We Cry Out

As I sit here in my palace, my castle, in all my comfort, I am reminded how fortunate I am right now. The images flashed before me on CNN and CBN are horrifying, and I feel the tug of the Holy Spirit to help in some way. The thought that this is happening right here, not very far from us is unreal. To think that a country as wealthy as America is having so much trouble providing food, water, and shelter is incredible to me. Where is corporate America - why aren't the companies who manufacture bottled water coming through for these people? What about major food producers? Why are people simply getting one sandwich and one bottle of water a day? Where are the baby formula producers? I know the answers are not easy - I also know that it's much easier for me to sit in my seat of judgement, my seat of self-righteous comfort. Our only hope is to turn to God and His Word for guidance and comfort and hope.

Father, we cry out to You for Your mercy and for Your intervention in this situation. There are hundreds of thousands of Your precious children who are suffering - we know it does not go unnoticed by You. We know You hear their cries, see their situations, feel their pain and hunger. God I ask that You would provide for Your children like You've done so many times before. Feed them miraculously as You did the children of Israel with manna and the multitudes with just a loaf of bread and 5 fish. We know You are the God of all compassion and all pity and that You are aquainted with grief and sorrow - that You are a High Priest Who is able to understand and sympathize with our weaknesses and infirmities. Father may we access Your grace and mercy and may these victims find help for their every need. Lord speak to our leaders and guide them by Your Holy Spirit. Give them a passionate heart to help - unafraid of giving to the extreme - giving until it hurts. Compel them to take the risk and be Your hands and Your feet. Your word says the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous - Father I pray that You would release the funds and the provisions needed - that the hoarded wealth will somehow be released to help Your children. I thank You, Jesus, that You have Your hand on us at all times - that You work everything together for our good, no matter what the circumstances are.

I thank You that Your arm is not too short to save us. I pray for those who have not found You as their Messiah, as their Savior. I pray that You would speak once again every so gently to their hearts, pursuing them in that relentless, passionate, yet gentle way. I ask that they would feel Your presence near them and Your arms of comfort and salvation wrapped around them. Send Your real and true laborers to them - not just Bible-thumping salesmen intent on adding notches to their belts, but sincere and compassionate, broken-hearted workers who feel the need in the deepest part of their souls. Those who walk in humility and unselfishness, willing to lay down their lives for their friends. Ready to share how the void they feel in their hearts can be filled with You - not using scare tactics of hell, fire, and brimstone, but speaking of Your love and compassion and mercy.

Father, help me to do my part - ready to do whatever You ask of me. Help me to be sensitive to even the smallest thing I could do as well as the biggest. May my children gain an even bigger heart of compassion and sensitivity to human need. May they find that compulsion to help fix what is broken in our society - to be a part of the solution instead of adding to the problem. For the sake of the next generation, I pray that they would have wisdom beyond their years. All these things I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen - so be it!

To all the families who have been touched in any way by this terrible disaster, our prayers are with you saturated with love and support.