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10 Prayers to Pray in a Pandemic

  • Dr. James Emery White

    James Emery Whiteis the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he…

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  • Updated Jan 12, 2021

man praying for healing from coronavirus with face mask onPhoto Credit: ©GettyImages/globalmoments

When the panic or uncertainty of pandemic pressures threaten your focus or faith, here are 10 redemptive prayers:

1. Reflecting Jesus

Father, help me to so honor you through my online presence and chosen words and spirit that people will see, hear, and feel Jesus through everything I post.

2. Help Me Serve

Please help me, whenever I am tempted to focus on how I am being inconvenienced and poorly served, to instead think of how I might serve others.

3. My Inner Worship

Dear Lord, may I long to privately worship you as much as I long to return to publicly worshiping you.

4. Healing Racism

I pray for my black brothers and sisters. I cannot imagine what this time is like for them, but I can pray for them. Father, forgive me for any and all racism, and help me to work for justice at every opportunity. I confess I do not often know what that means, so please, through my own efforts to learn and the power of the Holy Spirit to convict, lead me.

(or)

I pray for my white brothers and sisters. Their eyes are opening, and I pray for full vision. Father, forgive me for any and all racism on my part, and keep me from any and all bitterness and resentment. Do not let the evil one gain any foothold in my spirit. Strengthen me to never tire as I work for justice in ways that continually honor you and lift up all of humanity.

5. Finacial Faith

I need you to give me financial faith that I do not have, obedience I do not want to give, and trust that does not come naturally. 

6. Faith in God

I pray this to my God: I may not know the reasons for all that has happened, but I have faith in the One who does.

7. Living Water

Father, I know how much I thirst for grace for my own life—help me to be quick to offer the same drink to others around me.

8. Unity and Love

Somehow, someway, help me to rise above the seeds being sown all around me—seeds of fear, division, and anger. Instead, somehow, someway, help me to plant trust, unity, and love.

9. Online Purity

Dear God, I am online so much. I offer this Scripture as a prayer and plea to you: “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes...” (Psalm 101:3a, NASB)

10. Have Mercy

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” *

Sources

*Known as the “Jesus Prayer,” it dates back to at least the 5th century.


James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and the ranked adjunct professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His newest book, Christianity for People Who Aren’t Christians: Uncommon Answers to Common Questions, is now available on Amazon or at your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit ChurchAndCulture.org, where you can view past blogs in our archive and read the latest church and culture news from around the world. Follow Dr. White on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.    

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.