Prayer and mercy

By: Chris Gaffney

In Paul’s letter to Jude, in verse 3 it says, using the Oxford Annotated Bible, “ May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance.”

In prayer, whether it be for ourselves or intercessions which can be small or larger, we often ask for peace. But how often to you either hear or think to ask for the mercy of God, which first on this list?

This may be a critical area of lack in our personal prayer requests and our approach to prayer, including the prayers of intercession.

One reason is that calling upon the Lord’s mercy is a humbling prayer, and it may be resisted for that reason. But clearly, according to these verses in the context of the letter of Jude as a whole, an abundance of mercy, an abundance of peace, and an abundance of love is to be requested as the pathway to or back to the Lord.

The quality of mercy, the first on this list, indicates that peace and love follow after mercy. Mercy might be the first thing we should be asking for if we want peace and love for ourselves and others.

There is the presence of evil and the precariousness involved with that for anybody, even those that aren’t directly involved.

The letter of Jude as a whole gives descriptions to some of these evils.

All of us need the mercy, peace and love of the Lord in abundance here and now.

There is the call on individuals to the presence of prayer including intercessions. Before starting to pray for peace for some country, some land, some issue, the first prayer might be for mercy on this country, land, or issue.

This verse from Jude shows us what is one of the great keys to answered prayer, which is calling upon the mercy of the Lord, now, before it is too late.

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