When the Days Are Evil — A Centering Prayer

The days are evil. They can make me grieved, angry, and hopeless.

But I refuse to stay there.

When we’re confronted with death, it should turn us to the Lord, motivate us to pray and work for justice, entrust ultimate justice to God, and then keep on with the most important work.

Evil Days

I couldn’t escape it today.

-I went for a walk in my neighborhood, where not many days ago a young man shot someone in the middle of the street.

-Over my coffee, I read a news article this morning about a Ukrainian woman stabbed to death in America.

-I attended a memorial service where two members of our church grieved their father who had passed away.

-Then, during the funeral reception, my phone alerted me to news that Charlie Kirk, a conservative speaker, was shot and killed in the middle of a campus event.

I found myself momentarily reeling. I’m angry that for a few days I didn’t feel safe in my neighborhood and wondered whether to let my son go run by himself. I’m grieved anytime, for any reason, someone is killed because of something so profoundly unjust as their political views, skin color, origin—or something as mundane as being in the path of an angry person. I’m sometimes simply at a loss for what to say to comfort those who have lost family members and are hurting.

On days like this, I’ve found the Lord’s prayer beautifully grounding. Re-ground yourself with me.

Matthew 6:9-13 says,

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

    but deliver us from evil.” (ESV)

Turn to the Lord

This prayer begins with a reminder—God is a father, and he is in heaven. God cares about us, and God rules over all things. His heart and his scepter are both in view, and that is wonderfully grounding in uncertain times.

Pray for Justice

When death happens suddenly and unexpectedly, it’s right that we cry out, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” It’s a right grief that this world is not as it should be, that sin and unrighteousness run so often rampant. And we first ask God to right the wrongs only he can.

Work for Righteousness

But the Lord’s prayer and the greatest commandment are tied together. We ask for things to be as they should be, but then we ourselves turn to love God and our neighbor. In a world of darkness, we speak and act with light. We redouble our efforts, knowing time is short and the days are evil.

Entrust Things to God

This prayer acknowledges our dependence. We ask that we might be protected from evil. We ask that we might be guarded from temptation. We ask because we are so often beset by our own weakness and failure, which we contribute to the world. So ultimately, our hope cannot be in a political movement, or a national change, or a legislative bill—though all have their place. Ultimately, we must entrust the universe to God and not ourselves.

Keep Busy With What Matters Most

The thing I love about this prayer is that it reorients me and leaves me ready to work again. The upside-down universe flips right-side up as I pray. And in light of God’s rule and reign, in light of the presence of evil, and in light of the brevity of life, we must get to work.

• We work on preparing ourselves for eternity—knowing each day is precious and brief, and the state of our souls is the most important thing we could worry about.
  
  

• We work on pointing others to Jesus—knowing that their days are not guaranteed and we have such brief time with them.
  
  

• We work on building the church—where saints are strengthened and the good news of Jesus is proclaimed.
  
  

• We work on living just, righteous, peaceful, and loving lives—building businesses, communities, and cities in a way that gives people a glimpse of the heavenly city.
  
  

Ephesians 5 says, "“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (15-16). Let’s be good Christians on evil days. Let’s be all the better because the days are evil.