COVID and Christ Prayer / Reflection

 In our Sunday service, a member of our church led our prayers using a COVID acrostic, which she has kindly allowed me to share. 

Let us use COVID the term we have come to fear to point us to the fear of, (trust In) God.

C            Covid 19 is contagious, cruel and crushing

BUT       Christ is compassionate, kind and committed to bringing those who believe to eternal life. Thank you for this assurance Father. Etch these words into our hearts, Father, “This is the will of my father that everyone who looks on the son and believes in him should have eternal life. “

O           Covid is overwhelming – many of us have felt this – we cry out to you Father, with the Psalmist, How long, O Lord, how long?

BUT       Father you tell believers that you overshadow us like an eagle hovering over its nest because we are your treasured possession.

Father, help us to hang on to that in times of despair when it does not feel like that.

V            Covid is a virulent virus

BUT       thank you for Jesus the victor over sin and death and hell.

Vaccines can give a measure of hope

Victorious Jesus is our certain hope in life and death.

I             Covid is an invisible enemy .

              BUT       thank you Lord that Jesus can be our invincible friend.

What a message for this world. Open the eyes of family and friends to see this truth.

D            Covid is deadly and dangerous .

              BUT       Christ is death defeating.  Father we pray as the apostle Paul did for the Ephesians “I pray for you constantly asking Gog to give you wisdom to see clearly and really understand who Christ is and all that he has done for you.“

Father continue to teach us to cry out to you, trusting in your unfailing love.

Not included Sunday as I thought it was getting a bit long.

 

ONE       The one points us to Jesus Christ. Father thank you that you so loved the world that you gave your one and only son That whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

NINE      is a square number. Squares and cubes point us back to the Holy of Holies in the Temple and forward to the New Jerusalem. “The city was laid out like a square as long as it was wide “

May this glorious hope drive us to cry out to you and lead us to trust you the sovereign God.

 

 

 

A comparison of Covid and Christ from the prayer.

Covid	Christ
contagious, cruel and crushing	compassionate, kind and committed to his people
overwhelming	overshadows us like an eagle over its nest.
virulent virus	victor over sin and death and hell.
invisible enemy	invincible friend
deadly and dangerous	death defeating
1            The one points us to Jesus Christ. God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
9            A square number. Squares and cubes point us back to the Holy of Holies in the Temple and forward to the New Jerusalem. “The city was laid out like a square as long as it was wide “