Pray for our family

Pastor Raker and church, I am requesting prayer for my family. We have been humbled after being very rebellious, pridefully refusing to wear masks or social distance. We went to the beach and a family BBQ with 60 people where no one wore masks. Now 22 family members have the virus and some are dying. This past week we lost my father, brother-in-law and aunt. My brother is not doing well and now his daughter, my 7 year old niece is in hospital with the virus. She is very sick. It is too much all at once. Only my father had a preexisting condition with lung issues from smoking for many years – he quit 4 years ago. My bother-in-law was 48 and healthy. He loved riding his Harley every weekend and worked as an electrician. My brother is only 43 and was very healthy. He is a carpenter building large offices. My father was only 65 and planning on retiring this year. My niece had no health issues. So everything we were told was false.

I note none of you wear a mask. Please start now! I now think we are bringing on this rebuke for our prideful ways. I and my family were among the most prideful. Now we are humbly begging for forgiveness. We have changed churches to where the bible is preached and less music is played. We attend virtually almost weekly. I am encouraging my husband to think about joining your church. We live in Arkansas so it would be difficult to join you physically, but everything is virtual anyway, right? Your services are a joy! We enjoy your music, announcements and especially your biblically based sermons. I too believe America’s best days are behind her as our pride has made God lift His hand of blessing from us. You said America is not in the book of Revelation. That opened our eyes! What is going to happen to us now is very troubling but we are trying to have faith and get closer to Jesus for His protection while our country falls apart in an increasingly violent war between the left and right.

Back to my family, please pray for my brother, Allen and niece Sarah. They are believers as is all our family. But I fear we were shallow believers as we did not study the bible very often and only attended church 2 or 3 times a month and only our children went to bible study classes.

My daughter asked me why God was so mean. I told her that He is not mean, He is allowing us to reap as we sow, we want to be independent and judge others. We are worried about our rights, our liberty and anyone disrespecting us. Yet the Bible says nothing about our rights being greater than our neighbors. Instead of being prideful, we are to be humble. Instead of judging people by their race or skin color or even their attitudes. We are to love them and forgive when they ask for it. Please pray for us as we are determined to follow the Lord Jesus more closely, to let go of our pride, to be more forgiving and to trust God by putting everything in His hands (and not judge things ourselves).

Thank you for your wonderful broadcast. We pray the Lord blesses your church to continue sharing His word. It is a blessing during this time of isolation (but PLEASE, wear a mask!).