Exceptional A prayer about many aspects of what we are suffering through Prayers for Fanstory Family : A Prayer for Us All by Mary Kay Bonfante Book of the Month contest entry

Dear God Almighty, Heavenly Father, Creator of the Universe, Jehovah God, Lord of Heaven and Earth, the Great "I AM," who is "from everlasting to everlasting," we come to You because You are good, holy, kind, patient, merciful and loving. You are "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." * Dear Lord God, please hear our prayers for those in the United States and around the world: We pray for all those who are suffering from Covid-19. We pray that You will protect people from its contagion. We especially pray for those who are hovering between life and death, that You will provide the grace and healing for them to move firmly back into the land of the living. We pray for the families and friends of those who are suffering from this disease, that You will keep them strong for their loved ones, and safe. We pray for those who have lost loved ones to this terrible pandemic, that You would give them powerful comfort and help. We pray for the first responders and public servants, all the medical and hospital staff, the technicians, and our military in all its branches. We ask that you would give them wisdom, guidance and reassurance so that they will not be overcome by fear. We pray for those who manufacture medical supplies and equipment, that You would help them to increase the production of what is needed. We pray for our scientists and doctors, that they will find answers and better ways to heal people. We pray that You will shine a light on the truth, to help put to rest all falsehood, damaging theories or dangerous ideas about this pandemic. We pray for our leaders on the national, regional and local levels, and for everyone making decisions during this crisis, that You will give them uncommon wisdom. We pray for all the non-government organizations and volunteers who are helping. We pray for those who must work as coroners, medical examiners or morticians during this time. We pray for those who are separated from their loved ones, especially children who can't be with their parents. We pray for those who are having a very hard time with the quarantine, the isolation and the loneliness. We pray for those who are frightened and perhaps behaving in irrational ways. We pray for a stop to discrimination and hate crimes, which have no place in our world. We pray for those who have lost jobs, missed important opportunities or suffered tremendous disappointments because of this pandemic. We pray for those who are working in churches, missions, compassionate ministries and other places of worship and service throughout the world, that You will be their Protector, Lord. We pray that You will encourage and support all pastors, ministers, and their families, through the faithful, and through your Holy Spirit, so that houses of worship will not need to close their doors when this period of isolation draws to a close. We pray that all believers will maintain bonds of encouragement and fellowship through whatever safe means of communication are available. We pray that You would give us the grace to use this time to grow in our relationship with You, and that many others will turn to You. May they hear You calling! We pray for those who must continue working during this time, especially those who work with the public. We pray for the protection of those using public transportation, especially our transit workers. We pray for those who are stranded in other places and unable to return home. We pray for those who are working in jails or prisons, or prisoners themselves during this time. We lift up to You those who are suffering from economic hardship, that You would provide for them, and that no one would go hungry. We pray for those around the world without access to food, clean drinking water, sanitation, medical supplies and services or other necessities. We pray for the children and teenagers who don't fully understand the restrictions placed upon us during these strange times. We pray for those who have service dogs and other animals who may be confused by the changes in routine, and we also pray that you would give peace and stability to the animals and their handlers. We pray for those who are in nursing homes or other institutionalized care, that You will keep them safe, and not neglected. Please comfort those who are not allowed visitors, and make it possible, whenever safe, for patients to have at least a single visitor -- especially those suffering from dementia, mental illness or developmental disorders. Please make it possible, without compromising safety, for those who are dying to see their families at least one last time. In either case, we ask You to be a "very present comfort" to all who are very sick, on ventilators or dying, and their family members. May they turn to You in faith! If they already know You, may they continue to abide in You with ever-increasing trust. We pray for those with cancer, heart disease, kidney disease and other medical issues requiring special intervention, that their needs will still be met. We pray for those who are caught in human trafficking. We pray for those who are homeless or living in shelters, especially those whose homes have been destroyed by natural disasters. We pray for all the students who continue to study from home, as they may be facing special difficulties. We pray for the children and youth who are assigned to special schools or day care because their parents have essential jobs, and for the teachers and workers caring for them, as this arrangement may place them at risk. We pray for the seniors and elderly people who need help during this time, especially those who live alone. We pray for children, adults and elderly people with disabilities and special needs who need personal care and services in their homes, that they will not be deprived. We pray for their caregivers and therapists, that they will be able to safely provide their services. We pray for those who are struggling with alcohol or drug addictions during this time, as they may be at special risk or in danger. We pray for women in crisis pregnancies during this time. We also ask that you would help those ladies who are close to their due dates, and may be asked to come to their deliveries unaccompanied by a husband or anyone else for support. We pray for anyone who is in a situation of domestic violence during this time. We pray for refugees and those being held in immigration detention centers. We pray that criminals and terrorists would not take advantage of this pandemic and that they would not use it as a time to do evil, but that instead, they would reflect on their need of You, a loving God. Lord God, You see all of these people and You know all of their needs. We pray that You will act on behalf of all the needy, and for the good of everyone, as only You can. We give You thanks that You have already been merciful and have answered so many prayers. We thank You for all those working on the front lines of this pandemic, and for those who have shown generosity and compassion to others in need. We thank You for Your love, goodness and grace. We give You all the praise, honor and glory! We pray in Jesus' Name, Amen. Recognized Author Notes *Scripture references for quoted text: Exodus 3:14, 1 Chronicles 16:36, 2 Peter 3:9. 4/15/2020 I hope that people visiting this post will pray in agreement with me, even if you don't take the time to review it (or if you have already reviewed it). I have added several needs and other items to this prayer list, as they have occurred to me, so if you have visited this post more than once, you may have noticed some changes. I will continue to promote this for awhile, in the hope of attracting others who will join me in my supplications to Our Loving God. My original Notes, 4/7/2020: I wrote this kind of quickly, because I wanted to share it as soon as possible, so if I have left anyone out, or any important situation related to Covid-19, please feel free to let me know, and I will consider including it. I just lost someone to this awful pandemic. She died last night, and I found out about an hour ago. Her name is Tessie. She is the first person I know personally who has died from it -- I hope there won't be any more. It's very painful. She was a phenomenal, encouraging person of great faith and I know she is at peace. I pray for her family. I want to give thanks to my Lord Jesus, Our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit for healing my husband and I from Covid-19, which we were blessed to have survived without hospitalization or any medical intervention or complications. I am deeply grateful. * * * * * * *

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