Then Sings My Soul - Cries Of The Heart From The Psalmsနမူနာ

Psalm 72:17 

May His name endure forever. May His name increase as long as the sun shines, and let them be blessed in Him. Let all nations call Him blessed.

Oh, God, we want to be like Jesus in our communities! We need to know how to encourage people to know the truth of who You are and how to live in a relationship with You. And we need to know how to stand up for those who don’t have a voice within our cultures. May those who lead our countries lead like You Jesus, and make decisions that benefit health in every area of people’s lives. May they have an influence to line things up with Your values and Your definition of peace. May the poor be defended and every need be met. May those serving evil be brought down and all violence stopped. May the weak receive compassion and every life be given value!

Application: How are you expressing Jesus to those around you?

The spiritual climate of this season of global crisis, is unprecedented in terms of the massive amount of people awakened to the search for stability, comfort and hope. However, it can feel so challenging to find ways to connect with others while respecting physical distancing guidelines. Despite this, God’s Spirit has expressed His resourcefulness and creativity through so many believers by giving them new ideas and methods for reaching out. He’s good at this! What might the Spirit be prompting within you? How are you sharing God’s presence with others?

Kids tip: Spend some time brainstorming with your kids as to how you might express Jesus’ loving presence to those within your neighborhood. A few ideas: Set up a table in your front yard with a pad of paper, pen and a sign inviting people to leave a prayer request. Write out an encouraging scripture in chalk along the sidewalk or on your driveway. Leave a jar filled with flowers and a scripture prayer on a front doorstep. 

Song suggestion: For the One – Bethel Music and Jenn Johnson