Prayer for the week ahead 18/3/24

Favouritism

“For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” James 2 1-5
Father in heaven, we ask that your Holy Spirit will show us this week if we have fallen into the trap of favouritism whether knowingly or unwittingly. Search the deep parts of our hearts and reveal any favouritism there Lord. Help us as your children not to pander or flatter those who may appear rich or influential in this world’s eyes and ignore those who seem less in our eyes. Let us not be part of the world’s worship of celebrity or riches and think or be influenced by that mindset. Help us recognise if we have unwittingly put any teachers or preachers in those places. Let our minds and thoughts be cleansed and aligned with your holy word. Let our gatherings truly reflect unity of heart and purpose, honouring you as we honour and respect the value of each precious soul. Honouring and loving one another and following the example of your son Jesus, our Lord. In his precious name we ask. Hear our prayer Lord today. Amen 🙏