BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
September 23, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say that to you he hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Indeed, Holy One, you are that sure foundation on which we stand. Amid the apprehension and unpredictability of this present era, our lives would crumble if you had not planted us securely upon your rock that never fails. Your scriptures and hymns, inspired by your Spirit, speak the words our hearts long to hear. We stand grateful for loved ones who have buoyed us when our souls were ragged, for our church family which offers a place of belonging. We believers are separated by distance perhaps, but not separated from our firm faith in your saving love, our commitment to your church, and our trust in each other.
“Fear not, I am with thee, oh be not dismayed,
for I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.”
The words you first spoke through your prophet Isaiah, “Fear not, for I am with you…” have reverberated through the ages, through many voices, giving us strength to carry on. You have provided aid in our most recent times of trial: for six months you have raised up researchers to probe the origins of and possible cures for the virus; you have called resolute healthcare workers and first responders to assist the ill; you have enlightened leaders to advise us concerning protection; and you have provided avenues which enable us to stay connected. Our vulnerability stems not only from the menacing disease that has seeped into every crevice of our lives, for we have been weakened also by the violence that has increasingly debased our common life. Save us, we pray, from the hatred that blinds us and the fear that leaves us cringing and dismayed. By your omnipotent hand, make us brave enough to confront the forces of prejudice and anger within ourselves, then turn our warring chants into a doxology of hope.
“When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.”
Our lives are replete with personal stories of your saving deliverance, yet we remain fragile mortals who always seek out your healing and renewal. We cannot know the outcome of our prayers, but we trust that when we turn everything over to you, O Bedrock of our Faith, your grace shall be sufficient. So many across our globe are mired in misfortune and who also await your deliverance. Comfort and carry all the afflicted in their hour of sorrow, we pray, and attend to these concerns and joys that are uppermost in the hearts of your people of Church Street:
- One celebrates: no further treatment needed after cancer surgery
- Two thankful for long-awaited reunion
- Gratitude: Mother home from hospital, recovering well from surgery
- College student happily reports her post-surgery pain in easing
- Thankful: Benevolence Ministry – helping poor in our community
- Comfort for member & family – grieving mother’s death
- Traveling mercies for grandson en route to TX today
- Continued prayers for healing of NICU baby
- Dear mother in assisted living with many medical issues
- Member suffering greatly with back pain, prayers for relief
- Safety for members driving to a grandmother’s funeral today
- Healing for family grieving the death of beloved wife & mother
- Blessings for two mothers-to-be, that babies are born healthy
- NICU baby – pray for healing of his heart & for his parents
- All dealing with loss due to wildfires & tropical storm
- Member grieving the recent death of a lifelong friend
- Proper diagnosis of young daughter’s fainting issues
The soul that on Jesus still leans for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no never forsake.
Yes, our souls find their rest in you, Faithful One; may we find courage, too, that we will remain faithful to the end. And by your mercy, grant that we might grow in the resolve of your once-rejected Cornerstone, our Savior, Christ Jesus, who taught us to pray:
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.
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All are welcome at Church Street! We believe every person is of sacred worth and created in God’s image. We welcome and celebrate the gifts God has given to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, status, economic condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious affiliation. We respect diversity of opinion and expressions of Christian faith. We believe God loves everyone unconditionally! As God loves us, so let us love and serve in the name of Christ.
Prayer for Today – October 8
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
October 8, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,
declares the Lord.
