Father, how wonderfully kind You are! You are a God of grace and mercy. We thank You for this opportunity to come boldly before Your throne. And we do so confident that You not only hear us, but that You will grant our petition.
We thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who sits at Your right hand interceding for us, and for the enormous price He paid for the remission of our sins. We confess our sins to You, and ask Your forgiveness.
As we enter the Season of Lent and the approach of Holy Week, we remember poignantly the life of Jesus. Just three days before his crucifixion, according to Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus spoke about caring for “the least of these.” Death was sitting in front of Him and peering into His eyes at the same time as He underscored the importance of righteous, humanitarian acts. Lord, help us to have the same care and compassion for our sisters and brothers with HIV/AIDS.
We pray for the elimination of the stigma and discrimination that is associated with HIV/AIDS, so that the fight against it can be won. Help us to reduce our own ignorance and educate ourselves about HIV/AIDS and the people most affected.
We pray for financial provision that will enable needed scientific research to continue, and simple things such as washcloths, towels, sheets, bandages, bleach, and multivitamins can be provided to those here and abroad to help prevent the spread of infection. These are the things we take for granted, but are not readily available to many.
We know that You are the God of All Comfort, and we ask that You comfort those who have lost friends and loved ones to HIV/AIDS.
Finally, Dear Lord, we pray for healing. Physical and emotional healing for those affected with HIV/AIDS, and strength and endurance for family members and others who care for them.
It is in the Mighty, Matchless Name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.
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Bishop Joseph E. Simmons is the Senior Pastor of Greater St. Paul Church | Oakland, California | www.gspbc.org | http://facebook.com/gspbc | http://twitter.com/josephsimmons5
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