A Prayer for Assistance

O Gracious God, Goodness beyond all understanding, be with us.  We need You.  We need Your Grace.  We need Your protection.  We need Your Mercy.

So many have told me today that they, too, are in a major fight.  Be near us O Lord.  I pray that we are doing Your Holy Will and the devil is just angry.  You allow these times to make us strong, to make us humble, to make us realize that we can do nothing without You!

In this Lenten season, we know to expect consolation and desolation.  Help us to remember both will pass in Your time.  Help us to dismiss the temptations when we are desolate and hang on to the knowledge of the coming consolation.  When in consolation, let us give You thanks and store up those Graces to help us when the darkness comes again.

Good God, Your people are struggling.  We struggle with our health, our fears, our doubts, our enemies.  Protect us O God.  Give us Your strength, Your peace, the knowledge of Your Love. Your healing.  I especially commend to You the one who is struggling in ways that he will not reveal, but so earnestly asks for prayer.  I bring to you all of your Priests, not only with their daily struggles, but for the additional struggles that assail them in this Holy Reparatory Season!

Lord, You know the ways of the devil and our desire to fight back rather than fight against his attacks within ourselves.   You know the temptation to return insult with insult or to respond when others think us naïve, ignorant, a patsy, or when they believe they are successfully manipulating us.  Help us to be humble and accept the attacks against us.  Help us to remember that Jesus Himself was belittled, humiliated, misunderstood, defamed, and underestimated.  Jesus was tempted by the devil and defeated him soundly, not by attacking back, but by the Truth.  Jesus allowed the blasphemes against Him within His trial and Passion, remaining silent, for the greater Glory!

I thank you for the response of prayer when I realized what others were doing and thinking today, keeping me from responding.  Thank you for the words of that prayer.  I continue to pray it and trust that You will allow them to recognize that the devil is using them and drive him from within them.

Lord, make us worthy to be called the Children of God through a holy and blessed Lent.  Let us honor You, Your Son, and Your Holy Spirit with worthy praise, thanksgiving, penance/fasting, and alms.  Permit us, O Lord, to grow ever closer to You.