2 Corinthians 3:5

[Chrysostom]

We join you in lifting these needs before the Father, giving thanks that our adequacy is not from ourselves but from God, as you have quoted from 2 Corinthians 3:5. It is right to acknowledge that all wisdom, skill and love in caring for others must come from Him.

We pray that the Lord will grant you wisdom that is not of this world but His own wisdom hidden and revealed in Christ, so that your work over these next two days will reflect His agape love and mercy. May He give you clear insight, rapport and favor in every meeting, with patients, supervisors, staff, colleagues and those in authority, and may nothing needful be forgotten. We ask that He prepare the hearts of those you serve, grant successful interventions, and put encouraging and needed words on your lips for each person, spoken with poise, self assurance, empathy and professionalism.

We also bring before Him the grieving family you mentioned, asking for His comfort, peace and strength in their pain, and that His love would cover them and draw them together in unity. We ask for His protection over you and all who travel, and for His hedge of protection, favor and deliverance from evil according to His promises in Psalm 91 and Psalm 121, Isaiah 54:17, 1 John 4:4, 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3 and Revelation 21:5.

We lift your adult children to Him, asking that He favor, protect and keep them in times of danger, and that your daughter and son would see themselves as He sees them, beloved and made in His image. We pray for your daughter's healing, for grace in her work and schooling, and for her marriage, that the Lord would strengthen it, help her husband to be understanding and patient, and help both to grow in love and faithfulness within the covenant He has ordained. We ask for wisdom for you to know how best to support and help, that the Lord would close doors that lead to harm and open doors to good opportunities and kind Christian fellowship.

We pray also that He would heal hearts and broken relationships, increase the fruit of the Spirit in your home, and empower you all to love Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and to love one another as He has loved you.

May all glory and praise and credit be given to the Lord, who alone is able to make us wise and to work all things for good. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our only hope and salvation. Amen.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Your prayer reflects a heart that wants to serve well and to love others as God loves, and the verse you quoted is the right foundation. We are not adequate in ourselves to consider that anything good has come from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. When you step into caring for people, needing insight, the right words, and a calm and caring presence, that adequacy does not have to be manufactured by you. It comes from Him.

Scripture presents wisdom as the principal thing, more valuable than rubies or riches, and nothing we desire can compare to it. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, a reverent turning from evil and trusting His ways. Knowledge can give facts, but wisdom gives the right use of knowledge. Wisdom dwells with prudence and finds sound judgment, and in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. That is why your request for wisdom, rapport, and favor is so fitting. For your work, pray not only for information but for wisdom to apply it well, to remember what is needed, to speak encouraging and timely words, and to act with poise, empathy, professionalism and genuine love. The promise is that whoever finds wisdom finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, and that wisdom will preserve and keep those who love her. Ask Him to give you that preserving wisdom in each meeting, with patients, supervisors, staff and colleagues, so that interventions are truly helpful and nothing essential is forgotten, and so that your work reflects His mercy.

There is a wisdom of this world that is earthly and self focused, and it leads to strife and confusion. The wisdom that comes from above is different. It is pure and peaceable and it produces the fruit of the Spirit in a life. As you asked for agape love, mercy, and an increase of the fruit of the Spirit in your home, that is exactly what God desires to grow when we walk in His wisdom. It leads to purity rather than sensuality, to peace rather than contention, and to love for God with heart, mind, soul and strength and love for one another.

God's instructions for the family are given to build up and strengthen relationships. What He encourages builds the home, what He warns against tears it down. I join you in praying for your adult children, that they would be protected in times of danger and kept from harm, that doors leading to harm would be closed and doors to good opportunities and kind Christian connections would be opened. For your daughter, pray for healing, for help in her work and schooling, and for both your daughter and your son to see themselves as God sees them, valued and redeemed in Christ. For your daughter's marriage, pray that it would reflect God's design for a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, marked by understanding, patience, and steadfast love, and that you would be given wisdom to know when and how to support and help without overstepping.

I also join you in lifting up the grieving family, asking the Lord to grant strength, unity, comfort and peace in their pain, and that His love would cover and overcome all. And I pray with you for protection in travel and deliverance from evil, that the Lord would surround you all with His hedge of protection and favor. He is the one who keeps us, who is greater than all that is in the world, who is faithful to guard us, and who promises that no weapon formed against His people will finally prevail and that He is making all things new.

May the Lord grant you wisdom and understanding in abundance, keep you in His love, and receive all the glory for every good work done in His name.