Prayer - God at work despite our disobedience (Judges 14-15)

Heavenly Father,

We know that you are a holy God, perfect in love, justice and truth. We know that you are set apart from anything or anyone else. You're certainly set apart from us. We're definitely not perfect in love, justice or truth - not as individuals, not as a church, not as a society, and not as the human race. We fall short of your perfect holiness, and yet you tell us, "Be holy, because I am holy," and Jesus tells us, "Be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect."

We are not perfect, and you know that. We are tired, exhausted, sick, troubled and weak. We despair at our condition, and you know that too. So we ask you to have mercy on us, Lord, because we are faint; heal us, Lord, because we are in agony; save and deliver us, Lord, because our souls are in deep anguish. 

And we thank you, our glorious and awesome father, because when we look around this world, full of troubles and sins and suffering, we see you at work through the weakness and inability of your people. We hear about you healing people through medicines and doctors and nurses and people who go out of their way to bring relief to the sick; and we pray that you will continue to heal the sick through your people. We watch videos of you bringing comfort and relief to those who are losing homes, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, children and fields because of persecution they face or because of disasters that strike; and we especially pray for those in Japan who are helping with the earthquake relief efforts there, and for those in Chibok, Nigeria, whose kidnapped daughters have now been missing for two years. We read about those who are taking your message into places it's never been, or to people who've never heard, or who have heard a hundred times before, who are guiding and discipling people into brand new relationships with you; and we pray that you will continue to work in the hearts of all those who hear in prisons, in scripture, in church and everywhere else. And we can look around and see your hand stretching over the adults and children and families in this church, and thank you for the provision you give, the instruction you give, the support you give, the love you give amongst us and between us; and we pray that you might help us as we continue to love and support one another through times of difficulty and stress and even joy - for all the new and expecting mothers and fathers of our church, we pray you will work through your people to provide love, comfort and support.

We know that we can turn our backs on you, and yet we thank you that you never turn your back on us. We are amazed at how you can turn even our weakest moments, even our greatest failures or temptations or sins, into your most glorious successes, into times that will make the heavens fill with songs of gladness. Only you can turn evil into good, O Mighty God - only you can create perfection with such imperfect tools - and we are humbled as you choose to work through our weakness to further show your strength and glory. Help us to embrace our weakness and accept your strength as we rejoice in your glory, and praise your amazing name.

By the grace of Jesus Christ we pray,

Amen