I will never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
The taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed.
I remember it all – oh, how well I remember –
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there’s one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:
God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
His merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
(Lamentations 3:19-23, The Message)
The taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed.
I remember it all – oh, how well I remember –
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there’s one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:
God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
His merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
(Lamentations 3:19-23, The Message)
During the Fukushima Future Forum, each participant was asked to pray and listen to God for wisdom and words to write from their own hearts’ conviction and commitment for the future of Fukushima while they were resting and reflecting on the past four months since March 11. This active waiting of listening to God at the Forum became the most crucial foundation for drafting a declaration, first from personal commitments, then to a communal commitment. Reliance on the Holy Spirit and the work of communal wisdom was one thing my colleagues felt as their non-negotiable in the process of moving to action. This listening to God and responding to him in prayers was something that resembled laments by prophets and psalmists in the Old Testament. With the words of Jeremiah and the permission of the Form organizers, I have copied the prayers of all participants - one or few sentences per person -, a lament of Fukushima people. (Thanks to Midori for translating these beautiful prayers!)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 – Fukushima Future Forum
Father, we realize that you have chosen, called and located us here for the sake of Fukushima. May your will be done in this land through us. May your glory be revealed in Fukushima.
May your name be praised.
Father in heaven, through this great triple-disaster of Fukushima I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this time a blessed opportunity to know you more and for teaching us to understand your will so we know what we should do.
Oh God, thank you for giving me a chance to hear that your work has been done through loving actions done by your church in each area of Fukushima.
Have mercy on those who fear radiation and those who cry with sorrow of losing their loved ones. Restore Fukushima where children can be healthy and feel safe about their future.
Father, may your name be praised. May your loving care be felt by pastors who are here at the Forum and those who are busy at work elsewhere. Help all who labor [in Fukushima] to lay down their heavy burden to you and take away their exhaustion completely. Anoint them with your special oil so that they may take up your easy yoke. Provide them with your power so that they may move forward.
Father in heaven, forgive us our lack of prayers. You said, “Call on me, then I will answer from heaven. I will tell you things beyond your understanding.” Please grant us your mercy, blessing, and gracious work on Fukushima, which is beyond our understanding.
Oh God, lead us in your Holy Spirit and we may take actions from the things we shared at this Forum and what you showed us here. Help us not to make this effort in vain and your work will be advanced in Fukushima.
God, help us to see your sovereignty and reign, and your hands in this Great Disaster. As for this accident of nuclear power plant, I pray for your wisdom and for our ability to understand so that we will make it clear the meaning of this disaster from a biblical perspective.
Lord, our Savior and Helper, You are also our Healer. “My grace is sufficient for you and my power, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” After three months of the disaster, I have fallen in sickness. I did not know whether I could come here or not. By participating in this forum, I experienced that you are the Healer, so I thank you. I believe that you also heal and restore all creation. Please heal and restore the land of Fukushima from radiation and give your peace to all people in Fukushima quickly. Provide all people with your true salvation by using us who have been saved first. I thank you for leading me to this Forum.
Father, have mercy on Fukushima. Show us your will and use us.
Thank you for choosing us and placing us in Fukushima at such a time as this.
We heard what you told us to do. Anoint us with your power so we may continue doing your will. Strengthen us as you have chosen us in our weakness. Encourage, help and lead us in doing what you have entrusted to us.
Make Fukushima be a cornerstone of transformation for the entire Japan. Make people of Fukushima be a living testimony as you love them so deeply.
Thank you for leading us to this special time of meeting fellow workers in you here in Fukushima where so many people are suffering from the accidents of the nuclear power plant. Give me a heart to love you more and follow you with my whole being. Make us reveal who you are, Lord, by showing our love among brothers and sisters in Christ first so that people will know your presence among us.
Make a new bond of love in Christ among people in Fukushima where so many communities were destroyed. Heal and restore the land of Fukushima from contamination by radiation.
Lord, create a future of Fukushima where people cannot see at the moment because of their fear caused by the great disaster and radiation. Make local churches, the body of Christ be a future of Fukushima.
I ask you to reveal your grace and glory in your work of restoration in Fukushima where people have experienced deep pain.
Lord, keep speaking to us what you want us to do. We will follow your instruction.
Lord, you promised us that you will cast the darkness away. Come, Jesus, the light of the world.
Strengthen each local church, Lord. Use them as the light of the world. Reveal your wisdom for each church to act on the specific problems they encounter. Bless each church so they may be a community of love and encouragement and your instrument.
Lord, forgive our sins that Fukushima has committed. Forgive our friends in this region who have been stubborn and worshiped idols. They do not know. Help them to realize who you are. Holy Spirit, open their hearts to understand you.
Lord, you said to us, “If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves,” Forgive our sins. We confess we believe in Jesus Christ. Forgive the sins of churches.
Unite your church and fulfill the prophecies by Joel.
Forgive my disobedience. I did not listen to you, unlike little Samuel who listened and answered to you. I repent. Give me your words again, I will listen to you.
Help churches in Fukushima to be united through a strong network in order to stand firmly against the problems of the nuclear power plant. Speak to each of us according to your will so that we may participate in your work.
Lord, you accept the broken and humble hearts. Crush my pride and sanctify me as an instrument that can be used by you.
