Rainbow Prayers

Living in a community where I regularly see rainbow flags flying, I shouldn’t have been surprised when God grabbed my attention with one on a Sunday morning during our Breakfast and Bible Study group as I looked out the window and saw a giant one flying over the city.

At that moment, I saw the rainbow flag through a different set of eyes. It was as if I got a God’s eye view of our efforts to be noticed and protected by Him. From my vantage point, the flag looked small in comparison to the vastness of the landscape around it, even though to the people under it, the flag would have seemed huge. A lot of the time, I think I’m doing something big for God, but is it?

The flag hung there limply for several minutes. Then I saw the wind begin to move the tops of the trees around us then move down into the valley, until the flag unfurled in a splendor of bright colors. It struck me that without the wind of the Holy Spirit, all my efforts are not worth much. I’m like that flag wrapped around the crane, just waiting for something to move me.

Yes, I lost track of what was going on in our Bible Study, as I pulled out my phone to look up the origin of the flag and what the colors symbolized. I also made a quick check of what the colors often signify in the Bible. There are some differences, but it didn’t seem important because my mind was already moving on in prayer, using the words assigned to the colors by the flag’s creator:

Red – Life
That life in Christ would become central in all our lives.

Orange – Healing
That God would pour out healing and restoration on people and my community.

Yellow – Sunlight
That the Son of Light (another name for Jesus) would shine on each person that they might know the warmth of His love.

Green – Nature
That all would see the Creator through nature.

Blue – Harmony or Serenity
That there would be calm unity in our diversity, which allows for real love and concern to be shared.

Purple – Spirit
That the Spirit of God would move in our lives, that we would live in the fullness of God’s plan for each of us.

In the weeks since this event, I’ve been praising God for giving me new insight into His loving nature. Now, no matter where I see the rainbow, up in the clouds, or as a flag, I take a moment to pray for the people and communities under it. I hope the next time you see a rainbow you will join me in praying!

Andrea