Daily Prayer: 2018

A Year Ends

Father, as we say goodbye to another year, we may have regrets for things we have done or said or for those we have neglected. Help us to repent where it is needed and to trust that you are always ready to forgive. May we go into the new year in the confidence that you hold us in your loving hands. Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

at the turning of the year

Remember us, O God;
from age to age be our comforter.
You have given us the wonder of time,
blessings in days and nights, seasons and years.

Bless your children at the turning of the year
and fill the months ahead with the bright hope
that is ours in the coming of Christ.
You are our God, living and reigning, forever and ever.

Amen

... a prayer from US Conference of Catholic Bishops

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Time

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

Father we want to be able to recall the past that we may learn from it. We also want to prioritize the future that we may take advantage of the opportunities that will come and make our living in the present time as meaningful as possible.

Father, we join the Psalmist praying: “ …teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 (KJV)

And Father help us to apply the admonition of Scripture: “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk —not as unwise people but as wise— 16 making the most of the time,” Ephesians 5:15-16 (HCSB)

Then Father, as we bid the old year farewell and greet the new year with hopeful expectation, we will move forward realizing that time is on our side because you are with us and have given us your promise: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (HCSB)

In the name of Jesus our Savior in time and eternity. Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Faithfulness

Father, I praise You because You have been faithful and I can rest assured that You will continue to be faithful in the coming year! I do not have to be anxious about the future because my times are in Your hand. I know that You are trustworthy and Your promises to me are true. I will not give up believing in Your promises, and I wait in anticipation for the day I see them fulfilled. I know Your timing is perfect. I will remain faithful to You as I wait, and I praise You in advance for the fulfillment of Your promises! Amen.

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

a new year blessing

God, bless to me this new day and coming year.
Open my eyes to the wonder of your presence in my life.
Help me to understand my purpose as I walk in your very presence.
You have given me this time and this season, O God.

Cause me to bring blessing to everything that my eyes behold.
May your blessing in my life cause blessing to flow from me.
I commit to love and to bless my friend and my neighbors.
In truth, I need the blessings of my friends and neighbors.

God, help me to live from the good heart that you have given me.
Give me wisdom to know your will and trust with all of my heart.
Bring blessings into me family and help us all to trust in you.
In all things, I offer myself and my possessions to your service.

Amen

-adapted from a traditional Celtic prayer

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

A Savior is Born

Father,

We are filled with gratitude this day as we celebrate the birth of Your son Jesus Christ. The promised Messiah had finally come, in the most unusual way. As angels proclaimed the good news, and shepherds came to see this child, the world changed. For Your son came to redeem. To remove the veil between us and you. To be our Advocate, our Rescuer, our Redeemer. Our King. We would never again be the same.

May we be mindful of all the ways You are continuing to do Your work on this earth. All the ways You continue to restore, to bring shalom once again. And may we be mindful of how we are part of Your great work to further Your Kingdom this day.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Let us Adore Him

This morning, just two days before Christmas, a chorus is echoing in my mind.

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Here are a few verses from that Christmas carol.

Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels!
Glory to God in the highest glory!
Word of the Father, now in the flesh appearing!
O come, let us adore Him.

Our hearts are filled with the joy of your coming Lord.
Our mouths are filled with your praise.
With the angels we declare your glory.
With the shepherds we bow in awe.

We come in adoration, thanking you for coming to us.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Indecribable

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”

2 Corinthians 9:15 (NKJV)

Father, as I think about the gift of your Son to and for us it is truly overwhelming. That God who is greater than creation took to himself our likeness in flesh and blood. That he who was the glory of heaven in human infancy was laid in a feeding trough of wood and straw. That his life was one of sorrow and suffering. Rejected by his own people, ridiculed by gentiles, and crucified by a foreign hostile government. Literally dying alone on the cross for the sins of the world. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--” Romans 8:32 (NIV) Such is this indescribable gift of God’s mercy and grace. Simply astounding!

