January 8 Prayer

January 8 Prayer

“Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy.’
In the story of the 5 loaves and two fishes when everyone is tired and hungry Jesus tells his followers to give out of what they have been given. Mark 6:34-44

Read the story once again and find yourself there in the middle of the crisis,
in the middle of the need.
What rises up within you?
What is it that you see?

Jesus tells them what to do, how to act and even who to go to
as he instructs the people to sit in groups.
Men, women and children, and I wonder what these groups looked like,
and if the disciples choose which group they were to feed?

It was a step of faith each of these had to take to ‘go and give them something to eat.’
It was a step of obedience and humility to let go of their natural mind and considerations to make room for the supernatural to take place through them.

They had to offer their empty baskets and allow Jesus to fill them in order to meet the great need in their midst.

Pause to ask what is it that you need right now placed in your empty basket?
The Lord's mercy is inexhaustible.
His eyes see the need with compassion.

May we pray for this same compassion and mercy for ourselves to obey his call.
May we follow his lead to go to the groups he has placed before us to feed and nurture them with his kindness and understanding.

‘ Lord, we admit that sometimes we get it wrong and just want the needs before us to go away and let them figure things out on their own.

But you have given us, your body the true bread of life, the spirit of your compassion to feed others.
We turn from our own misunderstandings of who is worthy and deserving or who got it wrong.
In humility we come and ask for your inexhaustible mercy on us.

May we in turn give out freely what you have given to us we pray.

Help us to live open and undefended this day fully present to whatever need will come our way.
Let the abundance of grace and kindness tumble forth from our overflowing baskets.

In the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
fill us once again!
We pray.

amen