Prayer for May 23-29, 2021
Sermon Texts: Psalm 104:24-35, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Acts 2:1-21, John 15:26-16:15, Romans 8:22-27

That our lives may express your generosity

God of all, we rejoice that from the beginning it was your intention that we who were created from the depths of your love would be endowed with your Spirit, breathe your very breath.

We rejoice that we are sustained by your Spirit. We rejoice that your Spirit renews us and renews all of creation. We are astonished that your Spirit can enliven and energize that which seems dead and beyond hope. We are reassured to know that You are able to energize us for new life even when we consider ourselves beyond hope.

We thank You that Jesus was endowed with your Spirit and did all of his ministry with the wisdom and guidance and energy of your Spirit. We are grateful that Jesus promised your Spirit as our guide to truth in the midst of resistance and deceit.

We are awed by the way your Spirit moved among Jesus’ followers on the day of Pentecost, energizing them to speak your speech with hearts and tongues aflame with passion. We rejoice in their boundary-breaking communication and in the alternative ways their lives expressed your own generosity.

We are thankful, that when we are weak, your Spirit assists us as we pray, as we obey, and as we await the day when your will is done fully, on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Prayer for May 16-22, 2021
Sermon Text: John 17:6-19

That we may be wholly yours, as Jesus was

God of all, we rejoice that You have revealed yourself to us through Christ Jesus. We rejoice that Jesus has enabled us to obey your word and receive your wisdom. We celebrate the generous gifts that You have given to Jesus and that he has passed on to us.

As we share the gifts we have received with the world You love, protect us by the power of your name. Remind us that our identity is in You, and in your Chosen One, not in any other source. May our lives be fully dedicated and purified in order to accomplish your purpose among us. May the name of Jesus be glorified through our speech and action, even when the world hates us for clinging tenaciously to our commitment to You. As we commit ourselves wholly to You, as Jesus’ disciples, may we experience the full measure of Jesus’ joy, in spite of the various forms of opposition that we encounter.

May we be wholly yours, just as Jesus was. Amen.

Prayer for May 9-15, 2021

Sermon Text: John 15:9-17

That we may remain in your love

Jesus, enable us to remain in your love. Enable us to trust in your faithfulness and love You courageously enough to risk obedience even when there seem to be easier ways to move forward through life.

Fill us with your joy. Help us to set aside our own desires and agendas in order to lay down our lives for our friends, as You have laid down your life for us, your friends by your choice.

We rejoice that You have revealed God’s will to us through your instruction and action. Let the knowledge You have given to us energize us for fruitful discipleship for God’s reign here. Let us begin by loving You and loving each other each day. Amen.

Prayer for May 2-8, 2021
Sermon Text: John 15:1-8

That your word will be the inner voice that directs us in the path You walked

Jesus, we rejoice that our lives are inextricably linked to yours. We rejoice that the Divine Gardener is at work to remove what is fruitless from our lives. We rejoice that the fruitful parts of our lives are pruned and shaped in order to make our lives bear even more fruit for your glory.

We stay close to You, and abide in You, because we know that we are dependent upon You.

Forgive us when we pull away from You, when we cut ourselves off from You, imagining that we do not need You and that we are able to shape our own lives in meaningful and fruitful ways.

Let your word be planted deep in our hearts and minds, so that it becomes the inner voice that directs us in the path that You walked. Amen.

Prayer for April 25-May 1, 2021
Sermon Text: John 10:11-18

That the din of the world around us will not undermine our loyalty to You

We rejoice in You, Good Shepherd! We thank You for expressing the depths of God’s love by giving your life completely for our benefit and for the glory of the Holy One.

Thank You for staying near when we are under attack by deadly predators that would devour us or undermine our trust in God.

Thank You for revealing yourself to us, knowing us, and calling us by name. We rejoice in the intimacy that You have created with us.

We rejoice that You open your heart and your arms wide in order to welcome diverse people into the fullness of your presence and joy.

Enable us to hear your voice, and follow your leading, even when the din of the world around us threatens to draw our attention and our loyalty away from You.

We love You because You loved us first and fully. Amen.