It was the ultimate gift of infinite priority. So great is this gift that only God could give it. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son….” John 3:16 NKJV)

It was the measureless gift of eternal dimension. “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” Romans 11:33 (NKJV)

It is the incomprehensible gift of knowledge beyond our full understanding.“…to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.... Ephesians 3:19 (NKJV)

How can we not all say: ”Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NLT)

Our God and Father we bow in humble gratitude and love at the matchless gift of your Son who is our salvation. Amen.

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Emmanuel

Dear God, We thank You today and every day for the gift of Jesus who has restored our relationship with You and made a way for us to daily approach Your throne with boldness.

We can take comfort in knowing that You are Emmanuel, God with us. You hear our prayers, and You are for us. We can take confidence in the fact that You have mended our broken relationship with You, and we are overwhelmed by what You can and will do in our lives and on our behalf as we trust in You!

We bless and praise Your great Name today for who You are and the salvation we have in You. Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Prayers on the Longest Night

As we prepare for Christmas it is always good to remember that this is a very difficult time for many among us. People are, for the first time, celebrating Christmas without their loved ones. So on this day when the night is the longest, I find myself thinking about this meditation (posted below), written in 2001 by Rev. Diane Hendricks. As you read it please think about and pray for those who are hurting so much this season.

Longest Night Meditation

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Only it's not.

Not for everyone.

Not when there is an empty chair at the table.

Not when your body is ravaged with illness.

Not when the depression is too much to bear.

Not without her voice joining yours on the Christmas carols.

Not when you feel all alone even in a crowd.

Not when you are not sure you can even afford the rent or mortgage,
let alone the presents.

Not when they are trying their best to the best of you.

Not when another Christmas party means he will come home drunk again.

It's the most wonderful time of the year?

No, it's not.

And trying to smile and say Merry Christmas is more than difficult.

It's pretty near impossible.

C.S. Lewis once wrote:

"No one ever told me that grief felt so much like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning..."

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Only it's not.

Not after he has died.

Not after the doctor gave you the news.

Not after they told you they would be downsizing.

Not after... you fill in the blank.

Not after September 11.

Not when there is so much violence and destruction in the world.

In truth, it has never been the most wonderful time of the year. Certainly not in the days surrounding that first Christmas so long ago. The story of the birth of Jesus is not to be told with a jolly voice and a merry ho-ho-ho.

It is the story of a teenage girl, pregnant with a child that is not her husband's.

It is the story of a child born in a dirty animal stall.
It is the story of a family of refugees who had to flee their homeland so that their child would not be killed.
It is the story of one sent into the world in peace who was condemned to death.
It is the story of a light sent to shine in the darkness, which the world snuffed out.
It is the story of God's never-ending, self-giving mercy which was rejected and condemned.
In the great work the Messiah, Handel quotes the prophet Isaiah, proclaiming that Jesus was "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." One great theologian reminds us that we cannot come to the manger without acknowledging that it lays in the shadow of the cross.

It is not the most wonderful time of the year.

Only it is! It is:

If we forget about the tinsel and the trees.

If we forget about the holly jolly tidings.

If we forget about the presents and the ornaments and the trappings.

And remember. Remember the story.

Mary was alone and afraid.
But God was with her and exalted her among women.

Joseph was disgraced.
But God revealed in Joseph's cause for disgrace God's plan to save the world.

The world was in darkness.
But God sent the light of life to shine.

The lowly were imprisoned.
But Jesus set them free.

The blind wandered aimlessly.
But Christ gave them eyes to see.

The lame were rejected.
But through the Holy One they were made to leap and dance.

The deaf were confined to the silence.
But the song of life unstopped their ears.

The sorrowful grieved.
But God wipes away our tears.

We were alone.
But in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God is with us.

The people rejected God.
But God embraces us.

