Prayer for the Environment

I started this blog to chronicle my attempt to pray for every endangered species. Quite honestly, it was a massive undertaking. I'm not sure I regret it, but I do think that it was foolish. Foolish in a godly way? I'm not sure. But the extinction of species is in many ways just the tip of the iceberg of environmental problems, and always caused by some other, larger issue. Is it even helpful to pray for endangered species, or just frustrating for me? I know that I've failed at it pretty spectacularly (I was planning to be done last July, and I'm only slightly past the half-way point).

But can't God use whatever I do that is searching for Him for His purposes? I would still love to finish my quest, even if much, much later than I wanted to. The internet is full of stories of people finishing amazing tasks in incredibly short periods of time... but is that the best way to do things? Hurried, stressed, and concentrating on deadlines?

I am committing to finishing my quest. God will use me--use us, if you would join me! Prayer is powerful.

Lifestyle

I have been thinking a lot about my lifestyle lately. This is partly due to the fact that I moved recently to a new city, so have been starting in many ways afresh. This is also partly due to the fact that I have been reading and thinking about the rest of the world pretty consistently. What right do I have to live in utter luxury, at least compared to so many? What better things could I be doing with my money than buying earrings? What better things could I be doing with my time than playing stupid internet games?

And what about the source of those luxuries? Were those earrings made by underpaid, overworked women and children somewhere? Am I playing games using energy created by burning coal, thus furthering climate change? What about my food--is it farmed and harvested by other underpaid workers, or slaves? Is it grown with chemicals that are destroying the earth?

How can I create an impact that is less harmful? How can I create a lifestyle that doesn't wreak destruction of both lives and the planet?

And how can I create a lifestyle that brings me closer to God? I don't want to just drift through my days and years--I want to be a potent source of God's redeeming love, to those around me and to those I will never meet. I want to live a life that glorifies God, through both my prayer life and the impact that I have on others.

That is my new goal.

Global Warming

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has released a new report that climate change is definitely human-caused and definitely will cause changes in the next hundred years:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/27/ipcc-climate-report-un-secretary-general

Pray for an end to climate change--and act to make it happen!

My Prayer

Lord, I pray that I will blanket the world in prayer. Even if that blanket is badly woven, with many holes and areas of sloppy stitching, please use it for Your purposes.

Please change the world, and make it a place of joy and peace and communion with You. Please help to see its beauty but also its brokenness, around me and around the world. Please remind me to pray for both.

Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

A Difference?

Sometimes when I pray it just seems like what I'm doing is useless. There is so much need--how can I pray for it all? How can my small, quick prayers for one tiny aspect of one problem ever help anything?

For whatever reason The Starfish Story occurred to me recently. It deals with that doubt almost perfectly. Go read it. May it inspire you as it inspired me.

Even small actions make a difference.

Environment and Prayer Quote

“When it comes to climate change . . . what is often missing is quiet reflection and passionate prayer. As the world descends into fearful uncertainty, we need space to ask God for his perspective and intervention, to think about what our abuse of his creation says about us, and to plead for a new vision of God’s purposes for us in his world.”   

                         ~Dave Bookless