Stage 3 Granville to Angers

Pump up your bicycle tires because today we ride through 5 departments of France.  We will be leaving (50) Manche, and moving through (35) Ille-et-Villaine, (53) Mayenne, and ending our ride in (49) Maine-et-Loire.   Or by regions with leaving Normandie  pedaling through Bretagne and ending our trip in Pays-de-la-loire. 

Holy Father, Redeeming Savior, 
We humbly ask that you intercede on our behalf for the people in the north western side of France.  Lord, You know your hearts desire for this area.  You know every need and heart ache.  You know their hearts cry, so teach us to pray for these needs.  Lord, we thank you for each soul that will come to know your this week in France and we thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit in lives.  Lord, use your Church in France to be the salt and light to those around them.  Lord, we desire a change in the hearts of men and women.  We pray that they will leave their way of thinking and turn to You.  Redeem souls, cleanse hearts and transform lives today, and we humbly ask that you begin in us.  
We pray in the name of Jesus our Redeemer.  Amen. 

Wounds and Broken Dreams

Today there were two damaging crashes in the tour.  The Yellow Jersey race leader Fabian

Cancellara ( Trek Factory Racing) finished the race but later pulled out due to damage done to his low back.  Cancellara will be missed not only for his team but by all of his fans.  Cancellara put on his 29th yellow jersey in the Tour de France.  Tomorrow we have cobbles and Cancellara would have been fun to watch because of his skill and understanding of the classics and the cobbles.  So we pray for those who were hurt today  and say good bye to those who departed due to injuries.  Thanks Spartacus for riding today.  We will pray for your healing. 

Lord, we pray for all those who needed to depart the Tour due to the crashes today, but we also pray those who are planning to pedal on tomorrow over the cobbles.  Lord, we know that you can heal bones and broken bodies, but we also ask for healing of broken hearts and dreams.  Father pour your mercy and grace into their lives so that they will see that you are there with them through each revolution they make as they move toward Paris and with those going home.  We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Amen

Articles about the crash

Bleacher Report

British Eurosport

Cycling Weekly

Video of the Crash

Stage 3 Anvers / Huy

Stage three takes us into Belgium Starting near Antwerp finishing close to Liege on top of the Mur de Huy.   Pray for the people of Belgium and for all who cross their borders by land, air or sea.

Lord, Keep us as we experience hills and valleys in our lives that we keep our eyes on you.  Lord help us to keep our eyes on the prize, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  We pray for the people of Belgium and those along the race route so they will look to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith.  We pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.