The world crucified Christ.
But God would not allow that to be the last word, and gave us the sure hope of the resurrection.

It is the most wonderful time of the year, not because you have to be cheery and happy and merry.

But because you don't.

You can have heavy spirits and shattered dreams. Broken hearts and deep wounds.

And still God comes to be with you.

To comfort you.

To redeem you.

To save you.

To restore you.

To empower you.

To strengthen you.

To grant you peace.

To be raised for you.

To hold you in the communion of saints with those whom you have loved and lost.

To store your tears in his bottle.

To offer you eternal life.

It is the most wonderful time of the year.
For Christ is born.
Love has come.
God is with us!
Thanks be to the Lord our God.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Hope

This blessed time of year should bring abundant joy to all of our hearts. And yet, for some, it brings heartache and sorrow.

There are people mourning the loss of loved ones and dreading the first Christmas without them. Some are grieving over loss of relationship, loss of a job, loss of direction, a grim diagnosis.

There may be some that wonder if they will ever feel joy again.

Truth is, as long as we are living on this earth, we can be certain: joys and sorrows will come, often simultaneously. But in Christ, we have hope.

Hope that our hearts will heal. Our losses will be temporary. Our sorrow will turn to joy.

While we may grieve, praise God we do not grieve as those with no hope. We rejoice at the miracle that Christ came to earth to save His children. Calling to mind His perfect life, willing sacrifice, and the salvation secured by His resurrection is the only thing that can bring rejoicing during difficult times.

We have the confidence that God will wipe away every tear and bring a ray of hope into places of pain and darkness.

We can mourn, knowing we are blessed, because there is coming a time of eternal comfort.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Christ with me

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me,

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of the creation.

Amen.

-Prayer of Saint Patrick

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

A Promise Fulfilled

"Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying 'Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel'. -Luke 2:28-32

Thank you for fulfilling the desire of Simeon's heart ~ not only did he see You, but he held You in his arms. And I thank You, Lord, that what Simeon waited a lifetime to see has been revealed for all who will open their eyes. You are the light of the world. You are the hope of salvation for all who believe. I love You. Amen.

image from googleimages.com prayer from Maranatha Worship Bible

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Timming

”But when the fullness of the time had come,

God sent forth His Son…..”

Galatians 4:4

Father we rejoice in the majesty and precision for your timing. Your time is always the right time, the appropriate time and the perfect time. We may wonder at what appears to be delays and yet at just the right moment, according to your plan, you took action and intervened in human affairs in the most dynamic way imaginable.

The greatest evidence of this is the birth of your Son and our Savior. We celebrate that unique and special day with great joy and public declaration as the Angel said: “¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)

Father, what could possibly be better news than the Savior has come and through faith in Him our sins will be forgiven, our hope of heaven will be secure, and our life from day today will be more meaningful with purpose and peace. It was the day of days and one that will be looked on as a plan completed and a promise fulfilled.

Thank you Father that: “Christmas Time is Here”. Through Jesus our Lord, Amen.

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

His Gift of Joy

My prayer today is that the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with joy by the power of the Holy Spirit. Father, there is no real or lasting joy apart from the truth that is found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You have blessed us with Your love, grace and truth in Him to bring us everlasting life. Every promise You have made will endure and come to pass. You are GOOD and I will praise Your Great Name forever. Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Christmas Prayer for the Troops and their Families

Christmas is a time to be with family and friends. This year some are serving our country overseas and are not with the ones that they love. We ask you Lord to surround those in the military with the presence of loving comrades and times when they can decompress from the stress of combat. We ask you to reveal yourself to those who are lonely and depressed. Help them to embrace the hope of the Babe in the Manger.

For those who worry about their soldier overseas, give them a peace that passes understanding. Help them to find constructive ways to deal with the stress of this situation. And for our governmental leaders, both friendly and not, help them to see past their fears and anger and embrace the One who is called Love. We ask you Lord to bring a lasting peace to the World Lord that your kingdom might come and you will be done. In the name of the Christmas Baby.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Abundant peace

I would imagine there isn’t anyone reading this that couldn’t use a little more peace in their life. Abundant peace. Strengthening peace. The peace that only comes from our Father in heaven.