(Isaiah 55:8)
God of Grand Imagination, how intricately you have created our universe! All things are aligned so perfectly, such that when we trifle with one component, all other spheres are affected. Human thought could not have imagined nor created such blessed grandeur. And the greater marvel is that we live suspended in this delicate framework within which you have implanted your love. Forgive us, we pray, when we pretend that our thoughts are as yours.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
We confess, Faithful Father, that we don’t always understand your ways. We want to be independent and do things on our own, rather than trusting in your guidance. When we are invited to a meal, we naturally seek out the more prestigious places where the noteworthy folks are gathered; but when we glance around, we see you in the corner with the ill-clad, the foreigners, the unwashed. We overhear you telling them that they are the most valued of all the guests in the room. No wonder we squirm in our seats; for it was only yesterday that we promised we would follow you whatever the cost.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Forgive us, Merciful One, for being so closely tied to the ways of the world. You must know how deeply embedded we are in this sinful soil of earth, and that is why you continue to speak tenderly to us about growing in our faithfulness. You do not hold grudges nor remain angry for long, as mercy is at the heart of who you are. With your steady hand, pull us up from the mire, send us down that road toward trust, and we will pick up where we left off.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Keeper of our Days, we offer the joys and concerns which are experienced by your people at Church Street. All time is in your hands, so we believe you will bring your wholeness at just the right moment:
As you moved the psalmist to declare: “You have turned my mourning into dancing,” bring us all to the time when we might also join in the happy rhythm. Until that time, may we wait with trust and patience for your all-sufficient grace.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Send us out now with open hearts, that we might see the new things you are doing. And bearing the love of Jesus Christ, may we walk with confidence to take that love into all the barren places on our street, in our city, in our nation, and in our world, always remembering the prayer we carry with us:
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.
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Prayer for Today – October 7
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
October 7, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
O Master of Life, the ground beneath us seems to be shifting these days and we strive to regain our footing. Just when we think everything is under control, we feel ourselves slipping again, inch by inch. How unsettling it is when answers come so slowly. Still, we remember our Lord Jesus lived courageously in a time of great danger and uncertainty. He remained the calm amid the storms. Grant, O Holy One, that we might also reflect such inner calm that comes from our trust in you.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Indeed you do bless us with your Quiet Spirit in so many ways. This fall season brings indescribable beauty and you have blessed us with a string of perfect days, with sufficient food, with friends, families, and co-workers who support us.
And when our chattering and complaining minds slow down, we remember the apostle who told us that nothing can separate us from your love. So throughout this day, may we practice courage and faith by chanting with conviction the ancient words of the psalmist:
The Lord our Refuge and Strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea. . . The Lord of Hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge! (Ps 46:1,2, 11)
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Knowing that you are always working on our behalf, we lift up to your care these particular situations expressed by our church family:
Hear also now our private confessions and concerns . . . . . . and our praises for the joys you have brought about in our lives in recent times . . . . . . Thank you, Living Lord, for accepting us, for loving us as we are, and for remaining our Eternal Hope.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We leave these, our earnest prayers, with you, Holy One, for we follow your Beloved Son who taught us to pray without ceasing:
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.
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Join us for Holy Communion at Noon today!
Happening in the Magnolia Lot. If you are downtown or weren’t able to join us on Sunday, we hope you will join us (with your mask!) for a brief service today.
Prayer for Today – October 6
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
October 6, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
O Beauty of Holiness, we are a tense people, eagerly answering the world’s cry for productivity. But you stop us in our tracks with the startling beauty you have sown around us. Lead us to look upward today, to treasure the drifting clouds carrying their secret messages, to take in the tonic of bracing air, to cherish the colored leaves waving their hellos, to receive the blessings of birdsong floating in the breeze. Your creation breathes a silent re-creation within us whenever we give it a chance. Make us new this day, make us holy.
Hear us Lord, for we trust in you.
God of All Kindness, because you gave us your only Son to share your love and to become our example, we know that you value us more deeply than we can comprehend. Therefore, we bow the knee of our hearts to ask anew for your deliverance of our nation. We are battling a fierce virus, bracing ourselves for local and national elections, endeavoring to carry on with our jobs, attempting to educate our children, and seeking ways to protect the older and most vulnerable among us. There are surely harsher challenges washing upon other shores, but we are grasping the frayed ends before us, wondering if our stamina will hold. Keep our hands and hearts steady, we pray, for we believe in your own time you will bind all things together for our good.
Hear us Lord, for we trust in you.
O One Who Travels With Us, we walk your road of mercy, knowing that you will lead us past fear to find hope, past loneliness to find companionship, past anger to find resolution, past suspicion to find trust. In that knowledge, we turn our thanksgivings over to your joy, our concerns over to your mercy, knowing you will keep our feet firm along the way:
Loving God, thank you for the way you give us hope and courage beyond ourselves.
Hear us Lord, for we trust in you.
Gather up our prayers for our own church today, and for the church universal. And though we are separated, we remain one single body, united in spirit and in purpose, offering the words Jesus taught his first disciples:
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.
