Todays Episode

Due to a delayed interview, we will resume our "Loving the Stranger Among Us" series next week. Instead, we wanted to offer something different. While we find our conversations on the podcast impactful, we believe their true power lies in integrating them into our prayer life and daily walk as followers of Jesus.

In the upcoming year, we're planning to introduce a new short bite sized episode every Monday on the podcast, titled "Journey With Prayer." Each episode will provide an opportunity to take a contemplative approach to the content from the previous episode. It aims to help you apply these discussions to your prayer journey and your interactions with those you encounter in your daily life.

Corresponding Episode

journeywithcare.ca/s2e31

Passage

Romans 12:9-10

(ESV): Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

(NLT): Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other."

(NIV): Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Prayer Points

1. Pray for a sincere love that transcends differences and embraces the stranger among us.

2. Pray for a heart that hates evil and clings to what is good, enabling us to challenge prejudices and biases.

3. Pray for a devotion to one another in love, where each person is honored and seen as valuable.

Walking It Out

1. Engage in conversations and acts of kindness: Start intentional conversations with people who may be considered "strangers" or those who are different from you. Show genuine interest in their lives, listen actively, and seek to understand their experiences. Additionally, look for opportunities to perform acts of kindness, no matter how small, that can brighten someone's day or make a positive impact in their lives.

2. Cultivate empathy and compassion: Develop a mindset of empathy and compassion towards others, especially those who may be marginalized or discriminated against due to visible or invisible differences. Make a conscious effort to put yourself in their shoes, understanding their struggles and challenges. Look for ways to create safe spaces where they can be seen, heard, and loved. Practice empathy and compassion by offering support and understanding.

Other Links

Join the Sojourner's Discussion Group: https://www.careimpact.ca/group/journey-with-care-podcast/discussion

CareImpact: careimpact.ca

About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal

DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with children and families: careimpact.ca/donate

Email: podcast@careimpact.ca

Editing and production by Johan Heinrichs: arkpodcasts.ca

Just head over to journey with care dot c a and leave us a message or a voice mail with your feedback. Now here's our very 1st bonus episode for you connected to the content of our previous episode. This is journey with prayer. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 129 to 10. Father, we come before you with open hearts and minds, seeking your guidance and wisdom as we navigate the complexities of relationships with strangers and those who are different from us. Help us to love sincerely seeing the inherent dignity of each person we encounter. Enable us to hate evil and cling to what is good, giving us the courage to challenge our own biases and our own prejudices. Fill us with a devotion to love one another where we honor and value each person as you have created them. But we acknowledge that in our brokenness, it can be a challenge to embrace differences and to extend love to those that are unfamiliar to us. So we ask For your healing and strength in these areas that we might be vessels of your love and grace to others. Give us the patience to listen without feeling threatened, the wisdom to understand the experiences of others, and the humility to learn from them.

Father, we Pray for those who have experienced trauma, discrimination, or the marginalized due to their visible or invisible differences. Grant them resilience, healing, and the knowledge of their inherent worth. Help us to create safe spaces for them where they can be seen, heard, and loved. And we pray For a transformation in our communities, churches, and our society, may our love for one another be a beacon of light that breaks down walls, fosters understanding, and promotes genuine acceptance. God, give us Opportunities to love the stranger among us. Lord, empower us to be agents of change using our voices and actions to walk like you walked, where everyone feels valued, heard, and loved. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Now here are 3 prayer points that you can take into your week. Number 1, pray for a Seer love that transcends differences and embraces the stranger among us. Number 2, pray for a heart that hates evil It clings to what is good, enabling us to challenge prejudices and biases. Number 3, Pray for a devotion to one another in love, where each person is honored and seen as valuable. As you go through this week, Consider how you can actively embrace the stranger among you, whether it be through conversations, acts of kindness, or simply being more attentive and open to those who are different from you. As you encounter people who may be considered invisible strangers, Intentionally listen and engage with empathy and compassion. Throughout the week, continue lifting up these prayers to god and asking for his guidance and for the transformation of our hearts and the hearts of those around us. Remember that change starts With humble and intentional steps, and every act of love can make a difference.

Thanks for listening to journey with prayer.