Prayer for Today, Sunday, February 20

O God Known By Many Names,

Your children call on You and give you many names. Regardless of what You are called You respond in love. Jesus Christ showed us the way and He lived a life that tore down walls that separated people from each other and from You. He died on a cross so that all of Your creation might be reconciled with the Creator. May we be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live according to Your will and to be active agents of reconciliation and peace. O God of many names, may we know You as Love. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.
______________________________________

This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

The scripture for today is Matthew 12:15-21:
When Jesus became aware of this, he departed. Many crowds followed him, and he cured all of them, and he ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

The Psalm for this week is Psalm 1:
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore