Forthy Days to Palm Sunday #15

Isaiah 35:2-6
Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers
and singing and joy!
The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon,
as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.
There the Lord will display his glory,
the splendor of our God.
With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,
and encourage those who have weak knees.
Say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
He is coming to save you.”

And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind
and unplug the ears of the deaf.
The lame will leap like a deer,
and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!
Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,
and streams will water the wasteland.

Matthew 4:23-25
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Healing God, we pray together today for those who are feeling hopeless, who are afraid of what the future holds, who have been battered into a place of cautious subsistence. Reach to those who are broken in body and spirit and heal them. We pray that those who believe in you will pray with compassion, as Jesus did, and we pray that, once again, the Good News will be accompanied by demonstrations of your loving power. Amen

Seek God Today for: Laborers

Pray that the dignity and honor of doing all sorts of work well will be revealed. Pray that workplaces will be places of respect, safety and friendship, for workers to be treated with justice and dignity, for continued employment in the changing economy.