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).

Love of God Means Love of Others

“Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by God, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food ..." Matthew 25:34-35

"What does it mean to live in the world with a truly compassionate heart, a heart that remains open to all people at all times? It is very important to realize that compassion is more than sympathy or empathy. When we are asked to listen to the pains of people and empathize with their suffering, we soon reach our emotional limits. We can listen only for a short time and only to a few people. In our society we are bombarded with so much 'news' about human misery that our hearts easily get numbed simply because of overload.

But God's compassionate heart does not have limits. God's heart is greater, infinitely greater, than the human heart. It is that divine heart that God wants to give us so that we can love all people without burning out or becoming numb.

It is for this compassionate heart that we pray when we say 'Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.' (Psalm 51:10-11)

The Holy Spirit of God is given to us so that we can become participants in God's compassion and so reach out to all people at all times with God's heart."

Lord, when I fail to love others, as I often do, help me realize that it is because I've first failed to love you, the source of all love. This Lent help me to reach out to someone who is poor-in body or spirit-someone whose love for you may be fading.

Renewed for Life, Daily Lenten Meditations from the works of Henri J.M. Nouwen, edited by Mark Neilsen

A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children

Greetings, Faces of Children Prayer Partner,

This Lenten devotion may be one with which you are familiar as I believe I've sent it out before. Its message bears repeating because the work we do in prayer for children can be downright exhausting. Reading and hearing about the suffering of the children in our communities, local and global, can leave us feeling overwhelmed and emotionally numb.

Nouwen's insight about the divine heart God desires to share with us, gives me great hope for those times in which I am weighed down by the suffering of children around the world. I give God thanks for this generous gift of the Holy Spirit, for God's heart of compassion as we reach out in prayer to "the least of these" in our world.

The Faces of Children prayer group will meet on Wednessday, February 29, 2012, at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride's room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland. Please join us this Lenten season as we prayer for children in our communities and in our world. Fellowship and lunch ($5) will follow.

If you have prayer concerns or celebrations about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call.

Blessings,

Chris