Week of April 22, 2026

Rev. Tim Best

___________________________

Gracious and loving God,

We praise you for the beauty of nature, for pleasant weather, and for longer days. Help us to discover the blessings in each day, and to praise you in all things. Your mercy and grace are like the warmth and the sunshine. When we encounter hard days and challenging moments, give us eyes to see where you are still present and at work.

We pray for our nation and our world. There is much uncertainty and anxiety in the world, and so we seek the wisdom and guidance of you, O God. Transform our hearts, so that we might pray for enemies, forgive one another, and model for the world the work of reconciliation. Where there is division amongst us, bring reconciliation, healing, and renewal. Guide the leaders of our church, the world, and our communities, so that your world might begin to reflect the image of your coming kingdom.

Our hearts are filled with the knowledge of those who suffer and are in great need. Be present to those who are sick and suffering. We often don’t know how to be present with and care for those we love who suffer; teach us and show us the way. Make us compassionate people, filled with your concern for all people. Empty our hearts of the pride and jealousy that so often destroys our concern for others.

Our congregation “gathers” each week through this prayer to share our concerns and lift our needs together. Bind us together in our concern for one another and our commitment to you. Some of us have written in to share concerns for ourselves or others. Many of us hold our needs quietly in our hearts. Wherever we hold our needs and prayers, see those things that weigh upon us. Grant us freedom from all that burdens us.

We pray for ….

• Those who are grieving … may they feel the peace of God and the promise of eternal life.
• Those who are undergoing treatments for cancer.
• Third-graders, their parents, and their teachers during this time of mandated testing. May our children know that God’s love for them can never be measured!
• A mother who just received difficult news about health; prayers for her family as they support her and help process the information.
• A couple who is waiting to hear about ultrasound and IVF outcomes.

We continue to pray for …

• Our military and their families.

We give thanks for ….

• A member’s good health who has gone home after a long stay in hospital and rehab! Prayers for continued healing and recovery!
• A member who is trying a new treatment plan for chronic illness.

We pray all these things in full trust that you see our hearts, and the burdens of our loved ones. With hope and trust in Jesus our Lord, who is risen from the tomb, we join our hearts together to pray the prayer Christ taught us saying:

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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Week of April 8, 2026

Pastor Sam Dzobo

___________________________

Gracious God,

As we greet the signs of spring in nature around us, in the songs of returning birds and in fields soon to be planted, we give you praise for an even greater sign of new life: the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, which we especially celebrate at this time.

The sadness and despair of his death have given way to the bright promise of immortality. For the Resurrection is our guarantee that justice will triumph over injustice, light will overcome darkness, and love will conquer death.

We also give thanks for the Church Street family and those who dedicated themselves to worship and service during Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Those who led, sang, prayed, planned, rehearsed, and prepared. They gave of themselves so that all of us could encounter the Risen Christ. We hold them in your care now, Lord. Grant them Sabbath rest, deep renewal, and the quiet joy of knowing their labor was an offering well received.

During this Eastertide, these fifty days of resurrection joy, breathe into our weariness your renewing Spirit. May we not rush past the gift of this season but linger in its light, allowing Easter to settle deep in our lives and in everything we do.

As we celebrate Easter, we also ask for your grace so that we may live out the promise given to us by imitating Jesus’s life, reaching out to the poor, the marginalized, the least among us, and striving to be neighbors to all we meet. May Easter not just be a moment we remember, but a way of living that we carry into our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, and witness to.

We praise you during this Easter season. Transform our lives and hearts. Make us messengers of Easter joy and hope in how we speak, how we serve, and how we love.

We pray for ….

• A member having another dose of chemo next Tuesday … prayers that her numbers allow the full dose. Continued prayers as she deals with the side effects.
• A member who is in rehab gaining strength and mobility.
• A member who has been diagnosed with breast cancer; meeting with surgeon to schedule double mastectomy. Prayers for strength and healing.
• A daughter who was deployed last week and cannot share location.

We continue to pray for …

• A young couple who is waiting for IVF in April; praying for success after disappointments.
• Our military and their families.
• Children who are living through the trauma of war.
• Church members who are undergoing chemotherapy; may they feel God’s strength as their body fights cancer.
• A member who has begun chemotherapy treatments; prayers for healing.
• For a young couple with a child and expecting twins; prayers for good health.

We give thanks for ….

• Our clergy and staff who provided such a meaningful and beautiful Holy Week and Easter.

We offer our prayer through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord, forever.

