Prayer for November 18-24, 2018 

Sermon Text: 1 Samuel 1:1-20

That the blessings we receive will overflow to others

Listening God, how readily You hear the cries of those who pour out their hearts to You. You heed voices filled with grief and anguish. You recognize the echoes of shattered dreams. And you draw near!

You draw near in words of priestly blessing. You draw near in the loving touch of a friend, child, or spouse. You draw near in the hidden moments of our daily lives in order to do wonders for which we no longer hoped.

You remove the sadness from our faces. You straighten our posture. You enable us to move forward, in trust, even before there is any sign that You are answering our prayers.

Giver of hope, we rejoice in the ways You surprise us by your generosity. We rejoice in the myriad ways that You bless us. We rejoice that You enable us to worship You by dedicating what You give us to your service.      

Enable us to let the blessings You give overflow to bless many other lives. Amen.

Prayer for November 11-17, 2018 

Sermon Texts: Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17; Psalm 127; 1 Kings 17:7-16; Mark 12:38-44

That we may be your partners is sustaining the vulnerable

God of wonders, we rejoice that You care for the most vulnerable among us in ways that sometimes surpass our imagination. You provide abundance where resources are thin. You sustain life when death looms. You answer trust with your own amazing fidelity.

You sustain those who are displaced, oppressed and vulnerable. You bring hope to fruition. You enable generosity even where resources seem inadequate.

You undermine our ostentatious and self-serving actions by prophetic examples of self-giving trust, obedience and generosity.

Forgive us for our selfishness. Forgive us when we seek honor from others by acting in ways that only appear generous and faithful.  

Enable us to be partners, with You, in sustaining the vulnerable and bringing your presence, your resources, your fidelity, your healing, liberation and peace into their lives. As we act in trust, make us vulnerable enough to perceive and receive the gifts that You enable them to share. Amen.

Prayer for November 4-10, 2018 

Sermon Text: Ruth 1:1-22

That we may be welcoming companions of exiles and immigrants

God of all creatures, so many people are forced to leave their homes and migrate to other places because of famine, poverty, tragic loss, illness, persecution and war. A few, like Ruth, make difficult journeys as an act of commitment and love for other people. Though it is not always evident to us, and though some never find a permanent place to settle and call home, You travel with them.

We remember Israel in bondage and freedom. We remember that You intervened to end their slavery. We remember that You journeyed with them as they traveled home to a land that none of them had ever seen. We remember that You were companion, provider and protector. You made new life possible.

Enable us to walk in companionship and solidarity with those who have become exiles and immigrants, who wander and suffer and often find their way obstructed by those of us who have settled lives and abundant resources, but who allow fear to control our responses.  

Enable us to act as agents of your compassion, advocacy, and protection. Enable us to work for the healing of all nations so that fewer people will be displaced by unsettling events. Open our hearts wide for welcome. Amen.

Prayer for October 28-November 3, 2018 

Sermon Text: Mark 10:46-52

That we may follow You in the way

Jesus, we rejoice in your ability to give sight to the blind. We rejoice in your readiness to be interrupted and your willingness to listen to the urgent calls of those who seek your healing touch. We rejoice in your ability to hear faith in the voices of those we are tempted to silence or push to the side. We rejoice that You welcome the newly healed to follow in your way. 

Forgive us when we create an obstacle course for those who are seeking You. Forgive us when we forget that You are ready and able to act on behalf of those who are most vulnerable, those who cry with greatest urgency because they have nowhere else to turn.

Open our eyes so we may see You more clearly and pursue your mission with renewed intensity. Amen.

Prayer for October 21-27, 2018 

Sermon Text: Mark 10:35-45

That we may abandon entitlements to serve others

Jesus, we may not have the audacity to ask for the most important positions of power beside You, but it is not uncommon for us to believe that we deserve favored status, special attention, and extra leniency from You. Many of us are so accustomed to our entitlements that we expect You to maintain our status as those entitled to larger portions and easier access to the abundance You have created for all people.

Our competition with one another about who is most entitled to roles of power and authority, or who should have least restricted access to resources, creates resentment and anger that undermines our ability to live together as your One people.  

Forgive us for our selfishness and our lust for power. Forgive us for driving a wedge between us and our sisters and brothers. Alter our thinking and transfer our energy from seeking our own advantage to serving others in ways that enable them to experience the fullness and fruitfulness of life that You intend for all people. We would follow your example in this, but we need much help. Amen.

Prayer for October 14-20, 2018 

Sermon Text: Mark 10:17-31

That we may relinquish everything that keeps us from following You without reserve

Jesus, we want eternal life by and in your presence. But we want everything else that we can get too.

We are so accustomed to excessive options that we are inclined to think that we can have as much as we want, or as much as we can afford, and then stuff you in the sack of our lives with everything else.

We are so deceived and enslaved by our wealth that we do not perceive the ways that this idolatry nullifies much of the good that we attempt to do. We fail to see how wealth commands our time, attention, energy—in fact, our devotion.

Let those who are not deceived by wealth remain free of its control. Let those of us who are already deceived and controlled find liberation in your powerful word that can break every chain.  

Enable us to celebrate the great riches that You have dispersed among your children without feeling compelled to possess an excess for ourselves. Enable us to relinquish everything that keeps us from following You with our whole being. Amen.

Prayer for October 7-13, 2018 

Sermon Text: Mark 10:2-16

That we may gladly welcome others into your presence

God, sometimes we imagine that our deepest relationships, like marriage, are valuable only as long as they are convenient for us. We want our way in all things, and we are ready to abandon those who are not helping us get what we want. We are unable, or unwilling, to practice fidelity when that becomes challenging to us. We harden our hearts toward your desire for us as we harden ourselves toward those who have given themselves to us without reserve. We even try to marshal your word in defense of disposable relationships.

You urge and hold us to faithful practices. You compel us to keep our hearts open to those who are already part of our lives, and then open them wider to embrace those who come near in vulnerability and need and strangeness. 

Let our hearts be open to children and to others who seem to trust You implicitly and without calculation. Let us follow them in glad reception of your presence and reign among us. Amen.