“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone…”
1 Timothy 2:1
This has been a horrific week for those in the path of Hurricane Helene! We have all seen the news reports of trees uprooted, homes being washed away, roads crumbling, dams breaking and unprecedented flooding. People and animals have been injured, lives have been lost and there are many that are unaccounted for and/or cannot be contacted.
Helene has been a terrible disaster. First responders, linemen and others from different states have been called to service; agencies of all kinds are helping in anyway possible. People are doing all they can to alleviate the pain and fear that victims are suffering.
We cannot all go to the center of this disaster and have a hands-on part in helping. But, as Christians, we have a call to service too. We are called to lift up these people and their needs to God. James 5:16b says “the prayer of a righteous man (or woman) is powerful and effective.” That’s us, if we are Christians – we’re that righteous man or woman! When we lift our prayers and request up to God, He hears and He moves in mighty ways.
We can pray for safety and strength for the first responders and others in the midst of rescue and restoration operations. We can pray for comfort, peace, courage and healing for those that have lost a loved one or who have injuries or have lost property and possessions. We can pray for guidance for them as they navigate the coming days to regain some normalcy to their lives. Most importantly we can thank God for hearing our cries, for answering our prayers and for having all things in His mighty hands.
When we pray, not only does God move in the lives of those we pray for, but also in our own lives. Pray opens up the communication between us and God and through our sincere, earnest prayers, He might just move us to step forward and help in a way we never thought we could or would.
But first, we pray.