BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 22, 2020
Pastor Jan
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation!
We offer our praise to you this morning, for you offer us this day with all its possibilities. We enter these first hours of light, bringing with us our own stories, our hopes, and our fears. Prepare our hearts, Generous God, that we might recognize and receive the goodness you have already planted at our fingertips. May we also examine our souls in these moments, offering our sincere regrets and remorse . . .
Wipe away all our misdoings that have come before, for we are your cherished ones, and you are ever willing to offer us a day of new beginnings.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus, we remember that through your words and touch, those who were distressed found peace and those who were tormented found rest. You wept over the city you loved, and you shed tears when your own friend Lazarus died. As our own Wounded Healer, who shares our mourning and our grief, bless all who are engaged in healing ministries during this time of trouble: those who work in hospitals and hospices, nursing homes and assisted living residences; for nurses, technicians, doctors, chaplains, and counselors; for peacekeepers, priests, and pastors. Through your healing grace, uphold all who love you, all who seek you, and all who need you.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Most particularly, hear us now, as we voice these petitions on behalf or our church family — our thanksgivings and also our prayers of pain and concern — which we lift up to your listening ear:
- Physician parents give thanks: their young children remain healthy
- Praises: a very ill sister has been granted release from the hospital
- Grandparents rejoice in being able to spend more time with a bright and beautiful young grandson
- Prayers appreciated: no new cancer cells discovered in today’s scans
- Gratitude: Daughter in PA (nurse) with COVID-19 is feeling much better
- Courage for church families enduring financial & emotional stress
- Parents under great strain; healing and help for three of their adult children who suffer emotional and psychological maladies
- A mother and adult children in conflict, for understanding & healing
- Prayers for an adult son to enter a drug rehab program
- Four faithful churchwomen who are undergoing cancer treatments
- Peace for a friend with rectal cancer as she faces surgery next week
- Healing prayers for an 8-yr-old cousin with lymphoma at St. Jude’s
- An uncle in Illinois with pre-existing conditions suffers from COVID-19
- Peace for loved ones nearing death, peace for grieving family members
- That job openings may come soon, as the virus threat lessens
We depend upon you always, Healing God, for we know that wherever there is love and caring, you are also there.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus, our Friend, be with us this day and every day, for all that we have, all that we are, and all we hope to be, we offer in your name:
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.
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 – April 30
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 30, 2020
Pastor Jan
Jesus, Humble Savior, we hear your soft knock on our door every morning. Sadly, sometimes we are busy and refuse to answer. At other times we feel guilty and leave the door shut, not wanting to admit our self-centeredness. Forgive our lack of hospitality, we pray. Help us to center ourselves on your love and pattern our lives after yours. Then our ears will be attuned to your quiet rapping, and we will fling wide the door of our hearts, embracing you as our most Welcome Guest.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God So Near Yet Far, we long for the trust we once had in you. We miss the deep faith we’ve somehow lost along the way. We know, of course, that your love for and faith in us is changeless, and that there is nothing we can do to alter that. The withering, rather, is on our part, for we have forgotten to make you the center of our lives. Remind us that today is not too late to rebuild our relationship with the Holy. We begin by sharing with you our wholehearted gratitude for all you have meant to us throughout our days . . . We honor you, we praise you, we pledge to remember the limitless ways you continue to move in our lives.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We have witnessed your work among us throughout these long and onerous weeks, and we know you are eager to bring us to that new land where strange illnesses do not attack the vulnerable. So hear our own private prayers we offer in the silence of our souls . . . and also work within these situations that are borne by our church friends:
Clear our minds and calm our spirits this day, for we know that your healing power alone can make us whole again.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Accept all our prayers and touch the most wounded places in our souls this day, for we offer these in the name of Jesus, the Great Healer, 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 – April 29
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 29, 2020
Pastor Jan
O God, Just and Merciful, your Son affirmed the great value of every human life, and he worked to break down the barriers that separate us. Our minds, though, are forever categorizing our brothers and sisters: those who believe as we believe and those whose beliefs are outside the box; those who are financially successful and those who barely exist from paycheck to paycheck; those who are well-read and well-educated and those who exhibit only mediocre schooling; the well-scrubbed and the great unwashed. As long as these patterns of discrimination exist within us, they will consistently collide with the love of Christ. Unbind us from this stiff rope of typecasting, we pray, lest we miss the kingdom’s goal.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
As you treasure each of us, O Loving Parent, we submit our gratitude for all the mercies you have laid at our doorstep: the adaptability of children, business owners who seek to protect their customers, our country where we are free to speak out, government monies helping the unemployed, ingenuity of those searching for ways to help the isolated and hungry, medical teams and first responders. And above all, when we are forgotten by others, we have a Savior who remembers and calls us by name. Your gifts abound, and we humbly thank you.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
There remain, however, those concerns that leave us anxious and interrupt our sleep. As you instructed, we bring these to you . . .
