BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
June 3, 2020
Pastor Jan
May we enter this day lifting up praise to you, O Lord, for you entrust us to bless and keep your good earth, to proclaim your holy name, to offer forgiveness as swiftly as the bird in flight, to show mercy when retribution is expected, and to love as sincerely as did your Son. With your help, may it be so.
Loving Lord, hear our prayer.
The apostle reminds us that we already have a sincere faith within us, but he advises us to rekindle this gift from God. For, through grace, we are not given a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. With gifts such as these, are we not supplied sufficiently to address the upheaval of our era? There are grievous inequities among our people; there are unfair practices that widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots. A Voice calls us to awaken, to partner together, that all may live an abundant life and in peace and parity with their neighbors. Grant that we might rouse from our sleep and answer the call to work for oneness.
Loving Lord, hear our prayer.
Wondrous Healer, we pray you would bind up the gaping wounds of our nation so freshly inflicted. The innocent have been slain, and those seeking to help have been injured and traumatized. Violence is not your way, O Lord, so surely you weep when warring scenes unfold. Embed your wisdom within the hearts of our local, state, and national leaders, we pray, that healing resolutions may be fashioned and implemented for the good of all.
Loving Lord, hear our prayer.
Our souls also weep for those who continue to suffer: elderly friends shuttered away and out of touch, those who mourn loved ones who have died, ill family members who can have no visitors, the confused, the imprisoned. May your Spirit be at work among them, that they may know they are not forgotten. And accept also these praises and petitions close to the hearts of your people at Church Street:
- Gratitude: good news from a biopsy report – thank you for praying
- A member’s heart arrhythmia is under control, and he is home from hospital
- Relative in TX sends deep gratitude to those creating our online worship
- Thankful that a family’s move is complete and they are settling in new home
- A mother is grateful that her son and daughter-in-law are now safe in Knoxville
- A happy couple celebrates their 24th wedding anniversary
- Protection for a daughter and a brother in DC & a grandson in Brooklyn
- Wisdom and guidance for daughters making decisions about their mother’s care
- Protection of two family members, police officials working to keep the peace
- That we white people will truly listen to our black brothers and sisters, that we might hear God’s call to change our hearts & our systems of oppression
- Safety of police and National Guard who serve to protect lives and property
- Healing mercies for a woman having major surgery today
- Courage for a member in a rehab unit: ill, lonely, & depressed
- A dear friend awaiting medical test results, that news will be promising
Thank you, Compassionate Friend, for hearing us and for working on our behalf.
Loving Lord, hear our prayer.
We give praise to the Holy One who created us, to Christ who cherishes us, and the Spirit who dwells in our hearts now and evermore:
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.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayer for Today – June 3
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
June 3, 2020
Pastor Jan
May we enter this day lifting up praise to you, O Lord, for you entrust us to bless and keep your good earth, to proclaim your holy name, to offer forgiveness as swiftly as the bird in flight, to show mercy when retribution is expected, and to love as sincerely as did your Son. With your help, may it be so.
Loving Lord, hear our prayer.
The apostle reminds us that we already have a sincere faith within us, but he advises us to rekindle this gift from God. For, through grace, we are not given a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. With gifts such as these, are we not supplied sufficiently to address the upheaval of our era? There are grievous inequities among our people; there are unfair practices that widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots. A Voice calls us to awaken, to partner together, that all may live an abundant life and in peace and parity with their neighbors. Grant that we might rouse from our sleep and answer the call to work for oneness.
Loving Lord, hear our prayer.
Wondrous Healer, we pray you would bind up the gaping wounds of our nation so freshly inflicted. The innocent have been slain, and those seeking to help have been injured and traumatized. Violence is not your way, O Lord, so surely you weep when warring scenes unfold. Embed your wisdom within the hearts of our local, state, and national leaders, we pray, that healing resolutions may be fashioned and implemented for the good of all.
Loving Lord, hear our prayer.
Our souls also weep for those who continue to suffer: elderly friends shuttered away and out of touch, those who mourn loved ones who have died, ill family members who can have no visitors, the confused, the imprisoned. May your Spirit be at work among them, that they may know they are not forgotten. And accept also these praises and petitions close to the hearts of your people at Church Street:
Thank you, Compassionate Friend, for hearing us and for working on our behalf.
Loving Lord, hear our prayer.
