Jeremiah 4:19-21 – My heart, my heart — I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still. For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets and the roar of their battle cries. Waves of destruction roll over the land, until it lies in complete desolation. Suddenly my tents are destroyed; in a moment my shelters are crushed. How long must I see the battle flags and hear the trumpets of war? (NLT)

We don't like to think about unpleasant things — like pain. We want to be positive in our thoughts; however, pain is real and must be dealt with. How often do we experience pain? Many of us live with it every day; it can be all-consuming, paralyzing; it can destroy us, or we can learn from it.

There are different kinds of pain, such as physical pain in the body and emotional pain in the heart. Which is worse? Ah, that is one of the questions of the ages. Though it can't be eliminated, physical pain can be covered more readily with drugs. Emotional pain, pain in the heart, is not as easy to cover. When we love intensely, we will experience pain intensely.

The condition of our world should cause our hearts to hurt. It should make us feel that we must reach out to those who are suffering physically and spiritually, though many times, we are not in a position to help. Even so, we can and must pray for those suffering people. We must pray for our country and our leaders, that they will seek the Lord.

Jeremiah 8:18,19a,21 – My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken. Listen to the weeping of my people; it can be heard all across the land. I hurt with the hurt of my people. I mourn and am overcome with grief. (NLT)

Prayer: Father God, forgive us for failing to take seriously the need to pray about the needs in the world in which we live. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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