Nothing gives us a better promise of this than the Holy Word of God.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

The promises in that amazing verse are mighty and powerful and comforting.

We don’t have to be afraid.

He is with us.

We don’t have to be discouraged.

He is our God.

He will strengthen.

He will hold us up.

He is our Victory.

What a treasure these inspired words of God are. We can take those promises to the spiritual bank. They are truth. They are life. They bring us abundant peace and eternal comfort.

Thank you LORD for your promise of a life filled with peace in abundance from your powerful and mighty and Holy hand.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

From the Cradle to the Cross

Dear Lord Jesus,

I cannot comprehend that You, the Creator of the universe, took on flesh and were born of a peasant girl. You, the One who spoke galaxies into existence became a speechless newborn baby. You, the One who gave the stars their light, veiled Your own glory and slipped unnoticed into the human race. You, the One who clothed all of nature in its boundless beauty and order, came to us wrapped in rags and lying in a feeding trough. The miracle of Your incarnation is all too unexpected, too mysterious, too holy for me to understand. I can only follow the shepherds to the manger and bow in astonishment and thanksgiving, glorifying and praising You for all that I have heard and seen. How my heart loves you my Lord and Savior. Amen!

Taken from the Worship Bible ~ Luke 2:6-20

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Life’s Greatest Accomplishment

"Well done, my good servant!' his master replied.”

Luke 19:17 (NIV)

Father, I cannot imagine a greater greeting or affirmation than to hear from you: ”Well done.” It is truly life’s greatest accomplishment. The Apostle Paul reminds us: “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way....” Colossians 1:10 (NIV)

And Father you remind and encourage us to pray for all people, including our leaders. 1 Timothy 2:1-3 (NLT)

"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority ….. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior,"

So, Father, I’d like to give a prayer of thanks for George H.W. Bush, 41^st president of the United States. In his passing and memorial service we have been reminded of the nobility of service to God and Country. The value of humility and seeking the welfare of others above our own. The love of family and friends with its endearing and enduring influence. Father, we were refreshed and somewhat renewed by the civility, community and compassion that came from various sections of our society.

George H.W. Bush’s tears encourage us to be touched with the afflictions of those who suffer. His laughter tells us not to always take life too seriously, and his ambition stirs us to realize there are more good deeds to be done. His funeral was a great moment for America, be a good citizen. A great message from God, love and forgive people. A great motto, have faith in God. Surely Father the one thing that unites us is faith in you. After all we are “One Nation Under God.” Father you remind us: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,” Psalm 33:12 (ESV)

So we thank you Father for this man, this servant, this president. And as the Senate Chaplain Barry Black closed his prayer at the Capital Ceremony: “We pray in the name of George Herbert Walker Bush’s Savior and Friend Jesus Christ, Amen.

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Our Living Hope ... Our Savior

"Praise be to the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," (1 Peter 1:3)

I praise You today and give thanks because You heard the groaning of Your people under our burden of sin. You came to set us free and I thank You that You have drawn us to Your Son, Jesus, whom You sent to bring salvation. Amen

"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world."
1 John 4:14 NIV "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:10 (NIV)

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Come Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit.

Bring needed change in me.
Help me to be humble and teachable.
Cause me to be more like you.

In all ways let me be your reflection.
Let love and compassion ooze from my heart.
Teach me to lean into my heart and trust you.

May all who see me see you.
Empower me to walk in your presence.
In every way, I pray that I project Christ.

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

To find God afresh in Advent

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.

