Who do you think about when you go through a hard season? Do you think of your loved ones? Your family? Maybe your neighbour? How about the person standing 2 meters in front of you in the queue? You are both waiting to go into the supermarket. Both of you are wondering if there will be enough food inside.

When we go through a time where we think it is impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel, could you honestly say you would think of other people? Honestly? I’ll be honest…I’m probably usually thinking “Please Lord, get me out of this mess.” Am I right?

Offer a prayer for everyone

Praying for other people when we don’t have much going on in our lives is pretty easy. Thinking of someone else when we have something traumatic going on can be a pretty tough call though. Why worry about someone else’s problems when you have so much going on yourself?

When I think of the Easter weekend we have just celebrated I am struck by how much Jesus is still putting others first, despite what He is going through. As Jesus hung on the cross, people below mocked Him and jeered Him. Yet He was still able to say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34).

He thought about the people hanging there with him. When it seemed all hope was lost, He turned to one of them and provided him with the hope he needed. Jesus is experiencing the most excruciating pain, physically, emotionally and spiritually, and yet He still showed love towards a man who didn’t deserve it.

Paul wrote to the early Christians in Thessalonica and advised how they should live and treat each other.

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else . . . May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

Something to think about…

May we use the example of Jesus and the advice given from Paul. Let’s offer a prayer for others in our time of need, especially now as we all face the same crisis. Pray for those on the frontline facing death every day, and also for those who continue to work to make sure our daily needs are provided for. Pray for your neighbours, families and friends. Next time you are out shopping, why not even pray for the person standing 2 meters in front of you.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the people we have in our lives who we are able to turn to in this time of need. Help us to remember as we go through this crisis ourselves, there are also other people going through this too. We know you are the rock in whom we can take refuge in, but there are people out there who don’t know this. There are people around us who are hurting and need your protection. Open our eyes Lord to the people around us. Help us to focus our prayers on other people rather than ourselves. Amen