Where Is the Peace?

 

 

Where is the peace that comes with prayer?

Why such disquiet and consuming fear?

Where is this God to whom we pray?

Why doesn’t He just make COVID disappear?

 

Prayer changes things, is our acclaimed boast

And this we shout from coast to coast

Yet COVID just gets worse and worse and worse

And prayers appear futile in light of its curse.

 

Where is the peace guaranteed in the Word?

Paul mentions it in case you hadn’t heard,

The epistle to the Philippians chapter 4 verse 7

Is where you will find the reference written.

 

 

Where is the peace that comes with prayer?

Why such disquiet and consuming fear?

Where is this God to whom we pray?

Why doesn’t He just make COVID disappear?

 

We call for more prayer yet COVID gets worse

There is a demon within it and it is a curse,

Hence, we pray and shout and we become frantic

And try to tell others they should not panic.

 

In sharing this with a fellow Christian brother

He agreed with me it has become a bother,

He said it reminded him of the prophets of Baal

That screamed and shouted but to no avail.

 

They prayed and prayed to their so-called Baal

Who either went on a journey or his hearing failed

For he answered not a word or came to their aid,

Poor old created Baal couldn’t make the grade.

 

What an indictment given what that brother said!

Why do we behave as though God is dead?

“Let your request be known” is what verse 6 said

And repose in the peace of Almighty God instead.

 

 

Where is the peace that comes with prayer?

Why such disquiet and consuming fear?

Where is this God to whom we pray?

Why doesn’t He just make COVID disappear?

 

We set store in numbers; it is how many pray

And it is what prayer achieves not God anyway,

So, gather the prayer warriors and intercessors too

There is much praying for them all to do.

 

Tell them to be on time; it’s an urgent request,

Now the waters are troubled let us not rest,

God says it is time and His timing is always best

Let’s come together and get rid of this pest.

 

An abundance of praying has already been done

But it is quite apparent up to now COVID has won,

So, how do we measure the success of our prayer?

Pray tell, someone, if you have this wisdom.

 

 

Where is the peace that comes with prayer?

Why such disquiet and consuming fear?

Where is this God to whom we pray?

Why doesn’t He just make COVID disappear?

 

Stewart Russell © October 18, 2021

 

Let’s Listen

 

If everybody’s talking

Then who is really listening?

Recommendations and suggestions

And none to do the bidding.

 

A serious state of affairs

Presses down upon our world

And everybody has the remedy

But no talker can be heard.

 

Hence a world full of remedies

But none can be applied

To the many and varied problems

There’s none to stem the tide.

 

If everybody keeps talking

Then who will be left to listen?

One mouth and two ears

Has certainly gone out of fashion.

 

The ears automatically turn off

Whenever the mouth is engaged

And it will get decidedly worse

As long as mouth keeps up its rage.

 

It’s the problem with the world

As we confront our many problems,

From everyone a solution

Expressed with fervent passion.

 

My point is heard above yours

And therefore you are forced to shout

And while the noises crescendo

Nothing is being worked out.

 

If everybody’s talking

Whose ears will hear God’s word?

No wonder when there’s a lull

Some remark they haven’t heard.

 

For nobody wants to listen

As long as they want to be heard

For what the other has to say

Is nothing short of absurd.

 

  

Two ears to hear the spoken word

And one mouth to share the lot,

Listen twice as much implied

But that message has missed its spot.

 

Ineffective talk is noised around

As we operate in the reverse

And the problems considerably rise

As though indicating a curse.

 

Will I listen?  Will you listen?

Will we curb the incessant talk?

Not to the extent of becoming mute

But of improving the way we walk?

 

Nobody’s listening is an indictment

It’s a bill against you and me,

We’re all to blame for the state we’re in

We’re not acting responsibly.

 

 

We must listen twice as much

That is, twice as much as we speak

And be willing to give an ear to another

If a genuine solution we seek.

 

Stewart Russell © January 2020