A prayer for Peace

I still harbor some bad feelings about a church I left and Keith Giles had posted this prayer yesterday on his blog. I echo his prayer because it applies to me too. It is sad when you try to visit with another "Christian" but they will not meet with you because they, for whatever reason, think that it is the "right" thing to do...

For those of you who have been shunned by those who once embraced you because you no longer attend the Sunday Morning Service, I pray that the Father would wrap His arms around you and hold you close.

For those of you who have been ignored in the grocery store by a brother or sister in Christ because you no longer believe in the man-made hierarchy of Corporate Church, I pray that God would grant you grace.

For those of you who have lost friends, the respect of family members, and have been invited not to come back to churches that once celebrated your arrival, I pray that Jesus would heal the pain in your heart.

I pray that God would comfort you and remind you that you are not alone. You are not forgotten. Your pain does not go unnoticed.

I pray that you would not return evil for evil, but that you would, in obedience to Christ, pray for those who persecute you. I pray that you would have the grace to forgive those who have treated you so horribly and that you would forgive them and set them free and ask God to remove all condemnation from their hearts.

I pray this for you, my friends, because this is what I need for myself today.