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Prayer for Today – October 5
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
October 5, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
O Morning Star, you speak to us through the fading leaves that float across the window pane, scuttling down to the cool earth, joining a thousand others. They collect much as our days, crumpled and lifeless, never to come again. These dry remnants seem to say that what is past is past, and that our failures and mistakes have no need of resurrection. As an already-barren branch dances in the breeze, you already seem to be fashioning something new. Let us watch and wait to see what new fruits you are planning for the season to come.
Loving God, hear our prayer.
As chill winds blow, we remember that Jesus taught we are to be our brother’s keeper. Bless those, Dear Lord, who have such thin jackets to ward off the brisk air. From our own storehouse, we have enough to clothe everyone in our city. Teach us to share our bounty more readily, we pray. And we lift up today those who have endured pronounced suffering throughout these long months of the pandemic. Draw near those who have lost their faith in humanity and even their faith in you; couples who have drifted apart; those who have broken down under the strain; those who have no one to speak out on their behalf; for all who are disheartened, and those near death.
Loving God, hear our prayer.
Sure and Certain Hope, shore us up when we feel overwhelmed by the needs around us, for from time to time we ourselves fall into the grip of emptiness and despair. As you have sent others to lift us up in our time of pain, let us draw near and help shoulder the burdens of our brothers and sisters. And accept, we pray, these pleas for help which come from your people at Church Street, while also receiving our praises for your faithfulness:
O Waiting One, sometimes we hesitate to bother you with our earthly concerns, but then we remember you are never too remote to hear our praise or to accept our protests and laments. Take these, along with our noisy chatter and the turmoil of our world up into your Great Silence. And rain down your peace upon us all; for it is Christ’s holy peace for which we deeply long:
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.
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Prayer for Today – October 1
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
October 1, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Truest Friend, you are always true to us, but we are ever having to say we are sorry. You have been faithful to us, but we confess we have been unfaithful to ourselves and to one another. You have brought us from the depths of poverty, but we keep forgetting the poor. You have given us the precious gift of your overwhelmingly rich creation, but we have failed to cherish it and have even marred its goodness. In the midst of all your glory, our sin casts an eerie shadow. Save us from this swirling downward pattern, we pray, and forgive us, that we may learn to forgive each other. Heal us that we may heal others. Embed peace within the sinews of our hearts, that we might always share your holy peace with our brothers and sisters.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We know you as the Hope of the World, for in your benevolence, you freely offered your own Son Jesus who told us of your hope for and your belief in us. His words are the holy soil within which our faith has taken root: “Abide in me and I in you; My peace I give to you; You will shine like the sun; Ask and it shall be given you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened; Do not be afraid; I will give you rest; You are the light of the world; You are the salt of the earth; The truth will make you free; Watch and pray; I am with you always. . .” When we find ourselves in trouble or tribulation, these reflections of your confidence in us, offer the strength we need to carry on, in your Name.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Our requests of you must be wearying, but as you have affirmed your affection for us, we again share these particular situations to you this day. And may we not forget through the hours ahead to offer you our thanks and praise:
Once forgiven, healed, fed, and clothed, we are offered the gift of sharing your ministry, as spelled out so plainly in the directives of the Master: “I am hungry, give me food; I am in prison, come to me; I am thirsty, give me drink; I am a stranger, welcome me; I am naked, clothe me; I am sick, visit me…”
Write your message of love upon our hearts, O Caring One, using letters big and bold, and send us out to tend those whom you have entrusted to us. Then when others read the stories of our lives, they might see a visible testament, your letter of love, addressed to all whom we meet:
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.
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Prayer for Today – September 30
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
September 30, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Under leaden skies the rain patters lightly on the cedars, as softly as a cat moves into a room, licking away its residue of summer dust. The summer has brought its wonders but also fiery protests and the hot smell of death. If your mercy does fall as the gentle rain from heaven, we so need it now. As your sweet drops brush clean the window panes, we might press close, peering out through the clear glass once again. Could that be you, Holy One, huddled within the evergreens, weeping for your children gone astray?