I love that the Messiah was born in a small village. When I think about him being raised in Nazareth I think of the importance of family and community. God could have come as man but came as a baby who could grow experiencing interactions with both children and adults. Not all was good for Jesus though - because folks in his community knew him so well they were blinded to the idea that his origins were greater than their town. Because of this many could not see him as a messianic ruler. This familiarity is also a challenge to those who grow up in religious communities.

In this Advent season, Lord help us to get past our religious familiarities.
Have mercy on us that we might find you afresh in the midst of shopping for gifts.
Open our eyes to ways that we can serve others who are sad because of the season.
That we might be born anew in us in this busy and hectic season of celebrations.

Teach us to hear and sing beloved Christmas carols with new ears and voices.
Open our minds to new understandings of Christmas and how we might worship you.
Grant us grace that we might find new ways to love the baby Jesus in our families.
Come Holy Spirit and fill our hearts and our families with love, faith and peace.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Balance in Life

1 Peter 1:6 (ESV)
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,

The balance of faith in you, Our God and Father, is that in our human weakness we experience the sorrow of grief and in our spirit we experience the joy of hope, believing that Romans 8:28 is true and reliable. Jesus, you experienced such a complementary contraction. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

Thank you Father that we do not need to deny the reality of our grief nor the joy of our faith in you. It is a strange mystery we may not understand but we do know as 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (ESV) says: We do ”…. not grieve as others do who have no hope.”

Thank you Father that you give us the ability to balance our grief and joy in all of life’s experiences.

In Jesus strong Name, Amen.

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Light of the World

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You that in spite of our fallen state, You did not forget us. Thank You for coming into this world, becoming one of us, to show Your light and Your truth, and give us Life! Amen

“He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John‬ ‭1:2-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

wonder

Lord help us to become as children waiting for Christmas. Fill us with a sense of wonder and exciting at your coming this day.

In a world that teaches rationality teach us to embrace the mystery of things that have no answers and offer no solutions.

Cause us to pause this day and take note of all the wondrous things that surround us and bring a sense of awe into our lives.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

preparing

Father,

We have a lot to do.

We have too much to do.

Help us to chose wisely as the Advent season nears and takes us into Christmas. Guide our heart to what we should say yes to and what we should say no to. Keep our hearts focused on You this season, remembering why we prepare. Why we celebrate. Why we love.

Because you made a way for us to be with you once again. Because you first came to us.

Because you first loved us.

Help us prepare well.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Following Jesus

Success is neither fame, wealth, nor power; rather it is seeking, knowing, loving, and obeying God. If you seek, you will know, if you know you will love, if you love, you will obey. ~Charles Habib Malik

John 15:9-11 "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

Oh Jesus, I have no other friend like You. In times of trials you are there. You hear the unspoken longings of my heart. Everything I need to know you have revealed. Seeking You, knowing You, loving You and obeying You are the desires of my heart. Give me your strength to pick up my cross daily and follow You. I love You. Amen.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Remembering the Source

Psalm 103:1-2

Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! ²Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Our God and Father, as we have remembered your benefits at our Thanksgiving Celebrations, may we always be mindful, with continuing gratitude, that such blessings come from your gracious and faithful hands.

Your benefits and gifts are a reminder of your care and compassion for us. We are so appreciative of your kindness and generosity especially in providing the generous and gracious gift of salvation. As the Apostle Paul reminds us:

Titus 3:4-6 (NLT)
⁴ But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, ⁵ he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. ⁶ He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Indeed, thank you Father from whom ALL blessings flow. Amen!

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Giving Thanks

Accept, O Lord,
our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us.
We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation,
for the beauty of this world,
for the wonder of life,
and for the mystery of love.
We thank you for the blessing of family and friends,
and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side.
We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best efforts,
and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy and delight us.
We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.
Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ;
for the truth of his Word and the example of his life;
for his steadfast obedience,
by which he overcame temptation;
for his dying,
through which he overcame death;
and for his rising to life again,
in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.
Grant us the gift of your Spirit,
that we may know him and make him known;
and through him,
at all times and in all places,
may give thanks to you in all things. Amen

The Book of Common Prayer

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

a prayer of thankfulness

Last Saturday I was in an Emergency Room for six hours. Sunday and Monday I was in the hospital. Monday morning I had a medical procedure. Such things bring clarity to life. And they can make one thankful. So please join me in thanking God.

