The
first phrase of this collect/prayer is found in Psalm 80. “Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel, You who
lead Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine
forth! Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your power And come to
save us! O God, restore us And cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be
saved.” (Psalm 80:1-3)
The people of Israel prayed this regularly, but they were
not prepared for the answer to their pleas. God responded in a most unexpected
way—with a baby, born in a stable, to a carpenter. God responded with an
itinerant rabbi who welcomed the outsiders and turned the world upside down.
When world and personal problems surface, we pray for God’s
intervention, too. However, we might be surprised by the answer.
Matthew West's Christian song Do Something is one answer we can get when we complain to God. 'I made you' says God [to respond to the needs of the world].
Have you ever prayed for God’s power to help you? Were you
surprised by the answer?