In the chill of autumn, heavy branches bend low in worship, as needles drop to the wet ground. These are as residue of regrets, broken promises, words spoken in haste, missed opportunities for reconciliation. Bathe us with those steady showers of longed-for healing, we pray; and not only ourselves, but for all who suffer everywhere: for lives ended before their time, for loved ones crumpled over by grief, for the imprisoned, the disheartened, the poverty-stricken, the dying. We are a nation of parched souls, thirsting for holy wisdom. Lord, we have been splashed with such grace through the centuries that we have taken it for granted. Rinse away our collective sense of entitlement, we pray.
And grant that our tears may mingle with yours until that sweet-smelling vapor rises from the well-watered earth – the aroma of newness that tells us what is past is past, and what has never been is still possible.
In your mercy, we lay before you these individual joys and concerns that are much on the hearts of your people at Church Street. You know what we need before we ask, but we offer all these, as Jesus welcomed the concerns of all whom he met:
Give us your reassurance, Loving Father, as we move through these troubled times. Whether your encouragement comes as the steady tapping of raindrops on our shoulders, the sound of the earth drinking in your refreshing shower, or as a sigh that comes when something mysterious has happened. We will look for whatever you send, and will continue to pray the prayer your Son taught us:
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.
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Prayer for Today – September 29
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
September 29, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
O God, we often search for you behind the clouds, beyond the bounds of the conventional, but what if you are right here, alive and well in the most obvious? Have we been so busy peering through the mist that we have overlooked your presence before our very eyes? When we pass a vibrant tree or shining shrub, something stirs within us; could it be telling us something about your hope for the world? Might the face of a stranger be offering a clue to the depth of your love?
We confess that we speed through our hours, giving only a passing nod to our surroundings; but you may be speaking to us in every encounter. Unless we learn to observe that which is oh, so near, we may never understand what you long to share.
O Present One, you are not particularly concerned with our peak insights or our other-worldly experiences, but are more interested in the changing texture of our hearts. We confess we have thwarted our spiritual growth by discounting the everyday. Your Son teaches that it is never too late to initiate this heart-work, so slow our steps and sharpen our vision, we pray, that we might detect your Holiness that lives within our day, and to take time to reflect upon each meaning.
Merciful Lord, although we cannot know heaven’s ways, we do believe that you are working within each of us, and desire the best for us; therefore, we lift up our deepest gratitude for what you are bringing about in our lives, and also lift up our pressing concerns before your throne of grace:
You are that Sacred Magnet that pulls us toward your Center. We in the human community all live in that divine energy that is your holiness, which has much to teach us. What we learn from the other we learn about ourselves; when we help another, we somehow discover our own needs. Our small minds cannot fully grasp this mystery, but we are all bound together in Jesus, the Kingdom that has drawn near, who even now invites us to pray:
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.
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Prayer for Today – September 28
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
September 28, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Heal me, hands of Jesus, and search out all my pain;
Restore my hope, remove me fear, and bring me peace again.
Holy Source of Life, we give you thanks for all the signs you offer, telling us that your Spirit’s power is working within all things. We thank you for Jesus, who stretched out his hands to heal the sick, to speak good news to the poor and lonely, who proclaimed the year of the Lord’s favor, and who invited us to take part in his healing ministry. We shrink before the challenge laid out before us, but remember the One who multiplied loaves and fishes, who satisfied the five thousand, who amplified the efforts of ordinary disciples to render extraordinary results, wondering if you might also have a way to use even us.
Know me, mind of Jesus, and show me all my sin,
Dispel the memories of guilt and bring me peace within.
O Healing Balm, as we are bearers of our own wounds and brokenness, our own soiled pasts, and recollections of our failures, we are tempted to disregard your call; but your words hang heavy in the air: “Follow me.” Perhaps it is true that you choose only broken vessels to carry your balm of healing. If that is the case, you have many fragmented souls from which to choose. Cover us again with your limitless oil of mercy, found only in your immense storehouse. Heal us, we pray, that we might then worthily carry your restorative balm to those others who have also been maimed by the world.
May this day treat kindly those who wait in hope for rescue from illness, poverty, wildfires, storm, depression and despair; and those who wait for the next paycheck, the phone call, the medical report, the end of addiction, death itself. As we are your instruments, show us those places where we might make a difference and we will make haste to carry your oil of mercy wherever you send us. And remember as well, these situations uppermost in the hearts of our Church Street family:
Fill me, joy of Jesus, anxiety shall cease,
And heaven’s serenity be mine, for Jesus brings me peace.