Hear us, we pray, and also receive these prayers earnestly extended by members of our church family:
As a Loving Mother and Father, and through your infinite goodness, we know you will continue to care for us.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Resurrection, your promise of hope lives on in our hearts and was made manifest in your Son, Jesus Christ. As he promised, in your own appointed time we shall gather with all the saints around that bountiful table of peace. Until then, deal kindly with your servants who 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 – April 28
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 28, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Love Ever Near, we rejoice that you have brought us to a new day – another chance to experience your grace. Open our senses that we may detect your grace in even the smallest things: faithfulness of the postman, dedication of the grocery workers, the roof that protects us, aroma of dinner on the stove, the unexpected text from a long-ago acquaintance, the dew upon the peonies, the wren that sings despite the rain. All are rare treasures – undeserved and often overlooked. Refresh us through all that we see, hear, taste, smell and feel this day.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, Source of All Insight, forgive our shallow understanding of your love for us and the joy you experience when we call your name. Our vaporous concepts cannot contain all that you truly are. Surely it is enough, however, that we know you as Blessed Friend, for a true friend is what we need in this perplexing season in which we now live.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
If not for you, Holy Companion, to whom could we turn? Stay beside us and through your grace, we will step forward with heightened assurance, knowing you will catch us if we fall. Help each of us who offer prayers today, and especially those who offer specific requests. May we all feel the presence of our forever Friend:
These prayers, along with all our unspoken ones, we place in your hands and heart.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Steadfast One, we remember the good news that Jesus brought and we are confident that our trust and his mercy will see us through. It is in his blessed name we do 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 – April 27
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 27, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Radiant One, we know your Holy Spirit resurrects and awakens everything that is. It is your empowering goodness that brings life to the seeds of our dreams. As we watch the blossoming earth outside our doors, we pray that you would rouse the sleeping grains of faith you planted within us so long ago, that they might mature tall and strong, becoming a giant tree, providing home and shelter to shade to each fainting traveler who chances to pass our way.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Spirit of Fire, burn away the chaff of our regrets and mistakes this day. We each carry memories of times when we disappointed ourselves, when we failed miserably, when we made life hard for loved ones, when we deceived those who counted on us. Perhaps you, in your grace, erased these missteps decades ago; but we humans continue to cling to shards of the past. With your cleansing flame, remove forever our bitter memories, freeing us to step more lightly on that fresh trail toward wholeness you are already creating for us.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Our hearts make room for thanksgivings, Holy One, for we know you are the author of all goodness. Praises be to you this day! And also we freely offer all the yearnings of our church family to you, for you alone hold the power to make all things new:
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
With all that we are and all that we hope to be, we offer these prayers with humble hearts in the name of 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.
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Prayer for Today – April 26
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 26, 2020
Pastor Jan
Creator of This New Day, made Holy through your Son’s resurrection, touch us with your mystery and your surprising hope. We enter this Sabbath, ready to see your power working through us in some bold new way. May we be watchful in the time ahead, lest we miss the hour of your arrival.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Forgive us, Good Lord, when our conversations turn into a litany of complaints, when our thoughts and our discussions reflect the colors of gloom and gray. Remind us that the world has a sufficient supply of moaning and criticism, and our grumbling only clutters the air. Bring your brightness to the dark corners of our souls, we pray, and help us to speak and live as people who trust in their Redeemer.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Still, it is true that you long to hear from your children. As the epistle writer taught: “Cast all your cares upon him, for he cares for you.” Therefore, we need not hesitate to bring our concerns into your presence, for you are aware that we long for stability, the absence of fear, the embrace of loved ones, freedom of movement within our community, gathering with our church friends, the regular paycheck. All these we bring to you, as well as the deepest needs voiced by our church family.
Take these, our deepest cares, we pray, and help us to feel you at work in each situation. Ours is not to know all things; yet we believe that every prayer uttered is worthy of your grace and is held in sacred trust in that holy realm.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Stand by us, Strengthening God, for you remain our anchor in these unsettling days.
And it is in the name of our risen friend Jesus that we offer our petitions:
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 – April 25
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 25, 2020
Pastor Jan
Holy and Gracious One, you know us as people almost always in a hurry. In our rush, we forget to seek you. But in these moments, we ponder that ancient verse from the psalmist: “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of your wonderful works.” These words still ring true today, as we offer thanksgiving for the ways you have worked in our lives . . .
We feel your abundant love for us, and recall your myriad of favors, too numerous to calculate.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of Mercy and Healing, who always hears the cries of those in need, receive these petitions of your people who are troubled and those who have lost their way. Tend to those whom we carry closest to our hearts . . .
