Not a One Size Fits All Prayer
O Lord, it’s on my heart
again to pray for those who have been
Neglected, Abused,
Oppressed, and Bullied.
These may go undetected
by some, and be obvious to others who turn a blind eye.
It could be as subtle as
always calling a person last for teams,
Or giggling with others
when that person goes by.
Affected are the young,
teens, adults, and the elderly alike.
It could be a person
talking down to someone to show their superiority,
Or continuing to pass
them up for a job that they are highly qualified for.
It may be neglecting to
provide the needed care in a supportive manner.
Or taking credit for the
the clever ideas that the person has,
Because they are quiet
and won’t put up a fuss,
Especially when to do so,
will put them in a position to be further humiliated.
It can be overpowering of
someone by force, or intellect, or confusing the facts.
They might be denying
someone basic human requirements,
Because of their
differences, feeling justified for refusing to supply their needs.
It can be intimidating,
or brutal, or secretive,
Or leading them to jump
through hoops to get what they need,
Where they would do
anything to have that special feeling of acceptance again.
Are we there to support
those who’ve been neglected, abused, oppressed, or bullied?
Do we stand up for them
or befriend them in their need?
Do we determine their
differences or lifestyle choices require this treatment,
Or do we just turn our
backs?
Are we numb to the cry of
the neglected, abused, oppressed and bullied,
Tuning out the News
outcries on their behalf?
O Lord, I pray for their
healing and compassion
Of all those who have
allowed these things to exist.
I pray for the hearts of
all those who perpetuate these offenses against others,
To feel your healing
touch on their hearts of stone,
Their need to be in
power, because of their insecurity or biases,
Have clouded your many
lessons to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
[Leviticus 19:18, Matthew
19:19 & 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, and Galatians 5:14]