We give praise to the Holy One who created us, to Christ who cherishes us, and the Spirit who dwells in our hearts now and evermore:
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.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayer for Today – June 2
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
June 2, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Disturbing Dove, as you swept down upon those huddled ones who clung together in fear so long ago, we pray your Pentecost Spirit would burst upon us again today. Crash open those barricades that have barred us from reaching out to others. Break down those heavy doors of mistrust that have cut us off from the new things you are doing just beyond our driveways. Blow away the broad rooftops that have kept us from basking in your light of grace. We know your Spirit is ever on the move, so stir us up with your fresh wind of hope. Carry us on that life-giving breeze and plant us in the places where we may best be used to spread seeds of healing.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God of Past, Present, and Future, as we look out upon the beauty of today, may we remember those who cannot see. As we listen to birdsong and the soothing rustle of leaves, may we remember those who cannot hear. As we meander across fields of lush green, may we remember those who cannot walk. As we savor the goodness of past blessings, may we remember those whose memory has vanished. Comfort those who bear such keen losses; yet give us wisdom to know we will join them soon enough. Meanwhile may we understand the tender blessings you have bestowed and bow in humility when we take them for granted.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus told us he had come that we might have life in all its fullness. Yes, your goodness abounds and we praise you! Still you know there are times when we do feel empty inside, so watch over these friends in our church family who offer gratitude for your mercy, we pray. And sustain those who have only emptiness to offer:
Deep down, we believe that neither heartache, loneliness, fear, illness, nor even death will separate us from your love. Bring that buried belief to the surface, Loving Lord, that it might be our first thought each and every morning.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Empowering God, may we accept the strength and wisdom your Spirit brings, that we may do our part in offering your hope to others in our broken world. We ask all these things in the name of Jesus the Christ, 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.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayer for Today – June 1
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
June 1, 2020
Pastor Jan
What is it within us, Lord, that causes us to perpetuate the sins of the past? What is it in our make-up that pushes us to categorize and divide our human family? Is it some residue of Cain’s jealousy of and viciousness against his brother that is embedded in us? As the prophet Nathan pierced the veil covering King David’s crime, pierce our own complacency, we pray, that we who remain silent at the sight of injustice will know we are also guilty in your eyes. Forgive our blundering selfishness.
O Lord, hear us, help us, heal us.
Another prophet once said that “Riot is the language of the unheard.” Unstop our ears and our hearts, we pray, that we might detect the cries of the oppressed; for only in listening will we behold your road to redemption. The new questions will be hard and the answers equally disturbing, for much is required of us. Will I reach out to dialogue with those whose skin color is different from my own? Will I help lay open the inequities that exist in our community? Will I take the risk to personally work alongside those who are oppressed? Through your mercy, may we answer rightly.
O Lord, hear us, help us, heal us.
As beings of your creation, you behold each of us as your very own child. We appear as wondrous trees standing alone; but underneath, we are as gnarled roots, knotted tightly within the soil of your sacred love. Only with roots entwined, held together by your living grace, will we grow straight and tall, thriving as community. And by that same grace, we pray you would receive these praises and these pleas for assistance from our Church Street family:
O Lord, hear us, help us, heal us.
This day, may all our prayers be acceptable and rise to heaven, joining all those petitions from around the globe in the name of our Savior, 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.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Join Rev. Rick Isbell for a devotion at 12 PM today
Click here for a short devotion at noon! Or watch it on YouTube any time afterward.
Prayer for Today – May 29
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 29, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Wind of Heaven, we wait today with your disciples in the comforting stillness of that upper room. In our own timidity, we are not prepared for that gushing wind that rips open the windows and overturns our neatly arranged accessories. We are astonished to hear ourselves speaking in unknown tongues, and yet we understand each other perfectly! If it takes such a whirring display to teach us the language of love and community, then let your strong winds blow, O Lord, let them blow!
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Flame of Newness, neither are we prepared for the fingers of flame that circled closely, then rested upon us. These melt away our distractions and call us to witness your unrestrained power at hand. Set fire to our hearts that have long grown cold and indifferent, we pray. When we tremble with fear, ignite us with your glowing new challenges. And may all our false aims and self-centeredness perish in the rubble of your refining grace. If it takes a mystifying blaze to purify our spirits, then release your flame of newness, O Lord, release your flame of newness.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You appear in our midst, O God, on the wings of a dove, a harbinger of your redeeming peace. You arrive at the perfect moment, knowing already the challenges we face and the toll this current pandemic has taken. You come to feed hearts hungering for your presence. Make that presence known to each suffering soul, and especially to those of our Church Street family who offer their own concerns:
Lift us all on your white wings of hope, we pray, and carry us to that healing place.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You come to us, O Holy One, as the power of the roaring wind, as a spark that ignites, and as a dove whose soaring movements cannot be traced. And you come, not just at Pentecost, but every time we open our hearts to your inspiration. Grant that we might become bold enough to share with the world the marvels of our Great Sustainer, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayers resume Monday, June 1
Enjoy your weekend, and we hope to see you in worship with us online this Sunday at 10 am!
