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Psalm 66:20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! (NIV)

Each morning as I drive to church, I talk to God in prayer. I find it helps me focus on what tasks I need to complete that day, as well as saying personal prayers for my family, friends, and parishioners.

I usually start by giving thanks to God for another day, for the sleep I have known, and for the opportunities to serve the Lord which I don’t deserve. I know that I am unworthy of being blessed by God because of my selfish and sinful ways, so this makes me grateful, just like the psalmist before me, that despite who I am or what I’ve done, God does not reject my prayer or withhold his love from me.

By the time I get to the church building, I have completed my daily prayers which includes asking God to protect and bless my loved ones all over the world. My prayers include folks and relatives who live in the US, Scotland, England, Ireland, Norway, Austria, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the US again, and finally, Canada. It’s a global list of people that I know and love, so each day I’m thankful to God for watching over them.

I think the psalmist from long ago experienced something similar. The practice of prayer is very empowering and there have been many times in my life when prayers have been positively answered by God to help loved ones and friends overcome issues and crises, illnesses and problems. In some circumstances, they were unable to pray for themselves, so I have been glad to do their praying for them.

I hope that you may also be given the opportunity to experience the power of prayer, as well as God’s love and compassion. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, no matter what situation you or loved ones are experiencing, please know this: God is mindful of what’s going on and will not reject your prayers or withhold his love from you.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for the gift of prayer which enables us to reach out to You for guidance and support, encouragement and love. Be near to all of our loved ones and bless them with healing and strength, confidence and faith. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.