A Prayer to Answer Compassionate Calls
By Meg Bucher
“The heart is free where the Spirit of the Lord is.” - 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLV)
My daughter and I curled up on the couch, both of us leveled with Influenza A. As we sat and colored pictures and fought aches and coughs, we watched a movie about a little girl in another country that found herself in an unfair state of affairs.
“I don’t want to watch this movie, Mommy,” she said, “it’s making me uncomfortable.”
The movie was “Queen of Katwe,” about a young girl who made history as a chess player in Uganda. Her life was anything but glamorous, and the reality of her reality made my daughter uncomfortable.
“It’s important to be aware,” I explained to her. When the unfair circumstances of others make us uncomfortable, I believe that’s the seed of Christ’s compassionate heart nudging us to do something about it.
There was one scene in particular that completely confused my church-going child. She knows about hunger, donates to help those in need, and raised her hand to sponsor a child. But until that moment it was still so very far away for her.
“Why is she licking the side of that cup?” she asked.
“She’s starving,” I answered. The following night’s dinner protest at our kitchen table carried a completely different tone.
God pushes us out of our comfort zone to do some major work on our hearts. He can meet us with Influenza A on the couch in our comfortable family room, to teach us a lesson in compassion, gratefulness, and our duty to take care of each other on this earth.
He does this not to make us feel guilty for our blessings or lazy for our lack of action. He pushes us our of our comfort zones with people’s stories to set us free. Having a heart of compassion that drives us to action sets us free. The Holy Spirit will reveal the compassion and purposed actions of our hearts when we seek Him, and keep asking for more of Him, through prayer and study of God’s Word. There is no commandment greater than to love each other, and we are living truly free when we are extensions of His love.
Our afternoon conversations led us both the think about, communicate with, and pray for the child we sponsor more than we do now. It changed out perspective from complaining about being sick to feeling grateful for the popsicles in the freezer. May we all be more motivated to pray for God’s definitive action plan for each of our lives, to care for those who need Christ’s love the most.
Father,
We praise You for the stories that You place in front of us. The ones that make us unconformable and call us to action. Thank You for all those who answer calls to physically go to those far corners of the world to feed the hungry. Keep them physically safe as they travel the globe on Your behalf. For those of us who feel the stir to help around the world and in our own communities, grant us the resolve to remain obedient to Your leading. Bless all those who go hungry in this world, and show us what our part is to aid in filling their stomachs with food and their hearts with Christ’s love.
Thank You for the blessings that we count in our lives, and show us how to extend our hands and hearts to those who need Your love.There are so many souls that starve and lack for clean water and a place to call home. We lift them up to You in a special way today, and pray that those who feel the compassionate call to help answer.
Whether through prayer, finances, or physical presence, show us where our place to extend Your love is. Soften our hearts to those who suffer, and embolden us to share the Gospel where hurt and suffering are prevalent. There are so many big things, little things, daily things, that we can do. Help us to operate in Your love daily, so we don’t miss an opportunity for one.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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Originally published Tuesday, 14 September 2021.
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