Mercy from God

[Chrysostom]

We have heard your prayer and we join you in asking God for His mercy.

You have asked well, for God is a merciful and faithful High Priest. He took on our flesh for love of mankind alone, because He saw us cast down and perishing and tyrannized by death, and He had compassion on us. To Him we can bring the victims of the earthquake and all who mourn loved ones throughout the world, for He knows our grief and He is able to make reconciliation for the sins of His people.

For those who have lost homes and loved ones, we pray that the Lord will have mercy according to His great mercy. This present life is a time of mourning, and grief and sorrow weigh heavily now. Yet we are taught not to seek our hope only here, but to look to the promise of life which is in Jesus Christ. Hope that is seen is not hope, and God has promised that in the life to come grief and mourning will flee away. We pray that those who suffer will be comforted, that the afflicted will be helped and remembered, and that we who are spared will show mercy with the oil of loving kindness. As natural oil gives light, so mercy toward our neighbor grants us light, and alms deliver from death. May God move our hearts to give, to help, and to forgive.

For your friends and neighbors and family, we also pray. You ask for better contact and improved relationships, and this is pleasing to God when it is pursued in gentleness and kindness. Scripture teaches us that as we are toward our fellow servants, so we will find our Lord toward us. Nothing incenses God so much as to be pitiless, and nothing so draws His mercy as to show mercy. Forgive any debts of money or sins that others owe you, keep no record of evils, and be ready to benefit even those who may have wronged you, as Christ laid down His life for us and prayed for those who crucified Him. In this way relationships are healed, not by our strength alone but by grace.

So let us pray together. Father, have mercy upon those crushed by the earthquake and upon every heart that mourns. Comfort them, provide for their needs, and draw them to the salvation that is through Jesus Christ alone. Teach us to mourn for our sins, to weep and to show great mercy to our neighbors, giving not only from our abundance but even from our need, that we may find mercy on that Day and quench the fire by the oil of compassion. Help this brother or sister to walk in kindness and forgiveness with friends and neighbors and family, being gentle and faithful as You are faithful. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our merciful High Priest. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Your heart for those who are suffering and mourning reflects the heart of God Himself, and it is right to bring these needs before Him in the name of Jesus.

Scripture teaches that mercy is not something we deserve or can claim as a right. God said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. That word in Romans reminds us that mercy is not a matter of human will or effort, but of God who shows mercy. He is sovereign, and yet He delights to show mercy. He is not looking for a reason to condemn, He is looking for a reason to forgive. When Israel had rebelled and deserved to be wiped out, God put intercession on Moses heart so He could show mercy. When Nineveh repented at the warning of judgment, God freely forgave because His nature is to be plenteous in mercy and truth.

That is why the psalm repeats over and over, His mercy endures forever. In creation, in His dealings with His people, in every circumstance, His mercy remains. It is as high as the heavens, without limit, and it is available to all who call upon the Lord. You never need to fear that you have exhausted His mercy. If you come and say, God, have mercy on me, He hears.

Yet the Bible also shows that mercy and truth must meet together, and righteousness and peace must kiss. God cannot simply overlook sin and remain just. That meeting place is Jesus Christ. On the cross, justice was satisfied because the penalty for sin was paid, and so through Jesus, God can be both just and merciful. We do not come asking for justice, for justice would condemn us, we come asking for mercy, not getting what we do deserve, and then He goes further and gives grace, getting what we do not deserve, and peace with God follows.

You mentioned the earthquake and all who mourn. Events like that remind us how fragile life is and how the whole creation can be shaken. Scripture speaks of a future shaking that will be greater than any we have seen, and these present sorrows are a call to seek the Lord while His mercy may be found. There was a time when God said through the prophet Hosea to call a daughter No Mercy and a son Not My People, because the people had persistently rejected Him and judgment had to come. That is a solemn warning that when mercy is continually refused, judgment remains. But in the very next breath God promised restoration, I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy, and I will say to those who were not my people, you are my people, and they shall say, you are my God. Even after judgment, His mercy endures and He draws back all who will turn to Him.

For those grieving now, we can pray that in their sorrow they will turn and find that restoring mercy in Christ, the only way of salvation. For you and for your friends, neighbors and family, God desires mercy not just sacrifice. He wants us to show to others the same mercy we have received. That is often the key to improved relationships, to forgive, to be kind, to walk in truth and love. Sometimes the deepest fellowship we find is with those who share faith in Christ, even more than with blood relatives, but God still calls us to be merciful and faithful in every relationship He has placed around us.

Let us pray together. Father, have mercy upon those who have suffered in the earthquake, upon the injured, the bereaved, and all who mourn loved ones around the world. Comfort them and draw them to Yourself. Show Your mercy that endures forever, and lead many to say from the heart, You are my God, through Jesus Christ who alone brings mercy and truth together. Give grace and peace to this one who has prayed, and help in every contact with friends, neighbors and family to walk in mercy, truth and love. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We are deeply moved by your heart for the victims of the earthquake in ___ and for all those grieving the loss of loved ones around the world. Thank you for allowing us to stand with you in prayer, lifting up these heavy burdens before our Heavenly Father. We continue to intercede for His mercy to surround those in pain, for comfort to fill their hearts, and for hope to rise in the midst of sorrow. May God’s peace, which surpasses all understanding, guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

We also join you in praying for restored and strengthened relationships—with friends, neighbors, and family. May the Lord soften hearts, open lines of communication, and pour out His grace to heal any brokenness. If these prayers have already been answered in ways you’ve seen or felt, we would be overjoyed to hear your praise report so we can rejoice with you. If the answers are still unfolding or unseen, we stand ready to lift these requests again, trusting that God is at work even when we cannot yet perceive it.

May the Lord bless you abundantly as you seek Him, and may His love and favor surround you in every area of your life. We pray all these things in the powerful and precious name of Jesus. Amen.