Weekly Prayer – April 17, 2024

Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of April 17, 2024

Written by Rev. Catherine Nance

O God, we pause at the end of the day with others in our church family to offer prayer. As we read these words, we imagine members of our church and what they mean to us. Some are very dear friends and some we barely know. Perhaps there are those who have been long-time members and others who have recently started attending. But there is a comfort in knowing that others who worship where we do and sang the same hymns on Sunday are pausing now to say, “thank you for your gifts.”

We thank you for this gift of prayer and how it connects us to your heart and to others. We thank you for how prayer gives us a peace when we are troubled. Prayer renews our spirits when we are cast down. Prayer offers us strength when we are feeling weary. Thank you, O God, for the mystery of this act. Pausing to acknowledge, reflect, give thanks, intercede for others, and share our own burdens – this act of prayer gets us through the week.

We imagine others who are reading this, and we give thanks for them. We do not know the names and faces behind each prayer request, but we feel a closeness to them because they trust us with their vulnerability.

O God who hears our prayers, we wonder what your world would be like if the whole world stopped for a moment and felt a grateful connection to you and to neighbor. What power there would be in prayer!

Fill us with that assurance, O loving God, that this very act, praying together, for one another, has made a difference in our living today. It has made a difference in others’ lives. And will make a difference in how we face tomorrow.

Before we read through prayer concerns, we pause for just one more moment, and think of people around your world. We know there are those who have no ‘church family.’ There are those who are praying alone. Graft our prayers into theirs, O God. Let them know they are not alone.

We offer the prayer that Jesus taught us saying ….

We pray for ….

• An expectant mother who has a very active little one inside! Prayers for good rest until due date!
• All spouses who are dealing with the stress  of caring for their spouse who has dementia or other brain diseases. Prayers for comfort in the continuing grief.
• Faithfulness; that God will keep us healthy and abundant in love! Keep us alive and well in Jesus name!
• The family of a woman who died from ALS; she leaves a husband and two young adult children. Praying for a church member who is a dear friend to her.
• A member’s aunt who is home on hospice care and near death after her cancer returned 
• A family who is traveling this week
• One experiencing difficult situation with family members with whom there has been no contact for years; prayers for a respectful resolution while maintaining healthy boundaries
• A member’s 91-year old father whose quality of life is declining

We continue to pray for …

• Peace in our world.
• One looking for full-time employment; the stress of job searching is causing sleeplessness. 
• Those dealing with mental illness; may they find God’s peace.
• Those going through cancer treatments

We give thanks for …

• A positive follow up appointment with surgeon
• Finding a good solution for long term care
• Our sixth graders at CSUMC who will be confirmed on Sunday

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.