On Friday or Saturday I sent myself an email: “A prayer of encouragement.” That was all. Just the subject line.

We are discouraged, many of us.

We are tired, many of us (and after the time change, more so).

So when I anticipated approaching the texts for Sunday, and sitting with us, and sitting with God, I wanted to be open to encouragement. To acknowledge that it is hard and many of us are sad and in this hardness and sadness there is the presence of God.

To understand that what we want is fixing (of problems, of situations), but what we need is healing (of minds and hearts and souls).

That’s where the prayer for the fourth Sunday in Lent came from. It’s some of the words of God in conversation with God in a desire for the healing of God in the land of our lives.

Some of you, more than usual, found the words helpful on Sunday. I wanted to let you know where it came from.

+++

In the introduction to God. We Need You, I described how I approach my written and spoken Sunday prayers. If you want to know more, that’s a great place to go. Or wait until God. We Still Need You comes out in a few weeks.