Intro and Prayer:  Are you expecting God to answer your prayers?  Sometimes we pray with our fingers crossed over our hearts because we know that God is a God of action.  We are called to live out our faith in a persistent manner as the widow was in the Luke passage.  What are you willing to take a stand over?  Education, hate crimes, housing, or unemployment.  What if you complain to officials but you never expect them to change and they call you into serve on jury duty?  Are you ready to back up your prayer with action? I hope that this reflection about the power of prayer will speak to encourage all to serve God more than talk about God.  As you meditate about these questions before you, take a moment to hear God’s Word for us today through Psalm 121, 2 Tim 3: 14-4:5 and Luke 18 from the Bible Experience.  This is the Word of God…let us pray.

            Gracious Lord, thank you for prayers that bring forth action and justice.  Search our hearts, minds, souls and bodies to remove the sin stains of racism and injustice.  We know that only your healing power will rebuild places and spaces of hurt in the world.  As you call us into action through speaking the truth in love, please grant us peace of mind, clarity of thought, and a spirit of joyful obedience to be doers of your word.  Grant us great faith as we rise from our knees to offer prayers for reconciliation and hope.  May we be filled with the Holy Spirit as we walk in newness from this moment into eternity.  In Jesus’ name we pray…Amen.