Daily Prayers and Scriptures: Friday, March 20

During this time in which the whole world is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are posting Daily Bible Readings from the International Bible Lessons for Christian Teaching, Spring 2020, plus a meditation to help guide your prayers, for your inspiration and encouragement. Micah 3:9-12, NRSV Micah's Warning 9 Hear this, you rulers of the house of Jacob     and chiefs of the house of Israel, who abhor justice     and pervert all equity, 10 who build Zion with blood     and Jerusalem with wrong! 11 Its rulers give judgment for a bribe,     its priests teach for a price,     its prophets give oracles for money; yet they lean upon the Lord and say,     “Surely the Lord is with us!     No harm shall come upon us.” 12 Therefore because of you     Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,     and the mountain of the house a wooded height. Prayer in Time of Sickness From His Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America As Christians, we must take responsibility for the well being of others. We can be united in the spirit even as we are apart in the body. In fact, protecting the health of those around us is a powerful witness to our faith, that we place the good of others above our own. With our faith in God, we can overcome these present difficulties, using the rational, scientific knowledge that we possess through our God-given intelligence. As your shepherd, I will be ever-vigilant for the welfare of our Archdiocese, praying in the Chapel of Saint Paul every day for all of you, for our Nation, and for the world. Above all, I will offer the Holy and Divine Liturgy for the life of each and every one of you. May the Lord keep us all in health and safety until these challenges have passed. Prayer in time of sickness O God, our help in time of need, Who are just and merciful, and Who inclines to the supplications of His people; look down upon us, miserable sinners, have mercy on us, and deliver us from the trouble that now besets us. Grant, we beseech You, Your divine helping Grace, and endow us with patience and strength to endure our tribulations with complete submission to Your Will; You know our misery and sufferings, and to You, our only hope and refuge, we flee for relief and comfort, trusting in Your infinite love and compassion, that in due time, when You know best, You will deliver us from this trouble, and turn our distress into comfort, when we shall rejoice in Your mercy, and exalt and praise Your Holy Name, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen You can follow our daily readings, prayers, and meditations on our website at http://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/topics/daily/.  Be safe, healthy, and blessed during this time. NCC NOW is a periodic, timely email with brief updates and news from the National Council of Churches. Serving as a leading voice of witness to the living Christ in the public square since 1950,  the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) brings together 38 member communions  and more than 40 million Christians in a common expression of God's love and promise of unity.  http://nationalcouncilofchurches.us

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