Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of March 13, 2024
Written by Steve Richardson
God of all creation, God in heaven and in our midst, God of grace and love, we humbly ask you to hear our prayers.
Thank you for the majesty of the spinning Earth and the changing seasons. Thank you for the emerging signs of springtime that hearten our senses ever more frequently. Thank you for the beauty of nature dispersed all around us in this region where we live. Although we know there are other areas around the globe just as delightful as ours, we still feel blessed to call this space our home. To you, God, all praise and glory.
Thank you for your grace and mercy, even when we don’t deserve either. Thank you for sending Jesus the Christ who continues to point us to paths of righteous living, paths of justice, paths of love, paths of hope and confidence, paths of transformation, and paths of eternal life. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to journey with us on those paths every day. Thank you for your constant presence, even when we may not always realize it. To you, God, all praise and glory.
Thank you for daily moments of joy, as well as memories of joy. These are gifts that help sustain us amid the difficulties we face. Thank you for your holy scripture that reminds us many, many times to “fear not” as you surround us with hope and love. Thank you for church and connections that provide ties that bind us in mutual support. To you, God, all praise and glory.
Thank you for minds that can imagine, dream and hope; minds that can reason and solve problems; and minds that can share empathy and compassion with others who grieve and feel despair. Thank you for never abandoning us. Thank you for your Word and your Light. Thank you for the wisdom of Biblical writers, teachers, commentators and scholars. To you, God, all praise and glory.
Yet even with these many blessings and countless others (plus blessings that undergird us but escape our awareness!), we still seek your help and direction. There are circumstances and challenges beyond the abilities of humankind. So we humbly pray to you, Lord, for your sacred omnipotence to bring your creation to its ultimate wholeness. And to you, God, with all praise and glory, we pray that you hear these needs and prayers of others in our church community; and that you surround each person with your loving embrace and comfort…
We pray for ….
- Family members grieving the loss of a beloved mother
- A mother in the hospital
- A newborn who had procedure done recently; prayers for healthy days ahead!
- A mother grieving the death of her son by suicide; Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer!
- A man in our community whose brother has been missing
- One who is looking for safe housing and meaningful work
- A recent widow and her day-to-day coping
We give thanks for ….
- Acceptance letters from colleges and post-high school programs
- Faithful volunteers who come to soup kitchen week after week
- A good job interview; praying I will find the right job.
- A good time away with family over spring break; praying that the rest of the school year will be positive for my children
- Our country and its freedoms
We continue to pray for ……
- A grandmother who has been diagnosed with multiple cancers; prayers for discernment in next steps for treatment
- A member who has moved to skilled nursing care and rehab after a stroke
- A dear friend who was so active and now unable to walk
- A woman seeking employment that will bring her joy and will help her family
- The health of a newborn; may parents make good decisions
- One is traveling overseas for school
- For children who are adjusting to life after the sudden death of their mother
- Victims of Israeli-Hamas war
- Loved ones who are transitioning from ‘home alone’ to ‘assisted living’
- Caregivers who feel they are alone.
- Those whose grief is deep
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.
