Will those who do evil never learn? They eat up my people like bread and wouldn’t think of praying to the LORD (Psalm 14:4; NLT).
The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths (Isaiah 58:8; NIV).
We pray for an end
To corruption and greed,
That mercy will flow, Lord,
For all those in need;
That justice will triumph For those who are poor,
And for the cessation Of hatred and war.
Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea (Isaiah 48:18; NLT).
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; RSV).
I am the LORD, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name (Isaiah 45:3; NLT).
Lord,
Please call us all by name,
And teach us to make peace.
Help us to end our foolish wars;
Make greed and hatred cease.
May we repent; forgive our sins,
And fill us with your light –
For you create us all, and we
Are precious in your sight.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants (Psalm 116:15; NIV).
Reference
I am tired of living among people who hate peace. I search for peace; but when I speak of peace, they want war! (Psalm 120:6; NLT).
Keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it (Psalm 34:13-14; NLT).
Let them make peace with me; yes, let them make peace with me (Isaiah 27:5; NLT).
If you are filledwithlight, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you withlight (Luke 11:36; NLT).
God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth (Isaiah 42:5; NLT).
The eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is clear [spiritually perceptive, focused on God], your whole body also is full of light [benefiting from God’s precepts]. But when it is bad [spiritually blind], your body also is full of darkness [devoid of God’s word] (Luke 11:34; AMP).
Over the past year, as my health has deteriorated and I’ve become less active, I’ve gained two stones in weight. Whilst saying grace over extra food, I’ve been acknowledging to God that I’m eating for comfort. It was clear that I couldn’t go on like this indefinitely, and I knew the right time would eventually come to cut back. Meanwhile, I couldn’t even face getting weighed.
This situation started to change a couple of weeks ago, when I had to weigh myself so that staff at the anticoagulation clinic could calculate the dose for a drug-change. Since then I’ve lost half a stone, then plateaued, despite careful eating: weight loss is a big challenge at 70, in poor health, and with a very slow metabolism and no thyroid!
Meanwhile, today’s prayer came as a complete surprise – I think it’s the first time I’ve ever written about eating:
Give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:11; RSV).
A little is enough, Lord,
For you give me what I need,
So when I help myself to more,
I’m giving way to greed.
A little is enough, Lord,
For you give the right amount,
So when I help myself to more,
Please hold me to account.
A little is enough, Lord,
So please help me to say, “No”,
Then turn to you, the Bread of Life,
And tell you all my woe,
For food, alone, can’t comfort me,
So, when my way is rough,
Please help me, Lord, to come to you:
Your comfort is enough.
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:13; NLT).
References
Some gathered a lot, some only a little. But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough (Exodus 16:17-18; NLT).
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again” (John 6:35; NLT).
I will comfort those who mourn (Isaiah 57:18; NLT).
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1; NLT).
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).
People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4; NLT).
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28; NLT).
