When those who were around Jesus saw what was coming
[that Judas was betraying Jesus to the authorities],
they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?”
Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and
cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!”
And he touched his ear and healed him. (Luke 22:49-51)
In the midst of the world’s chaos and anger, our collective fears and sins, the need for healing is very real and very personal. The need for compassionate touch, the need to see a so-called enemy and to recognize his hurt, is essential for the healing of the whole world. Pray today for healing. Pray for a person who needs healing, for a relationship that needs healing, for a loneliness that needs the healing of touch. Add your prayers here in the comments, if you wish.
No more. Not again. Spare my friend, Compassionate God. Do not let this hospital visit, this test, this consultation conclude with another cancer diagnosis. No more. She has endured too many times. She will brace her spirit, I’m sure, if this is the diagnosis, but she cannot brace her body by sheer self-determination. Let this not be her course again. No more.