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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Week of March 25, 2026

Rev. Tim Best

___________________________

God of hope and promise,

In the midst of threats, disasters, and rumors of wars, you have always been faithful. We remember the instructions you spoke to Jeremiah to buy the field of Anathoth, as a sign of hope and of your steadfast faithfulness. Make known to us signs of your enduring promises within our lives and within our community. Give us eyes to see the ways that your kingdom remains present in our lives and in our world despite the sufferings and tragedies around us.

Our hearts ache for peace. Guide the leaders of the nations, that they may seek just solutions and an end to violence. We ask that you would guide our president and the other leaders of our nation, going them wisdom and helping them to find peaceful solutions to current conflicts. We pray that the leaders of other nations would also work for the peace of their people, and seek the hope filled future you have for all peoples.

We lift up the church and its ministries around the world. We pray for unity amongst Christians around the world. As Palm Sunday approaches, we pray for continued work among all your disciples for mission and evangelism. We pray for those who lead the United Methodist Church, and the leaders of other churches. We may hold various traditions and understandings, but by your Spirit may we be unified in our desire to follow you and be obedience to your will.

As Jeremiah prophesied in a time of uncertainty, we seek you in all the uncertainties of our lives. We pray for those who face surgeries, procedures and other health battles. May you grant hope and promise to those who suffer. Shape our hearts to see the needs of others and to respond with compassion and tenderness.

As we prepare for Palm Sunday and Holy Week, transform our hearts and renew our minds that we might see hope in the midst of our own difficulties and the tears of others. We give thanks that our children and youth will lead in worship this week, and we pray that the joy they will share will fill not only our hearts, but that the community will be blessed through their ministry.

With trust in your promises and hope for the future we offer the concerns of our community. Be with those named and those who care for all of these individuals and situations.

We pray for ….

• A member who is going through chemo and asks for specific prayers that her numbers increase so she can receive the full dose of chemo on April 14 and that her medications manage the nausea from treatment.
• A member who had oral surgery on Monday to remove cancer and reconstructive surgery on Tuesday. Prayers that she can remain infection-free while healing from surgery!
• A young couple who is waiting for IVF in April; praying for success after disappointments.
• A member who has been diagnosed with bronchiectasis. Prayers that she find peace and confidence in her doctors as she manages this condition.
• A member in the death of her sister.

We continue to pray for …

• A sister who had surgery while out of the country on a mission trip. Prayers for continued healing.
• A father whose daughter died suddenly leaving a husband and adult child behind
• A loved one facing liver transplant
• A loved one facing removal of kidney
• A loved one with heart issues
• A sister who has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. May she feel the love around her and may her daughters accept this. They just lost their father six months ago. Prayers for strength and calm.
• Our military and their families.
• Children who are living through the trauma of war.
• A cousin awaiting kidney transplant.
• Church members who are undergoing chemotherapy; may they feel God’s strength as their body fights cancer.
• A member who has begun chemotherapy treatments; prayers for healing.
• For a young couple with a child and expecting twins; prayers for good health.

We give thanks for ….

• The birth of a baby! Prayers of thanksgiving for good health and for all of the family.
• For the fellowship of the downtown churches we experienced during Lenten Worship and Lunches.

We praise you for hearing these concerns from our hearts. With the same hope symbolized by Jeremiah’s trust that you would fulfill your promises we pray together the prayer your Son has taught us, praying:

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?

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Week of March 11, 2026

Pastor Sam Dzobo

___________________________

“He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)

Gracious and Almighty God, we come before you this day with grateful hearts, giving thanks for who you have made us to be at Church Street, disciples of Jesus, growing in our love for you and for our neighbors. Every time we gather in worship, we are reminded anew that we are your people, your salt of the earth, your light of the world.

We thank you for the hymns we lift together, hymns that carry the voices of the saints who have gone before us and join our voices with those yet to come. We thank you for the gift of our chancel choir and the beauty they offer in song. We thank you for your Word, which nourishes our souls every Sunday, and for the wisdom you pour out through our Sunday School classes and small groups, drawing us ever deeper into the life you have called us to live.

Lord, this past Sunday, you revealed a gracious gift to us. You are sending Rev. Jonathan Jonas to serve as our senior pastor. We lift him and his family before you now. Guide them as they prepare for this transition, surround them with your peace, and go before them in every detail of this new calling. Prepare our hearts and minds here at Church Street to receive him and his family with open arms, open spirits, and open doors. May the bond you are forming between pastor and congregation be one that bears much fruit for your kingdom.

We also give thanks for Rev. Carol Price-Guthrie, who will be joining our pastoral leadership to serve the work in East Knoxville. Bless her ministry, Lord. Grant her wisdom, courage, and endurance for the work you are setting before her.