Prayer for Today – May 28
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 28, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Weaver of Hope, you have fashioned a multi-colored treasure for us throughout the years. The sky-blue love of friends and family, the golden faithfulness of those who root for us, who wait to hear from us, the emerald accolades that come our way, the coral assurance that we are loved as we are, and the plum promise of a new beginning each and every day. All these are as ribbons woven together into a vivid blanket of blessing. Cover us with that blanket, Lord, especially when the chill of depression fills the night air. And we will remember all that we have received from you and will know that it is more than sufficient.
In your grace, O Lord, hear our prayer.
O Love Without Equal, at times during this gray interlude of isolation, our thoughts turn to those who are not as fortunate as ourselves. And it is well that our souls recognize the somber side of life in this realm. We hear of those who are hurting in their private lives. Let us not overlook those whose loved ones have died, those saddened by family pressures, those whose diseases cannot be cured, those whose burdens cannot be borne alone. We lift up to you light all those who may be despairing this day, especially these whose names we whisper in the silence . . . May each know your tender mercy and feel their hearts strangely warmed.
In your grace, O Lord, hear our prayer.
O Hidden Source of Calm, your Son once asked the blind man a simple question: “What do you want me to do for you?” We believe the same question is asked of us in our age; therefore, we boldly make our requests known to you, especially these which are voiced by our members of our Church Street family:
As you are ever ready to hear us, attend to the needs of your people, O God, and we will ever tell of your constancy.
In your grace, O Lord, hear our prayer.
You have not left us comfortless, for we have your Holy Spirit and your abiding care; so we commit ourselves anew to you, relying upon Christ as our own Example and our Redeemer:
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.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayer for Today – May 27
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 27, 2020
Pastor Jan
Bidden or unbidden, the Lord is with us. Soundless Seeker, are you sitting on the nearby bench or rustling among the leaves overhead? Are you kneeling at the bedside when I pray, or humming with me in the flower bed? You never miss an opportunity to woo us – for where we are, there you also want to be. In this interim, as we discover more about ourselves and our own spirit longings, may we discover you as well. For in truth, they are one in the same.
O Love Never Ending, hear our prayer.
Consoling Counselor, be with those who weep this day: those in the grip of illness, in the web of depression, those in the valley of confusion, neglect, loneliness, hunger, or death. You hear every cry, O Lord, so answer the pleas of your children. And it is true you also gave us ears to detect the sobbing of suffering souls among us. Fine-tune our hearing, we pray, that we might become the Compassionate Christ knocking on the door of the despondent ones and binding their open wounds. Yes, it requires courage to cross those thresholds, but you will supply it.
O Love Never Ending, hear our prayer.
How fortunate we are that you loved us and sought us even before we first drew breath! Fill our lungs with your spirit wind, we pray, that we might sing of your goodness and glory. And in your mercy, breathe on us this day and revive us, as we offer the praises and the concerns of your people at Church Street:
O Love Never Ending, hear our prayer.
You are age to age the same, O Eternal One, so into your hands, we commend our past, our present, and our future, knowing we will still dwell with you when all time is blended together in love:
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.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayer for Today – May 26
prayer for today, UncategorizedBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 26, 2020
Pastor Jan
“Hail the Day that sees him rise!” Let the trumpets sound! Our Risen Lord deserves our songs of praise! So sing we during this interval when we celebrate our Ascended Savior. O God, we offer praise for your Beloved Son who now rules with you in Paradise. We pray his song might become a drumbeat keeping time in our thoughts, a wind of change sweeping through our spirits, a loving tune that would make its home in our souls. Refine us, that we might become worthy instruments of your intent.
Hear us, Good Lord.
Ever-Loving One, we indeed have sorrows: our movements are restricted, our older loved ones are isolated and lonely, our work has changed or disappeared altogether, and we are unable to worship with friends. It is difficult to set aside these setbacks, but we pray you would wipe away all our thoughts colored with negativity this day. The wise man has told us that if in all our ways we acknowledge you, then you will direct our path. You have directed us thus far, O Holy One, so why should we question your presence when the road becomes furrowed?
Hear us, Good Lord.
In so many ways you have blessed us, O Cherished One, so listen as we acknowledge the gifts you have laid at our feet in recent days: . . .
How marvelous is your name in all the earth! Also receive, we pray, these personal thanksgivings and concerns that are on the hearts of our church family:
We know you will touch us with your tender mercy and will remain at our side. For that assurance, and for the ways you heal us, we are humbled.
Hear us, Good Lord.
