Invitation to Prayer

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

"Anger"

"“What is not love is fear. Anger is one of fear’s most potent faces. And it does exactly what the fearful ego wants it to do: It keeps us from receiving love at exactly the moment when we need it most. Our greatest need, when fearful, is to be able to express how scared we are. Instead, of course, we are often tempted to express anger, meekly hoping that somehow, someone will read our minds and say, ‘I know you’re only angry because you feel so scared. Come here and I’ll love you.’ There are those rare moments when the other person is evolved enough to do that; in the vast majority of cases, however, our anger will send others further and further away from us, increasing our pain and our terror.

In the realm of mental energy, what we give to others stays with us. That is true of both love and fear. Anger, then, is not to be denied but surrendered to God. Our prayer is to be shown an alternative way of conflict resolution. We want both to be in touch with our anger and to release our anger. What we do not want is to project our anger onto someone else in the false belief that we will then feel better. Such behavior offers only temporary relief. Before we express our anger to others, the attitude of empowerment is to express our anger as well as our pain to God. God can handle it. The line ‘Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord’ actually means just that. When the anger mounts, call on God. Tell God first.”

Dear God,
Take from me my rage.
I feel such anger from my pain, my frustration, and my disappointment.
I throw my anger in so many inappropriate places.
I do not contain it or use it creatively.

Dear God,
Please grant me serenity and peace that I might know my power within my peace.
Transmute my rage, transform my anger that I might not direct it against others or myself,
That it might be undone, unraveled through the grace of God.
Where I am focusing on someone’s guilt, please show me his innocence, for I know that my attack on him is my own damnation.
I am willing to see everyone’s innocence.
Please show it to me.
Thank you.
Bless us all.
Amen"
Illuminata, a Return to Prayer by Marianne Williamson

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

The last couple of days I’ve been overwhelmed with grief for children and families in some very painful situations. The sudden death of a young woman leaving three children motherless…. A young man and his girlfriend, both drug addicts, and the premature baby they just delivered who is having seizures … Another young mother who suffered a major stroke and whose life hangs in the balance … A child is gunned down in front of a grocery store … The mass rape of girls and women in the Democratic Republic of Congo… Children and parents enslaved by the Burma Army, forced to be porters and land mine sweeps... Anger, that potent face of fear, and grief, its distant cousin, enveloped me.

As I searched for devotion material, I found Williamson’s writings on anger and gave God thanks for these words and prayers. Taking these overwhelming feelings to God in prayer is the only way I know how to survive the anger, the rage, the grief, and the paralyzing fear for at-risk children that bubbles up more often than I care to admit

Thank you for sharing your deep feelings about the at-risk children of our local and global communities with God through prayer. God bless you for your compassion and love for these little ones and those who care for them. The Midland Faces of Children prayer group will meet on Wednesday, January 26, 2010 at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride’s Room at First Presbyterian Church, Midland, to pray in one accord for suffering children everywhere. Fellowship and lunch ($5) will follow..

Your prayers for children are much appreciated! If you have prayer concerns or celebrations about children at risk, those who care for them, have authority over them, or, yes, even those who harm them, please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call. Thank you for your prayers for the children of our community and world.

Advent blessings,
Chris