Prayer for November 3-9, 2013 

Sermon Text: Luke 18:9-14 (a member of the congregation is preaching for me this Sunday)

That we may seek your presence with enthusiasm and joy

Jesus, our desire to see You and be in your presence has often been so strong, so urgent, that we have exerted ourselves in order to skirt every obstacle so that we might draw near You.

When we have done so, we have discovered that You are alert to our presence and aware of our longing.

We realize that your own word has drawn us near.  The history of your great and generous acts has compelled us to seek You and answer your invitation.

When we find You, we find that your word challenges us at the core of our being and calls us to a new way of living.

We learn, also, that You act with generosity, welcome and rescue even as others doubt you and try to set limits on your outgoing and overwhelming love.

Jesus, we thank You for seeing us in our need, befriending us, and enabling us to live new lives.  Amen.

Prayer for October 27-November 2, 2013 

Sermon Text: Luke 18:9-14

That we may live within the outpouring of your goodness

You who are worthy of all our praise, enable us to worship You with humility.  Enable us to see the reality of our sinfulness, and set aside our pride, arrogance, and delusions about our own goodness and autonomy.

We call on You for mercy and forgiveness.  Forgive us for our many sins.  Forgive us for comparing ourselves to others whose hearts only You know.  Forgive us for our misplaced confidence in ourselves.

We praise You that You have forgiven us.  We thank You for transforming us into people of justice and mercy through the ministry and sacrifice of Jesus Christ among us.

We trust You to abase us or exalt us, in your loving mercy, so that we may be fully attuned to You and live within the outpouring of your goodness.  Amen.

Prayer for October 20-26, 2013 

Sermon Text: Luke 18:1-8

That we will pursue justice with vigilant prayer and courageous action

Just God, fill our hearts with passion for your justice so that we will never cease to pray for, practice, and advocate for justice with our best energy and by the guidance of your Spirit.

Prevent us from growing weary in the pursuit of justice.  Prevent us from falling silent when our prayers for justice seem to go unanswered.  Keep us from settling for conditions that allow a few to live with great surplus while many live with constant shortfall.

We rejoice, God of all, that You will bring justice for those who cry out to You.  Let us participate in your justice by vigilant prayer and courageous action.  Amen.

Prayer for October 13-19, 2013 

Sermon Text: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-11

That we may rebuild our uprooted lives with your guidance and energy

God, how hard it is to move on when our lives have been uprooted.  How easy it becomes to turn to those who will fill us with false hope, or confirm the false hopes to which we already cling, by saying exactly what we want them to say.

It is difficult to settle into a reality that has been thrust upon us, difficult to build something meaningful to replace all that we have lost.

But You provide guidance for our places of exile.  You give energy to start life anew.  You give vision of a life of fruitfulness that enhances the lives of our neighbors and even the lives of our enemies.  You enable us to live again!

Thank You for your guidance, for the hope You instill, for the renewed energy that You have given and given again.  Amen.

Prayer for October 6-12, 2013 

Sermon Text: Psalm 137 (with a look at Lamentations too)

That we may move beyond grief and bitterness by facing it truthfully

God of comfort, when we lose that which is truly and deeply meaningful, enable us to express our grief through tears and prayers.  Enable us to name what we have lost.  Enable us to identify our bitterness and our desire for vengeance imagined most terribly.

Turn our thoughts to You.  Enable us to trust You.  Fill us with hope in You.  Move us beyond bitterness.  Move us beyond thoughts of vengeance.  Comfort us!  Heal us!

Move us to worship You with praise.  Move us to love our neighbor gladly.  Move us to love our enemy boldly.  Move us to the new life that only You can give.  Amen.

Prayer for September 29-October 5, 2013 

Sermon Text: Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

That we may see and admit the truth about ourselves

God of hope, at times when we are besieged by life we are tempted to stop trusting You.  Some of us are tempted to deny the truth of our circumstances and assume that everything will just be okay.  Some of us are inclined to presume that You will intervene, even when trouble has come about as the result of our foolishness or sin and we have not sought you or your intervention.  Some of us become passive and refuse to act because we conclude that there is no future for us.

God of all, enable us to see the truth of our circumstances.  Enable us to face reality with courage.  Enable us to admit the truth when we have sinned or played the fool.  Enable us to repent.  Enable us to seek You and trust You and follow your guidance into the new life You promise.

God, our God, we know that there is no real hope apart from your presence and action.  All our hope is in You.  Amen.