With the turmoil across the globe and the uncertainty of our health and economy, we worry about the date and time of your return, O Christ. But you told us that such matters are not our concern. So help us to lay aside our questions and timetables, and place our lives in your hands, knowing the ascension was full of promise. We WILL see Jesus again, and on that day, our uncertainty will turn into joy. Until then, let us faithfully watch and wait, all the while offering the words our Savior 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.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayer for Today – May 25
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 25, 2020: Memorial Day
Pastor Jan
O One Who Calls Us Anew, help us to remember that our lives are ephemeral, and the number of our days does not really matter. What does matter is the quality of how we live each one of them. For this reason, you offer us a new beginning every morning – a clean slate on which to record the ways you have blessed us and how, in turn, we have endeavored to be a blessing to others.
Hear us, O Lord, for your mercy is great.
Author of Peace, today we recall the freedoms of the nation in which we live. How easy it is to take them for granted, to accept them as our special birthright. Forgive us, we pray, when we forget the uniformed and civilian brothers and sisters who were caught up in battles not of their own making, and how their own lives were scarred forever by the travesties of war. Thousands upon thousands lost their lives, along with their vanished dreams of earthly happiness. Forgive us when we forget our existence today is made possible only by your grace and by those who bore the bitter struggles of yesterday. Help us in our own time to create a world where peace is the norm, not the exception, and that it is ever laced with justice and love.
Hear us, O Lord, for your mercy is great.
All-Knowing One, we are aware that there are many throughout our own world whose days are filled with strife and piercing fear. We cannot know the depth of their pain, but you know. Watch over each one, we pray, and fashion for the suffering ones a place of comfort. And also accept these individual prayers which come from the hearts of our Church Street family:
We feel your movement in our days and we pray you would hold our gaze steady. May we never lose sight of you, though you are walking just a few steps ahead.
Hear us, O Lord, for your mercy is great.
We commend ourselves into your loving care this day, offering the prayer that reflects our dependence upon and our trust in Christ, our Forever Friend:
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.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayer for Today – May 22
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 22, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Silent One, you lightly wrap us around with tenderness. From the pink gauze of sun’s dawning, to the quiet reverie of verdant valleys in the distance, you speak to us. “Come, behold my glories,” you say. From the flushed row of roses to the mist that hangs over the edge of the garden, you offer us treasures that are ours for the taking. We praise you, O Creator, clothed in holiness. You come to us in quiet kindness and leave us marveling in the shimmering stillness.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O One Who Walks With Us, in the hours to come, may we follow the teaching of the apostle of long ago. May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts this day, and may we be clothed with compassion and kindness. Keep us, Good Lord, from malice, slander, and abusive words. Wrap us around with your humility, gentleness, and patience. And above all, may the forgiveness of Christ overflow in us, that we might stretch out a gracious hand to those who may harm us in any way.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy is the time you spend with us, O Patient One. Drape us with the serenity of your Son, that we may wait calmly for your guidance and for your answers to the pleas of our hearts. You ever hear us, so with confidence we raise these prayers to you:
Thank you, O Lord, for blanketing us with your love, particularly during these weeks of separation from dear ones. May we learn the lessons you have sprinkled throughout this interval, for we know you are ever working on our behalf, regardless of our circumstance. And all these petitions we gladly lift to you, for you are our Beginning and our End, Father of the Son 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.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
New Prayer Schedule
Beginning tomorrow, we will send out a new prayer each Monday through Friday and will take a short break on Saturdays and Sundays. We hope you’ll join Church Street for worship on Sundays at 10 am on our YouTube channel!
Prayer for Today – May 21
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 21, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Ageless One, you sent us Jesus who told stories of everyday living. He spoke of money, taxes, greed, forgiveness, loving, sharing, sadness and lostness. As those who listened intently so long ago, so may we listen to those timeless simple stories that never grow stale and never fail to prick our souls.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
And as we listen, we are discovering day by day just what Jesus asks of us. He calls us to live the life that he lived, and it is not easy. Give us courage, we pray, to say “yes” to that One Who Calls this day and each day. We know it will be a struggle to keep our pledge; but when we err, shake us up, turn us around, and point us toward that narrow path, the path of love that leads to Christ.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We feel you ever so near, O Healing One, and we believe you alone are sustaining us in this era of challenge. Deliver us, we pray, especially in the evening hours when the lights grow dim, that we might remain witnesses to your enduring love. And as you invited us to do so, we again lay our concerns and thanksgivings before you, knowing that you are already moving within us to bring about a new thing:
We thank you, Loving One, for receiving these prayers of our hearts. In whatever way you think best, attend to our pleas.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of Salvation who sent your Son to seek and to save, pour out your courage upon us this day, that we might serve you faithfully all our days. And at the last, may you find us still breathing those words taught us by Jesus himself:
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.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
New Prayer Schedule
Beginning Saturday, we will send out a new prayer each Monday through Friday and will take a short break on Saturdays and Sundays. We hope you’ll join Church Street for worship on Sundays at 10 am on our YouTube channel!