Our fears are the color of darkness, Lord, but in your saving grace, you reach in, stirring up joyful blues, greens, and yellows to enliven the dusky hue. We long for the time when fear, unease, and loneliness will be no more. But till that era when heaven’s serenity lives in every heart, keep us filled to the brim with hope. And we shall remain faithful to the ministry to which you have called us, through Christ our Lord:
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.
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Prayer for Today – September 24
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
September 24, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
O Giver of Gifts, you hold out a new day, all wrapped with ribbon sublime, trusting that we will open it with care, using its 1,440 minutes wisely and meaningfully. We thank you that you will not calculate how much we produce during this freely offered bundle of time, for you are not really in the record-keeping business. But you do hope that we will be judicious as we spend our moments in personal encounters, in taking up our tasks, in sharing ministry with others, and in thoughtful contemplation of the sacred. And as the hours unfold, grant that we might learn to be grateful, not just for the high points, but also for the downtimes, as each may bring an important lesson we need to take to heart. And may we remember the love with which this autumn-colored gift was given.
All-Seeing One, there are many among us who live their days under a heavy fog, a free-floating fear that tinges everything they say and do. That unsettling fear has become thicker these past months, as virulent illness and rage take on new forms. We pray we will not allow the present uncertainties to eclipse our sense of promise. Turn that fear, we pray, into a holy mist through which your omnipotence shines in all its clarity. Then we shall once again proclaim that nothing in all the earth can separate us from your love and deliverance through Christ, our Lord!
Touch all who are in pain or any adversity this day; and make your presence known, we pray, to those suffering souls whose names we now whisper in the silence of these moments . . . . . . . . . . . . And also attend to these requests that are voiced by your children at Church Street:
Life-Giving God, we praise you for life itself, for your abiding guidance, and for our Teacher and Messiah who modeled for us the way of love. We confess that we still waver each day, but amid our uncertain steps, may your love shine through our actions, that others will know our hearts are in the right place. Through that same Messiah, by whose pattern we seek to live, we make our prayer:
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.
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Prayer for Today – September 23
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
September 23, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say that to you he hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Indeed, Holy One, you are that sure foundation on which we stand. Amid the apprehension and unpredictability of this present era, our lives would crumble if you had not planted us securely upon your rock that never fails. Your scriptures and hymns, inspired by your Spirit, speak the words our hearts long to hear. We stand grateful for loved ones who have buoyed us when our souls were ragged, for our church family which offers a place of belonging. We believers are separated by distance perhaps, but not separated from our firm faith in your saving love, our commitment to your church, and our trust in each other.
“Fear not, I am with thee, oh be not dismayed,
for I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.”
The words you first spoke through your prophet Isaiah, “Fear not, for I am with you…” have reverberated through the ages, through many voices, giving us strength to carry on. You have provided aid in our most recent times of trial: for six months you have raised up researchers to probe the origins of and possible cures for the virus; you have called resolute healthcare workers and first responders to assist the ill; you have enlightened leaders to advise us concerning protection; and you have provided avenues which enable us to stay connected. Our vulnerability stems not only from the menacing disease that has seeped into every crevice of our lives, for we have been weakened also by the violence that has increasingly debased our common life. Save us, we pray, from the hatred that blinds us and the fear that leaves us cringing and dismayed. By your omnipotent hand, make us brave enough to confront the forces of prejudice and anger within ourselves, then turn our warring chants into a doxology of hope.
“When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.”
Our lives are replete with personal stories of your saving deliverance, yet we remain fragile mortals who always seek out your healing and renewal. We cannot know the outcome of our prayers, but we trust that when we turn everything over to you, O Bedrock of our Faith, your grace shall be sufficient. So many across our globe are mired in misfortune and who also await your deliverance. Comfort and carry all the afflicted in their hour of sorrow, we pray, and attend to these concerns and joys that are uppermost in the hearts of your people of Church Street:
The soul that on Jesus still leans for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no never forsake.
Yes, our souls find their rest in you, Faithful One; may we find courage, too, that we will remain faithful to the end. And by your mercy, grant that we might grow in the resolve of your once-rejected Cornerstone, our Savior, Christ Jesus, who taught us to pray:
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.
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