April 27thSomebody prayed for me
Psalm 28
Creflo Dollar is an evangelist and pastor of World Changers Ministries Christian Center in Atlanta. Dollar is known for controversial teachings regarding prosperity theology and has long been criticized for living a lavish lifestyle. According to Wikipedia, he owns two Rolls-Royces, a private jet, and high-end real estate such as a million-dollar homes in Atlanta, New Jersey and Manhattan. Dollar refuses to disclose his salary and seems to be accountable only to himself. For declining to disclose any financial information to independent audit, Creflo Dollar Ministries received a grade of "F" (failing) for financial transparency by the organization Ministry Watch.
Dollar likes to quote Jesus in Matthew where Jesus says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6.34). ‘All these things’ is defined by Pastor Dollar as the kinds of things he enjoys. The trouble with selecting just one verse is that it leaves out the rest of the chapter which hardly equates discipleship with ‘having it all.’
The psalmist here is needy. We don’t know what he or she needs but we could think of the prayers some of our contemporaries pray:
The single parent struggling to support a family, living from cheque to cheque.
The refugee mother trying to get her children to safety in the midst of violence.
The disabled veteran who is denied his pension benefits due to ‘clerical errors.’
The child, sometimes ignored, sometimes picked on at the school she attends.
The prayer is a struggle but it concludes with a communal affirmation and a prayer for the community to be grateful to God for what God is going to do.
The lives of those who recognize God’s claim will have a particular character that begins with trust (v.8). The trusting heart is the joyful, singing heart (v.7). Those who attend to the work of God’s hands (v.5), who receive life as a gift to be lived in dependence upon God, will be characterized by gratitude that enlivens and transforms the community of God’s people (v.7-9).
And for those whom we know who do not yet have all that they need (‘all these things’), we who have more than enough are driven to pray that they too will find the care and comfort they need to sustain them.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=MmZwevg-qlE&feature=share - ‘Somebody prayed for me’