by Andy Johnson

MRN Missionary Care Director & Prayer Coordinator

Here at MRN, our team’s prayer life has been shaped by praying the scriptures. We take a story or a brief section of a book from the Bible and let it shape how and what we pray. We allow what God has already talked to us about to shape how we talk to him! It’s a simple exercise, but it has deepened and enriched our prayer life.

We’re going to take the first half of 2022 to share with you some of these prayers. We hope that two things will happen. First, we hope that you will experience the joy and gift that praying the scriptures has been to us. Second, we hope your prayers will join with ours as we together pray into God’s mission guided by the words of the gospel of Luke.

One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 

We thank you, Lord, that you gave Jesus the power to heal the sick. We come to you today, asking that you do it again - please, Father, in Jesus’ name, heal the sick in our midst and in countries and cities we love. We beg you to act to end the COVID-19 pandemic! This world - and with it our bodies - was broken in the fall. We and our loved ones deal with the echoes today. Intervene, Lord. Take away COVID-19, cancer, heart troubles, breathing problems, developmental issues, mental illness, infertility, and the other struggles our loved ones face. And do it in such a way that everyone knows You did this!

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

Thank you, God, for the men, women, and children you’ve put in our lives that we have the honor to bring to you. We know that the enemy doesn’t want us to bring your children to Jesus, and that he’s going to throw up every barrier - real and imagined - that he can to stop us. Make us like these men. Do not let us grow weary or weak in working to bring those you’ve brought to us to Jesus. We particularly pray this for our brothers and sisters living among unreached Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist groups. Show us all creative ways to get your lost children to Jesus - even if it means knocking some holes open!

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Thank you, Father, for truth, whether it be spoken by Jesus or by his adversaries! We thank you for these truths that only you, God, can forgive sins and that Jesus IS God! We also praise you because you know what we really need. We rejoice that you know our hearts and can see past the surface to what we most desperately need.

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

We believe Jesus has all authority on heaven and earth; help our unbelief! Help us to submit our lives, our days - our today! - and our families to that authority. And then help us to trust that you will do what you do best - heal and forgive.

So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

We, too, have seen remarkable things today. We know that you are always up to far more than we notice, Lord – in our neighborhoods and around Your world. Give us eyes to recognize what you are doing all around us. Then move us to respond as we ought - amazement, praise, awe, and testimony to what you’ve done. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Scripture taken from Luke 5:17-26

Are you interested in sharing Jesus with unreached people of the world?

We can help!

Email start_the_journey@mrnet.org to talk about it.