This post is part of my lenten series: 40 prayers for Russia's
orphans. Won't you join us in lifting up some of the most vulnerable
children in our world today?
Day 21
Sitting at the front of the stage at our church every Sunday is a collection of prayer candles, half lit. I've never gone up to the front of the sanctuary to light one before today, but this morning Arie, John and I all went up together to pray for all the children in his baby home. To pray that God will bring them to their families soon. I wonder if you will consider doing the same, if your place of worship has prayer candles? It is good for us to do something tactile as we pray. It helps us remember when we are prone to forget. It helps us remember to pray and it helps us remember that our prayers are heard.
Dear God,
It's been two long months since everything went south with US/Russia adoptions and we're starting to forget. We're just so discouraged. Two months feels like forever right now and we're starting to wonder if things are ever going to change.
What do we do now, Lord? After all the petitions have been signed and the marches walked, after voices have made themselves known to the government- what do we do? Sometimes it even feel like our prayers are useless.
But they aren't, are they? We have to keep on praying for the orphans- whether their futures are secure in the US or at home in Russia or in another country. We have to remember them and we have to keep on praying. Help us to remember. Though the news of this adoption ban fades into the background, keep the children at the front of our minds so we don't stop praying. They need us know more than ever, don't they?
You will never leave them. You will never forsake them. For that, we thank you. For that we praise you.
Please move. Please bring these children into families, every last one. And don't let us stop praying until you do.
Thank you for hearing our humble prayer. We are weak, but you are strong.
Amen.
Day 21
Sitting at the front of the stage at our church every Sunday is a collection of prayer candles, half lit. I've never gone up to the front of the sanctuary to light one before today, but this morning Arie, John and I all went up together to pray for all the children in his baby home. To pray that God will bring them to their families soon. I wonder if you will consider doing the same, if your place of worship has prayer candles? It is good for us to do something tactile as we pray. It helps us remember when we are prone to forget. It helps us remember to pray and it helps us remember that our prayers are heard.
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| photo by flickr user DeusXflorida |
It's been two long months since everything went south with US/Russia adoptions and we're starting to forget. We're just so discouraged. Two months feels like forever right now and we're starting to wonder if things are ever going to change.
What do we do now, Lord? After all the petitions have been signed and the marches walked, after voices have made themselves known to the government- what do we do? Sometimes it even feel like our prayers are useless.
But they aren't, are they? We have to keep on praying for the orphans- whether their futures are secure in the US or at home in Russia or in another country. We have to remember them and we have to keep on praying. Help us to remember. Though the news of this adoption ban fades into the background, keep the children at the front of our minds so we don't stop praying. They need us know more than ever, don't they?
You will never leave them. You will never forsake them. For that, we thank you. For that we praise you.
Please move. Please bring these children into families, every last one. And don't let us stop praying until you do.
Thank you for hearing our humble prayer. We are weak, but you are strong.
Amen.
One idea that occurs to me is for people to pitch in to raise money for organizations who are still handling Russian adoptions, though the kids will go home to families in other countries than the US. It's still a way to help children in Russian orphanages into families.
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