Lord, I am so thankful for the ways that you work in the world. Bless those who are serving others today instead of being home with loved ones. Make your presence known to those who defend us in distant lands. Guide the hands and hearts of doctors, nurses and all who choose to heal. And strengthen those who fight crime and fight fires.

Thank you Father for the love that you pour into the world. For missionaries, domestic and abroad, who spread your light and love. For workers in food pantries, homeless shelters and free clinics we are so grateful. Bless each of these with the understanding that they are your hands and feet of mercy and grace in the world.

Lastly Lord, we give you thanks for all of the people who have been positive influences in our lives. Bless those who teach, inspire and help us to grow into the people you want us to be. Cause us to be people who say thank you to our parents, our spouses and our children. Help them to know, through us, how much they are loved.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

a thanksgiving Santa

My oldest daughter is ready to give birth to her 6th blessing any day now. Yesterday, after her doctor visit, we stopped at the mall for a little Christmas shopping and we had the most precious encounter with Santa Claus.

Here just a few days before Thanksgiving- the one day a year that we have carved out to be thankful- Santa was standing outside the mall ringing bells for the Salvation Army. As he noticed my daughters very pregnant belly, he asked what she was having and then he told her what a precious blessing that baby was going to be and that it was certainly one of the greatest gifts of God.

And then...

He asked us if we knew what the greatest gift of all is, and proceeded to share Jesus with us.

It was a nice moment shared between my daughter and I and Santa, as we were able to tell him that we indeed did know Jesus Christ.

As we walked into the mall, it made me smile to think about this Thanksgiving Santa and his boldness to share Jesus with strangers.

The point of this post?

Just a reminder to each of us to pray for courage and boldness to always be ready to spread the gospel. As we enter this season of thanksgiving, let’s remember who we give ALL thanks to. Let’s pray for continued blessings upon our families. Continued mercies upon our loved ones. But let’s pray for an increased desire to reach out and share the greatest gift of all. Jesus Christ.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15) HCSB

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Thanksgiving

Father, you have lavished us with innumerable blessings. We have a tendency to focus on the things we don't have and our problems. Help us to be a grateful people, and to live out of gratitude for what you have done. Thank you you for your love and grace. Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

FAITH

"Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see." ~William Newton Clark (1841-19120

II Corinthians 5:7 "We live by faith, not by sight."

Heavenly Father, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. We know that we do not see things as they really are. True spiritual sight is reserved for the day when we will see as we are seen. Faith is for this world, sight is for the next. You bless those who believe without seeing. O Lord, give us the strength to walk by faith until that great Day when we will truly walk by sight."

And the Lord haste the day

When my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back like a scroll,

The trump shall resound

And the Lord shall descend'

Even so, it is well with my soul.

~Horacio G. Spafford 1873

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

“Others……….” Hebrews 11:35

Father Hebrews 11 gives a stunning comparison between those where were delivered from trials by faith to those who suffered and died by faith.

Hebrews 11:39-40 (NLT)

³⁹ All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.⁴⁰ For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

Father as I think and pray for the community of Paradise, Ca and other communities in California, suffering from such a devastating conflagration and tragic loss of life, it is with a broken heart that I ask for your peace, mercy and grace to be with them. I know that life does not consist with the things a person possesses but of far greater and infinite value is that of the soul. Jesus said: “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” Matthew 16:26 (NLT)

Father I know that you are profoundly moved by the suffering of other people. “In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years. Isaiah 63:9 (NLT)

Father, may all of those suffering and grieving sense the presence of your love and the strength of your grace sustaining them today and in the months and years to come. May they by faith in you find you more than sufficient for their every need. In Jesus consoling name, Amen.