O God, we turn now to a hurting and troubled world, and we confess that we hardly know where to begin. The violence in the Middle East, in Iran, and in Israel fills us with sorrow and with fear. Our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters in the military are involved, and the suffering of so many people weighs heavily upon us. We know that the consequences of this war reach far beyond the battlefield, touching lives and futures we cannot fully see.

In these moments, Lord, we find ourselves at a loss. We do not always know what we ought to pray for, or how we ought to pray. The groaning of the world is too deep for words. And so we lean upon the promise of your Spirit, who intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, praying on our behalf even when we cannot find the language for our own longing.

We cling to your promise, O God, that you will judge between the nations and settle their disputes, that the day is coming when swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, when nations will no longer take up swords against nations, and the training for war will cease. We ask for that day, Lord. We ask for your shalom, not merely the absence of conflict, but the wholeness, the flourishing, and the deep peace that only you can bring.

Holy Spirit, teach us to pray. Intercede for us and for this broken world. Align our hearts with the heart of the Father. Move in the halls of power and in the hidden places of suffering alike. Let the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and minds, and let it flow through us into the world around us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, we pray. Amen.

We pray for ….

• A sister who has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. May she feel the love around her, and may her daughters accept this. They just lost their father six months ago. Prayers for strength and calm.
• A young mother was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankful for early diagnosis and prayers that she will be completely healed!
• Young adults who are single and feel the weight of being alone sometimes even though they are independent and happy in their life.
• A family in the sudden death of their wife and mother.
• Those who are traveling over spring break.
• A young adult who is struggling with mental health concerns. Prayers for family to make good decisions together.
• A son whose mother lives in another country and is facing difficult health concerns; prayers for the family who is there with her.

We continue to pray for …

• Our military and their families.
• Children who are living through the trauma of war.
• A brother facing lung cancer.
• A young man who began a month-long residential addiction rehab a few weeks ago. Prayers for strength and that he does not feel alone.
• A cousin awaiting kidney transplant.
• Church members who are undergoing chemotherapy, may they feel God’s strength as their body fights cancer.
• One who is recovering from hip replacement surgery.
• A member who has begun chemotherapy treatments; prayers for healing.
• For a young couple with a child and expecting twins; prayers for good health.

We give thanks for ….

• Springtime weather!
• Caregivers who love unconditionally.
• A good visit with family this past week.

And we offer the prayer that Christ taught us saying …

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 prayer request confidentially by clicking here.

Week of February 25, 2026

Rev. Tim Best

___________________________ 

Gracious Maker of Heaven and Earth,

The one who shapes all that is, the seen and the unseen,

Open our eyes to your presence. Help us to believe, with our words and our actions, in Jesus Christ. We confess our faith regularly in worship, claiming that Christ is Lord, and that his kingdom will have no end. Help us to live as those people that trust that the dead will be raised, that when it appears there is no hope, Christ overcomes.

Hear the sighs of those who are tired. We think of those that are exhausted from work, from all the demands on time and energy, and from the all the complexities of life. Renew your people. Allow them to know your rest. With joy and promise, restore all who so often feel hollowed out and worn.

Grant your healing to all those who suffer and or know any infirmity. We pray for those going through treatments of any kind, those recovering from surgery, and those waiting upon hope.

Guide and direct our church family as we continue to seek to be your people called together in this place and at this time. May we be filled with your Holy Spirit to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We praise you for the opportunities to serve your people through the warming center. As warmer weather approaches keep before us the needs of all our neighbors. Lead us on this Lenten journey so that we might follow you more faithfully in word and deed.

In trust and hope we offer these concerns for our community:

We pray for ….

• A family grieving the death of a mother.
• A brother facing lung cancer.
• All the homeless people and animals when it is so cold.
• A grandson who has a huge opportunity before him—may he feel God’s peace regardless of the outcome.
• A young man who began a month-long residential addiction rehab this week. Prayers for strength and that he does not feel alone.
• Church members who are undergoing chemotherapy: may they feel God’s strength as their body fights cancer.
• One who is having hip replacement surgery next week.
• A member who has begun chemotherapy treatments; prayers for healing.

We continue to pray for …

• A member who is having ongoing health issues, chronic illness. Situation compounded by lack of sick days. No pay when they are not able to come to work.
• Friends who are going through a difficult time.
• For one who is recovering after a fall, prayers for complete healing and that he can return to work.
• For a young couple with a child and expecting twins, prayers for good health.
• One who was injured in a motorcycle accident; at home now. Continued prayers for healing.
• A man in his early 30’s who is experiencing painful headaches and a loss of partial vision after a stroke. Prayers for healing and patience.

We give thanks for ….

• A nephew who is home after an extensive stay in rehab.

We take heart and seek your strength as we pray together the prayer your Son Jesus Christ has 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 prayer request confidentially by clicking here.