Psalm 6 Isaiah 49:1–7 1 Corinthians 1:18–31 John 12:20–36
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; O Lord, heal me . . . . The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord accepts my prayer.
–Psalm 6:2, 9
In the reading from the psalms today, David appeals in sorrow to God for mercy and relief and, when those prayers are answered, finds renewed confidence.
As it was with David, events in our lives can suddenly turn our worlds upside down. Whether it’s a family issue, job insecurity, personal loss, or health concern, we all face challenges that shake our confidence, no matter how many times God has answered our prayers in the past.
This year, my family faced a few of those challenges. But by knowing that God loves us and is merciful, and drawing upon the support of our community, we found the courage to keep moving, look for possibility, and act boldly to serve God. And, like David, we found our prayers answered.
This Lent, we have finally moved through our crisis and find ourselves in a new and better place, with renewed confidence. And we stand—in Lent, and every day thereafter—as proof to those around us that God, in His mercy, does indeed answer our prayers.

–Betsy Daise