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Surrender

In the midst of the chaotic world we find ourselves in, I can rest secure, knowing I am enveloped by Your love and mercy, surrounded by Your grace and goodness, Your gifts, Your protection, Your provision. I am thankful and praise You for all that You have done in my life. In the circumstances of life, whatever they may be, this is where You have placed me; this is the responsibility You have entrusted to me. You are working in me every moment to become conformed to the image of Your Son. Thank You, Father. Help me to surrender completely as You work out Your good will in me. Give me strength and courage to let go of the what if's, the fears ...whatever holds me back. To You be the glory forever! Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

a prayer for letting go

Dear God,

In this moment, I let go of all thoughts and concerns.

When I let go, I am able to receive.

When my hands are formed into tight fists, I cannot open my hands to receive anything.

When I hang onto tight control,

When I close off my heart and my spirit,

I cannot receive your blessings for me.

I let go to receive your blessings.

Letting go in this moment, I receive your loving presence around me and within me.

Help me to let go when I am feeling overwhelmed, so that I may receive your peace.

Help me to let go when I feel fear so that in fear’s place I may receive love and courage.

I let go of problems and challenges in order to receive your guidance and clarity.

I let go and trust you.

I will not fall.

You will catch me.

I let go and trust in the still, small voice inside of me.

Help me not to struggle but to surrender my struggle to you.

I gladly receive this gift of letting go and letting you lead me and guide me.

Amen

... a prayer shared by Jackie Trottmann at The Guided Life

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

a prayer to slow down

Heavenly Father,

As we enter into a busy season of holiday celebrations, we give you thanks. We praise your name on high, grateful that you are a God who saves. The true God who is present, near us at every moment. The one true God worthy of our worship and love.

Help us to breathe, O God, in this rush. In and out, with deep inhaling and slow exhaling. Let us sit in silence for a few moments each day, to listen, to slow down. To be quiet.

For you guide us, O God, and we must learn to be silent and listen for your voice. To listen for your direction. Most of all, to enjoy you. Teach us to slow down, to be present as we create memories and experiences. To slow down and see all that you are and all that you are doing around us.

Teach us to enjoy you.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

OBSESSED WITH FORGIVENESS

Ephesians 4:30-32 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you."

Colossians 3:13 "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

Last Sunday we shared Communion in our Worship Service. It was a powerful message on forgiveness. II Corinthians tells us to examine our hearts before taking communion and Pastor share how we can tell if we have a sensitive heart. Are we sensitive to our own sin? To the Spirit's leading? Are we sympathetic to sinners and saints?

If we are so aware of God's forgiveness ~~then we will be obsessed with forgiving others! Ouch! That's one that can be hard to obey, but we do it for Christ's sake.

Dear Lord ~ Open the eyes of my heart and examine it. Lord I want you to find it sensitive and sympathetic to saints and sinners. Lord I want to be obsessed with forgiveness because I know what the cost was for you to forgive my sins and set me free. I pray today for a forgiving spirit with a heart full of gratitude for the forgiveness I have received. I love You. Amen.

googleimages.com

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.

Grace Greater Than All Our Sin.

Romans 5:20

“…...But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more…..”

Just the first stanza and refrain from the wonderful song: “Grace Greater Than All Our Sin.”

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Refrain
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Father the infinite magnitude of Your grace is beyond measure, and obviously greater than the mind can imagine. But, personally, the power of Your grace in the forgiveness, cleansing and reconciliation of sinners is glorious to behold. And Father this is wonderfully spoken of in Ephesians 1:5-7 (NLT) “5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”

In deed Father, we exclaim with King David: Psalm 32:1-2 (NLT) “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt….”

Thank you Father for Your gracious forgiveness through Jesus our Savior.

Amen

Please visit The Prayer List and pray with us.