Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of February 1, 2023
Rev. Catherine Nance
There are only twenty-eight days this month! The cold air gives us a tiny bit of panic as we draw our arms in and shield ourselves against any wind. As we come to the end of this first day of the second month, may we put our anxiety in your hands. Instead of drawing in, may we open up. Would having a February 30th or 31st really make a difference in our lives? As we come to the close of the day, O Lord, forgive us for feeling harried or spent or depleted. You have given us the time of this day. You have called each day, “good.” Lord who loves us as much mid-week as you did on Sunday, make us to feel your grace this evening.
You are our Keeper, not our scorekeeper. Help us to look back over our day and see it through your eyes. May we see the gifts of food, of work, or interactions with others. We thank you for the gift of our ability to do the things we wanted to do or the gift of someone to help us get those things done. Lord, forgive us when we come to the end of the day and evaluate its worth by what we have ‘gotten done.’
We have been in your presence. You have been with us this day. Knowing your presence brings us meaning and now we can rest as the world grows dark. Forgive us for thinking that today’s worth was dependent on us. This is the day, you made, O Lord. Let us look back on it and give thanks.
Now that we have taken a deep breath and renewed our spirits in your presence, we are able to think of others. Even when thinking about illness, despair, economic strain, addiction, and other situations that weigh us down, taking time to pray brings us a strength. As we let your Holy Spirit wander around in our hearts and minds, we know that same spirit is moving in the folks for whom we are praying. Your same spirit is touching those who are praying and those who have shared concerns.
And so we join as a community of faith and pray for others ….
We pray for …
- A member’s son in the death of his wife; prayers for him and two young children.
- A member waiting on scans and other tests
- A member’s husband who is dealing with multiple health issues
- A college student who is leaving this week to study abroad in Spain for a few months! Safe travels and wonderful experiences!
- A young father whose cancer has returned; prayers for his family and all of the network of caring people as treatments begin
- Friends who are struggling
- Adult children grieving the death of a beloved father
- Memphis
- Family grieving after death of elderly mother
- A woman struggling with mental illness and seeking spiritual counseling
- A sister-in-law who is caring for her 92 year old mother who is now under hospice care.
- The family, friends, and colleagues of a woman who committed suicide;
- The family of an eighteen-year old who died in his sleep last week
We give thanks for …
- The miracle of organ donation; seeing God’s grace work through a time of grief
- A wonderful first week of school at UT
We continue to pray for …
- A friend who is battling stage 4 cancer and is battling a brain bleed from a fall; prayers for her husband is who caregiver
- Caregivers who are struggling with exhaustion; may they know they are doing the best they can
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
