What Shall we Say About…

Prayer during the Pandemic

By Tosha Williams

Early this morning, I ran to the grocery store to buy groceries for my daughter’s “Sweet 16” birthday dinner. She requested chicken alfredo and Caesar salad for her special night. However, I couldn’t get supplies yesterday, and, after two stores this morning, there was no chicken to be found, only one lonely package of angel hair pasta and just the remnants of romaine lettuce.

There’s nothing like empty grocery shelves to make you quake with at least a tremble of fear. Forget cancelled school, sporting events, dances, gatherings and ski days. When there’s not enough food, that’s when we really start feeling the fear in our guts.

What if we don’t have enough to feed our families? What if this pandemic completely affects supply lines? What if people can’t buy food because they’ve lost so much in wages? What if what if what if????

As we adults ponder the questions, our kids are watching us. They feel our tension. They see our emotions, whether we try to hide them or not. My daughter knows there will be no chicken alfredo tonight. And while that’s definitely not the end of the world, it’s sure unlike anything we’ve ever experienced.

So what shall we say to the children? This week, we’re going to talk to them about fear – see https://familydiscipleme.org/pandemic-fear-god-gives-us-power/

But right now we shall say: Today we pray.

The president has called for a special National Day of Prayer today. Whatever your politics, if you’re a Christ follower, then you are called as a believer first. And God’s Word says:

“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13-14

It’s pretty clear what God wants us to do during time of pestilence and disease. He wants us to fall on our faces and cry out to Him, in humility, repentance and faith. God wants us to SEEK HIS FACE.

And, oh friends, as we SEEK HIM, we can turn around to those entrusted to us and SPEAK HIM.

Kids, today we pray. TODAY WE PRAY.

Yes, kids, we pray every day; we pray along the way. But today is special because today we’re praying as a nation.

Kids, let’s spend some time as a family seeking God’s face for our family and friends, our churches, our city, our nation, our world. Let’s ask Him to powerfully move in us and then through us. Let’s ask Him to heal the sick and stop the pandemic. Kids, let’s pray – right now.

My friends, today is a perfect day to teach our kids to pray. It’s the perfect day for us to learn to pray more.

In my own family, in the midst of birthday celebrations and making a big deal out of our sweet 16-year old (sans chicken alfredo), we are spending time as a family seeking the Lord.

And oh, dear ones, I pray you will do the same with those entrusted to you.

© 2020 Tosha L Williams, Family Disciple Me