Turn your face, we pray, in the direction of all suffering ones. And sharpen our eyes that we might see beyond the cloudy mist to behold your rainbow through the rain.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
And give your assurance to each member of our church family, particularly these who have asked to be remembered:
Visit your people and pour out your strength and courage, that we might become a source of strength and courage to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Accept all our prayers this day, O Divine Flame; and when all other candles dim, grant that we may not forget your Son of Light, 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 – April 24
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 24, 2020
Pastor Jan
From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, may Jesus Christ be praised! Lord, you know our faults even before we name them. You have heard our prayers offered these past weeks and you know what concerns us most deeply. Through the sacrifice of his life and the resurrection of your Son, we know that nothing is impossible for you. Christ has ripped apart the barriers that separate us from your love. And as you know us so well, and you love us so deeply, fill us all with hope, we pray, and grant us your peace.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Forgive us, O Loving Creator, when we don’t give ourselves permission to rest or time to stop and take in the glories you have placed in our midst. And forgive us also for not loving ourselves enough, for too often neglecting our own needs. Help us make time to remember that it was you who knit us together in our mother’s wombs and that we are wonderfully made. Send your Spirit among us this day, that we might receive the joy you intend for us.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
And as you taught us to reveal our innermost thoughts to you, we sincerely offer our gratitudes and our burdens, knowing they will be lovingly received:
We sense your presence in each situation, O Gracious One. And in your own silent way, work your miracles among us.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Keep us bound together as one community, Faithful Lord, as the path that lies before us is indistinct; but we know our future is in your loving hands:
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 – April 23
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 23, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Caring One, we know that your presence is among us, even when we are not gathered in one place. You are ever listening, loving, and desiring to know what is in our hearts. So this day we offer our gratitude for those special favors you have brought us in recent times . . .
Scripture tells us to “Cast all your cares upon him, because he cares for you.” And because you care so deeply for us, help us to extend your care far beyond our front doors. May we be open to sharing financially, carrying another’s burden, listening to another’s dreams, and by meeting Jesus in each person we encounter.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Living God, we thank you for words – spoken and read – for they encourage, inspire, and help us build community. Listen now as we offer these prayers, spoken from deep within the souls of our friends at Church Street. Place your hand of healing where it is needed, and speak a word of hope to each longing heart:
Walk beside us today, O Loving One, and though we may stumble, keep us on that straight path of promise.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Generous Friend, you have gathered us into your beloved community, and we thank you for allowing us to be among those who pray today the words of your Blessed Son:
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 – April 22
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 22, 2020
Pastor Jan
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation!
We offer our praise to you this morning, for you offer us this day with all its possibilities. We enter these first hours of light, bringing with us our own stories, our hopes, and our fears. Prepare our hearts, Generous God, that we might recognize and receive the goodness you have already planted at our fingertips. May we also examine our souls in these moments, offering our sincere regrets and remorse . . .
Wipe away all our misdoings that have come before, for we are your cherished ones, and you are ever willing to offer us a day of new beginnings.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus, we remember that through your words and touch, those who were distressed found peace and those who were tormented found rest. You wept over the city you loved, and you shed tears when your own friend Lazarus died. As our own Wounded Healer, who shares our mourning and our grief, bless all who are engaged in healing ministries during this time of trouble: those who work in hospitals and hospices, nursing homes and assisted living residences; for nurses, technicians, doctors, chaplains, and counselors; for peacekeepers, priests, and pastors. Through your healing grace, uphold all who love you, all who seek you, and all who need you.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Most particularly, hear us now, as we voice these petitions on behalf or our church family — our thanksgivings and also our prayers of pain and concern — which we lift up to your listening ear:
We depend upon you always, Healing God, for we know that wherever there is love and caring, you are also there.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus, our Friend, be with us this day and every day, for all that we have, all that we are, and all we hope to be, we offer in your name:
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 – April 21
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 21, 2020
Pastor Jan
Most Holy Sustainer, forgive us when we do not pause to thank you for the ways in which you continue to care for us. Forgive us when we gamble away the resources and talents you have provided. Teach us to live in a spirit of thanksgiving – not for one day each year, but every day. Help us to measure our blessings in love, peace, faith, and family.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed God, in this season of restless waiting, we might easily lose sight of you. We focus on the latest news bulletin, podcast and commentary; then we begin pacing and wringing our hands. Some days we hardly notice you at all. But you still come to us one by one: healing, forgiving, comforting, restoring life, and offering hope to all who are poor in spirit. Come to us now, we pray, for we are worn down and weary of the journey.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Gatherer of the Beloved Community, we thank you for our church family. As baptized believers, we have promised to support and pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. So receive into your heart these gratitudes and concerns that we offer this day:
In the hours to come, O Lord, pour out abundant grace upon our church members and all whom we love. Remember our earnest petitions, for we humbly offer them in the name of the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life:
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.