[Closing]
We learned from the Old Testament that Israel was chose and loved by the Lord like an apple of eyes. They sinned and they were weak. They lived as slaves in Egypt for 400 years. They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. They were captured by the Babylonians. However, you continuously gave them prophesies of blessings and restoration. Now, by facing this Great Disaster, people from all over Japan and all over the world have paid attention to your prophesy and knelt down before you. We confess our sins and repent. Hear our prayers. At this time we witness together and we pray together. We have fellowship together. Here we have found hope from darkness. This hope will never end in despair. Help us move to action and show us what you will do so that we may see the hope you promised to fulfill. Make what we have discussed at the Forum become our daily ministry. You are the faithful Lord forever to answer all our prayers. In our Lord Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
May your name be praised.
Father in heaven, through this great triple-disaster of Fukushima I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this time a blessed opportunity to know you more and for teaching us to understand your will so we know what we should do.
Oh God, thank you for giving me a chance to hear that your work has been done through loving actions done by your church in each area of Fukushima.
Have mercy on those who fear radiation and those who cry with sorrow of losing their loved ones. Restore Fukushima where children can be healthy and feel safe about their future.
Father, may your name be praised. May your loving care be felt by pastors who are here at the Forum and those who are busy at work elsewhere. Help all who labor [in Fukushima] to lay down their heavy burden to you and take away their exhaustion completely. Anoint them with your special oil so that they may take up your easy yoke. Provide them with your power so that they may move forward.
Father in heaven, forgive us our lack of prayers. You said, “Call on me, then I will answer from heaven. I will tell you things beyond your understanding.” Please grant us your mercy, blessing, and gracious work on Fukushima, which is beyond our understanding.
Oh God, lead us in your Holy Spirit and we may take actions from the things we shared at this Forum and what you showed us here. Help us not to make this effort in vain and your work will be advanced in Fukushima.
God, help us to see your sovereignty and reign, and your hands in this Great Disaster. As for this accident of nuclear power plant, I pray for your wisdom and for our ability to understand so that we will make it clear the meaning of this disaster from a biblical perspective.
Lord, our Savior and Helper, You are also our Healer. “My grace is sufficient for you and my power, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” After three months of the disaster, I have fallen in sickness. I did not know whether I could come here or not. By participating in this forum, I experienced that you are the Healer, so I thank you. I believe that you also heal and restore all creation. Please heal and restore the land of Fukushima from radiation and give your peace to all people in Fukushima quickly. Provide all people with your true salvation by using us who have been saved first. I thank you for leading me to this Forum.
Father, have mercy on Fukushima. Show us your will and use us.
Thank you for choosing us and placing us in Fukushima at such a time as this.
We heard what you told us to do. Anoint us with your power so we may continue doing your will. Strengthen us as you have chosen us in our weakness. Encourage, help and lead us in doing what you have entrusted to us.
Make Fukushima be a cornerstone of transformation for the entire Japan. Make people of Fukushima be a living testimony as you love them so deeply.
Thank you for leading us to this special time of meeting fellow workers in you here in Fukushima where so many people are suffering from the accidents of the nuclear power plant. Give me a heart to love you more and follow you with my whole being. Make us reveal who you are, Lord, by showing our love among brothers and sisters in Christ first so that people will know your presence among us.
Make a new bond of love in Christ among people in Fukushima where so many communities were destroyed. Heal and restore the land of Fukushima from contamination by radiation.
Lord, create a future of Fukushima where people cannot see at the moment because of their fear caused by the great disaster and radiation. Make local churches, the body of Christ be a future of Fukushima.
I ask you to reveal your grace and glory in your work of restoration in Fukushima where people have experienced deep pain.
Lord, keep speaking to us what you want us to do. We will follow your instruction.
Lord, you promised us that you will cast the darkness away. Come, Jesus, the light of the world.
Strengthen each local church, Lord. Use them as the light of the world. Reveal your wisdom for each church to act on the specific problems they encounter. Bless each church so they may be a community of love and encouragement and your instrument.
Lord, forgive our sins that Fukushima has committed. Forgive our friends in this region who have been stubborn and worshiped idols. They do not know. Help them to realize who you are. Holy Spirit, open their hearts to understand you.
Lord, you said to us, “If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves,” Forgive our sins. We confess we believe in Jesus Christ. Forgive the sins of churches.
Unite your church and fulfill the prophecies by Joel.
Forgive my disobedience. I did not listen to you, unlike little Samuel who listened and answered to you. I repent. Give me your words again, I will listen to you.
Help churches in Fukushima to be united through a strong network in order to stand firmly against the problems of the nuclear power plant. Speak to each of us according to your will so that we may participate in your work.
Lord, you accept the broken and humble hearts. Crush my pride and sanctify me as an instrument that can be used by you.
[Closing]
We learned from the Old Testament that Israel was chose and loved by the Lord like an apple of eyes. They sinned and they were weak. They lived as slaves in Egypt for 400 years. They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. They were captured by the Babylonians. However, you continuously gave them prophesies of blessings and restoration. Now, by facing this Great Disaster, people from all over Japan and all over the world have paid attention to your prophesy and knelt down before you. We confess our sins and repent. Hear our prayers. At this time we witness together and we pray together. We have fellowship together. Here we have found hope from darkness. This hope will never end in despair. Help us move to action and show us what you will do so that we may see the hope you promised to fulfill. Make what we have discussed at the Forum become our daily ministry. You are the faithful Lord forever to answer all our prayers. In our Lord Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
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