust you and I love you. Your perfect love is enough!
In the beautiful name of Jesus, Amen.
Dr. David Skjaerlund
Dr. Skjaerlund is a businessman with diverse leadership experience and is owner of The Z Hall in Owosso, MI (www.theZhall.com). He has training in molecular biology as a PhD research scientist and has several immediate family members who are(were) medical professionals (wife, son, brother, father-in-law, sister-in-law, niece and nephew). Dr. Skjaerlund has led public policy initiatives and spearheaded rural development efforts for the State of Michigan. He is a chaplain and co-author of the book “Perfect Love -Facing the storms of life while living in God’s goodness and faithfulness.”