The other week in my Magnificat prayer book, the intercessions for the evening prayer surprised me. As I prayed each one, I was struck by how deep and personal each one was. These would be great to pray on a regular basis. 

When we are frustrated with the actions of others, and hurt by betrayal, is the first petition. Thankfully betrayal is not common in my life, however feelings of frustration are not just an everyday occurrence, but multiple times a day. They come from all areas of my life, including of myself! As humans in a fallen world, we do need to expect the bumps in the road of life, however, these can either be used for growth in reliance on God, or to chip away at that relationship. It can be very easy to make excuses to allow ourselves to be frustrated with another. Feeling disappointed is an acceptable feeling, but acting on that disappointment is opening ourselves up to sin. When I’m in the midst of frustrating circumstances, I notice in myself that I start feeling cranky and lose my temper at the silliest of things, like the paper towel not tearing off the roll correctly. It’s then I realize that I’m really reacting to something else and I need to lean on God to help me through the emotions so that I don’t respond poorly to someone who crosses my path.

The second petition is, When we are tempted to anger and hatred. Our world has in it entirely too much hate and anger. People are quick to raise their ire and respond with, “how dare you” about something that is spoken or not spoken, an action that is expected or unexpected, or a belief that is either accepted or denied. Each person seems to have their own definitions of what is right and wrong, and if you don’t comply, then you face a barrage of vitriol. Anger and hatred feed upon the person who gives these feelings safe harbor. There are times in life when we will feel the emotion of anger. If we feed it, ponder it, and build the case for why it is acceptable to be angry, then we will be on our way to meet hatred. When we acknowledge that we are angry, while it may sound odd to give God something so totally opposite of who He is and what He deserves from us, God is really the best person who can help us to release the anger we have and find peace, even in unresolved situations. 

When we feel neglected or rejected is the last petition. This one may pertain to some personalities more than others. When I read this one, I did have to pause before saying the response. There were a number of memories that flashed through my head. Experiences of this nature have a way of eating away at our confidence and make us second-guess not only ourselves but also the intentions of others. Removing these hurtful feelings definitely requires the precision and skill of our Creator. He understands us and how we think, feel, and react. It’s not enough just to forgive, but to open ourselves up to love, even when it means loving those who we feel neglect or reject us. 

The response was: Send us your spirit of love. It seems rather benign and not at all earth-shattering, but when coupled with each intercession, it becomes a powerful petition. Seeking God’s spirit to address each of these issues is like asking for the fire of God to purify your circumstances. It’s saying to God you are opening your heart, mind, and will to His assistance in addressing these issues. At the same time, it seeks the love of God. It’s that same love that prompted Jesus to perform many miracles, but to also pronounce judgement on those same towns who only took physical healing but remained untouched in returning to a relationship with God.  

These intercessions coupled with the response make a powerful prayer that’s especially needed in our era. Prayer is not placing an order with God, but communicating with Him. We need to be open to His response. He may ask us to do something, or He may have someone aid us. Perhaps He would have the circumstances turn totally upside down from where they are now. But if we could channel the Spirit of God’s love when we encounter these challenges, we could find a little bit of heaven here on our earthly journey.