Prayer for those who are wounded by the church

Abba, sometimes you call us to walk through very difficult circumstances just as You asked of Jesus. Though sweating drops of blood which was proof of His distress, He did it! And, thank you that He did. We greatly rejoice, though now for a little while we may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that our faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though we have not seen Christ, we love Him; and even though we do not see Him now, we believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for we are receiving the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls. Lord, I give you my brothers & sisters who have been wounded and I ask you to heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds. I know Father that there are many who want to come back to you and don’t know how. Just as you walked through a shut door TWICE with your disciples to show them that you were in fact alive and able, walk through the shut door of their hearts. Heal them in the places that they don’t even know needs to be healed. Those places that are hidden behind shut doors. Perform a miracle for them this day. Turn their hearts back to You and lead them to a church where they will be loved. Feed them, by Your word, in the way that they need to be ministered to as this point in their journey. Give them a zeal for prayer and for your Word. I pray for a heart of forgiveness. Lord, release the GRACE to forgive because at times it is only by your grace that we are able to do some things. I pray the God of all grace, who called my brothers & sisters to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after they have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle them. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

For those of you who read this and you already left the church, it is OK to take a break for a while and ask the Lord to continue to heal your heart.  However, you can’t stay away from the body of Christ for too long.  You need to find a church and get connected.  Get plugged in again.  Remember that God flows through people.  He speaks through other people and if you are not connected with a church family you will certainly be missing out on this.  We belong in community.  You can pray to find another church by using this prayer.

I love you. More importantly, God loves you. Peace be with you.