Isaiah 58:9b-12

“If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, (Isaiah 58:9b)
      LORD, transform the relationships of your people in this diocese.

If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, (Isaiah 58:10a)
      Holy Spirit, give us Jesus’ compassion for the hungry and afflicted.

Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. (Isaiah 58:10b)
      Jesus, help us walk by your light in this time of darkness in the church and in the nation.

The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. (Isaiah 58:11)
      Father, help me to be a well-watered garden where others may find refreshment.

      [Take a look at the meditation A Watered Garden, by W. B. Anderson, 1919: http://www.albanyepiscopaldiocese.org/news/feature/070111.html]

Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. (Isaiah 58:12)
      Lord Jesus, hear the cries of your people — that the streets of Hamilton Hill and Schenectady and all the communities of this diocese will be safe to walk in. Help us by our words and deeds bear witness of what you have done to repair the breach between God and man, and make us restorers of streets to dwell in.

Monday: 80; Isaiah 58:1-12; Galatians 6:11-18; Mark 9:30-41
Tuesday: 78:1-39; Isaiah 59:1-15a; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Mark 9:42-50

Albany Intercessor

General Synod, Church of England

The General Synod is meeting this week. Two topics to be debated are women bishops and the Covenant.
The Bishop of Rochester, the Right Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, is leading the debate on the Covenant. Key among his proposals is that the 39 Primates should have ultimate authority in deciding who is in breach and who not, who is in the top tier of the re-formed communion and who in the second tier. This was the proposal in the first, Nassau draft. The second, St Andrew’s, draft currently on the table proposes that the Anglican Communion Office itself, the executive entity at the centre of Communion government, should have this authority. Dr
Nazir-Ali, a conservative evangelical, believes an episcopal church should ultimately be episcopally governed.

O Holy One, guide all the synod delegates,

That those called to serve in these responsibilities may be men and women living a holy life, seeking to be in your will, able to overcome prejudices, examining issues with care, and that the decisions of Synod may be to the building up of your church and to your glory.

May they be truly unified as one under Christ. Amen.

Anglican Fellowship of Prayer, Canada

The Lord’s Resistance Army

The Holy Spirit has stirred so many to pray for the end of the violence perpetuated by the LRA. The Bishop of Salibury has called for prayer. ENS has posted articles and PB Schori has called for advocacy and prayer. This weekend the diocese of Mississippi joined in by passing a resolution.
The Monitor reports that the LRA’a #2 in command, Okot Odhiambo, and #3 in command, Dominic Ongwen, say they are serious about surrendering. The Ugandan military have responded that they need to show they are serious by doing it. Meanwhile, Uganda’s permission to be in the DRC has been extended.

He soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky. Psalm 18:10b-11

Dear Lord,
Because of Your great love for us, You in Your mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in sin.
For it is by grace we are saved.
We pray for the salvation of the people of Uganda, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We pray for their physical salvation from the Lord’s Resistance Army and their spiritual salvation from sin. Deliver them, Lord. Should the LRA advance toward the innocent, bring thunderstorms to halt their progress and to ruin their equipment. You are the Lord of heaven and earth and all that is therein. We ask for the protection of the shed blood of Jesus Christ over those in harm’s way.
For it is by grace we are saved.
Moreover, Lord, we call out for a dismantling of the LRA–both spiritual and physical. Break this stronghold! In Christ, we bind up all the demonic forces that influence the LRA, including the spirit council and the angels that Kony consults. We bind up all interaction, interplay, and communication of the forces of witchcraft, animism, idolatry, and necromancy, and all the satanic forces of nature–earth, air, water, fire, and the netherworld.
For it is by grace we are saved.
Halt the delivery of arms to the LRA. May Odhiambo and Ongwen surrender and the information they provide lead to the complete dismantling of the operation. Bring to justice all those persons who enable the LRA to operate–government informants, arms dealers, money dealers, drug dealers.
For it is by grace we are saved.
It is only through Your grace that this people can be saved. Take pity. Amen.
Ephesians 2:4-5