Ohana Prayer 280 – Luke 8
1 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,
2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;
3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable:
5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.
16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.
22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out.
23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.
25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
Praise the sovereign Lord Jehovah, our Father God in heaven. Everything is in your hands. You are the Almighty God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
Thank you for saving us to be your children by grace through faith—not by works, so that no one can boast. May we look to your promises all our lives, never doubting in our hearts because of unbelief but be strengthened by faith. Then we can live according to your will and give glory to you. You are our beloved Father God.
Thank you Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of the Father. You have brought the power of heaven to life. When you were in the world, you did not hide your healing power. Everyone who came to you received mercy and revival in body, mind and spirit.
Today, we are disciples who follow you and sheep who listen to your voice. You know us and give us eternal life so that we will never perish. Even though the ensuing pandemic, suffering and hardship are threatening us and we are like little dinghies rocking in the stormy sea, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and no one will snatch us out of your hand.
Praise to the Holy Spirit, who can transcend all limitations and impossibilities. Please rain down your Spirit to nourish our withered hearts, remove the thorns and bitter herbs from our inner thoughts and cultivate the hardened soil in our hearts, in preparation to receive the seeds of your good message about the kingdom of heaven. The seeds will grow in the good soil of our honest and kind hearts and produce a crop, yielding a hundred times.
Gracious Holy Spirit, please enlighten us so that the lamp in our hearts will not be dimmed by worries or worldly pleasures. May the light and warmth of the love among brothers and sisters in the church bring warmth and vitality to our communities. May the radiance of the cross bring hope of renewal to our cities.
We pray with all our hearts and soul in the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!