Prayer for October 29-November 4, 2017 

Sermon Texts: Exodus 34:1-12; Mt. 22:34-46

That we may be humble before your wisdom and wonders

Teach us humility, God of wonders. Penetrate our arrogance and overcome our jadedness so that we may react in awe at the many “awesome deeds” that You continue to do among us. Enable us to respond to your saving acts and daily provision with abundant joy.  

Teach us humility, God of wisdom. Overcome our doubts, our failure to listen and our refusal to believe the instruction of Jesus. Enable us to respond to your guidance with quick and glad obedience. Amen.

Prayer for November 5-11, 2017 

Sermon Text: Matthew 23:1-12

That our lives may be aligned with Jesus’ instruction and example

God of wisdom, enable us to receive the instruction of Jesus with humility then align both our words and actions with Jesus’s instruction and example. Enable us to follow Jesus, the Greatest among us, in loving service to our sisters and brothers in faith.

Forgive us when there is a large rift between our religious talk and our public behavior. Forgive us when much of our religious practice is done in order to draw the attention and gain the approval of others. Forgive us when we shy away from important opportunities for service and try to shove them off on others. 

Humble us, if You must, Wise God, until we are able to walk before You, and our companions in faith, with humility. Amen.

Prayer for October 22-28, 2017 

Sermon Texts: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

That we may emulate good examples of faithfulness

God of all people, we rejoice that our lives have been sustained by the prayers of faithful leaders and co-laborers in Christ. Prod us to be continually in prayer for one another. Let our Spirit-guided  prayers be catalysts for lives that abound in faithful, loving labor.  May our hope in Jesus Christ inspire and energize tenacious endurance in our pursuit of your justice and peace.

We rejoice that You have chosen us as your own, and we pray that our lives may give evidence that your Spirit is working among us with power. May we consistently act on our convictions and may we be convicted of our idolatry, greed, and apathy when we do not do so. 

Enable us to follow the examples of Jesus, his apostles, and other faithful ones in the history of the church, so that our lives witness to the One whom You raised from death, Jesus Christ our Sovereign. Amen.

Prayer for October 15-21, 2017 

Sermon Text: Philippians 4:1-9

That wise practices will enable us to stand firm in faith

God of peace, enable us to stand firm in faith by helping us to develop wise practices that attune our hearts and minds to your presence and to your desire for us.

Help us to pursue peace with one another and not allow our relationships to become fractured by our stubbornness or fester with bitterness.

Enable us to rejoice constantly and to act gently toward all whom we encounter. Overcome our anxiety by reminding us of your constant presence and generous gifts. Enable us to approach You, thankfully, in every situation and let your incomprehensible peace flood our lives and guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  

Help us to focus our thoughts on all of the excellent and praiseworthy things that You have created, accomplished and provided for us. Let us practice the best that Jesus and his apostles have modeled for faithful living. Amen.

Prayer for October 8-14, 2017

Sermon Text: Exodus 20:1-20

That we may love You with pure devotion as we love our neighbors in kind and just ways

We rejoice in You, God our Liberator! We rejoice in You who give new life and new hope! We praise You from the depths of our being! We celebrate your presence among us! We declare that You alone are our God!

We rejoice that You have called us, as your people, to live life in alternative ways to the religion of manipulation and the relationships of exploitation and violence that are so prevalent among us.

Enable us to love, serve and honor You with pure devotion. Forgive us when we try to manipulate You for our own objectives. May we seek, constantly, to do your will to enhance your reign throughout your creation. 

Enable us to love and serve our neighbors in kind and just ways. Forgive us when we exploit them for personal advantage and gain. May we constantly give high priority to their needs so that together we may thrive and be fruitful in your presence. Amen.