O Heavenly Parent,
In this season of Lent and week of prayer for the healing of AIDS, we are sorrowfully mindful of Your Son’s historical suffering and death for all of humankind; and we also tearfully lament the historical suffering and death of an estimated 36 million people from the pandemic of AIDS since the first cases were reported.
Yet, in our Lenten season of sorrow, our faith gropes in the dark valley for Thee, trusting Thee, knowing that You O Lord will never leave us or forsake us; and that out of the dark night of our excruciating Friday emerges the bright Sunday morning of victorious Resurrection with the defeat of death, the grave, and even AIDS.
O God, consecrate us afresh to be your ambassadors of love, proactively spreading the word throughout our community about this dreaded disease and the imperative for all to avoid the risky behaviors that keep it alive.
O Lord, we give You thanks for doctors, nurses, and social workers, as well as church and community volunteers who lovingly and compassionately give of their time to provide care, support, and spiritual healing to people living with AIDS.
We thank you for providing breakthroughs in medical science that have already saved lives, while bringing a cure within our foreseeable future. We thank you for giving us the victory through Christ our Savior, Lord and Liberator.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen
Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Jr. is the Senior Pastor of Allen Temple Baptist Church (Oakland, CA)
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