Prayer Meditation for the People of Haiti

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)

May our God, in all his strength, compassion, and mercy find you in your time of suffering; may he reach you in this season of darkness with his enveloping light of wonderment and love. May his tender hands, which have crafted the very winds and waves, which have formed the earth itself, now with resolve and with deep power lift you from your despair and disaster.

In the night, when the air fills with the melody of misery and mayhem, may you instead sing to him, "I need thee, Lord I need thee, every hour I need thee." And may he then quickly usher into your spirit, "There is not a friend, like the lonely Jesus, no not one, no not one." Be encouraged, that the God whose presence provided protection for the offspring of Abraham, for the family of Noah, for the children of Israel and for countless others in the body of Christ is yet at work here.

Locate yourself in the history of God's people, in the crowd gathered around the Christ. Attach your struggle and hardship to the hem of his garment and be freed by the Holy Spirit. You have survived; and your survival wasn't by surprise, accident, or natural ability. It was by the grace and mercy of God, who has appointed you for this time. And so while the earth may quake and sea billows may roll, know that it is well with your soul. You serve an unmoving, all-knowing, powerful, healing, merciful and grace-full God!

In Prayer,

Ron Bell, Jr.

UMCOR Relief Efforts

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® Copyright® 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Ron Bell, Jr. is the Director of Strengthening the Black Church (SBC-21) Congregational Development for the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Copyright 2010 Ron Bell, Jr.. Posted with permission on the Worship website of the Discipleship Ministries.