Weekly Prayer – April 30, 2025

This prayer was offered by Rev. Jan Wade at the 11am service on April 27, 2025.

Glory to God in the Highest! Thru the Resurrected Christ, you breathe new life into each of us and into our world. How comforting is the story of Thomas, for it has broken the locks of our secret rooms. For truly we do not always feel confident about our faith; we wonder where your love is in the face of pain. Yet we are blessed in knowing we are not the first. We follow a great company of saints who have felt the same. Now, in your presence, they see you face to face and know as they are known. Teach us also, we pray, not to fear or bury our doubts, but to see them as signs of the mystery of life and entrances to a deeper trust in you. Lord in your mercy…

May Easter’s new fire burn brightly in the hearts of our confirmands whom we have blessed this week. May your holy embers of hope and resilience live within each of these dear youth whom you have entrusted to our care. Your mark has been placed upon them and we pray they will become shining witnesses of your loving goodness throughout their lives. Lord in your mercy …

We celebrate those who come forward today as new members, acknowledging you as Lord and Savior. Your spirit has been moving within them for quite some time. May they find in us generous friends and worthy companions w/ whom to worship & honor our Risen Lord. Lord in your mercy …

O Wounded Savior, there remain today the empty, outstretched palms of the despairing who seek food and water. There are the blistered fingers of the working poor, the gnarled hands sifting through rubble of battered homes and shattered dreams. In these we see your own wounded hands.

Then there are the wandering ones who have no homes, no real place of rest, those who travel the lonely paths of the forgotten. And we remember you own nail-scarred feet. On earth, you also walked the byways of the dispossessed.

And assuredly your pierced side bleeds afresh as you witness the violent ways of your people across the globe. So silent and sophisticated are our weapons; we slaughter even those who have neither sticks nor stones to protect themselves. Wounded Savior, unlock the doors of our indifference. For by your own suffering, you have given us our life-long mission to alleviate the pain of our brothers and sisters everywhere. Now we pray for wisdom and grace to be true to your faith in us. And when the strife has come to an end, we shall know your truth has come to pass: By your wounds you have healed us all. Lord in your mercy …

& Now laying our earnest prayers and petitions before you, we bend the knee and cry out, as did Thomas: Our Lord & Our God!

In praise and trust of your victory for us and for the world, we join our voices and our hearts as we offer these petitions to you, O Christ, our Risen Lord. Hear us as we pray that prayer which you have taught us, saying together…

We give thanks for….

• Beautiful days in East Tennessee; let’s not take nature for granted!
• Friends who help before and after surgery.
• Our new preschool and all the new families and returning ones! 
• A good visit with family last weekend.
• A teacher who has taken extra time with my child; thankful for encouragement.
• A friend’s good news about surgery 

We pray for…

• A wife/mother having surgery this afternoon; may the surgeon be guided by God’s healing power. Prayers for calm as she enters surgery with many unknowns.
• A family member experiencing depression after a recent miscarriage.
• A husband who spent most of the day in ER yesterday, waiting. Praying that there will be answers and clarity today.
• A family who is anxious about moving; praying new job will work out. Prayers for daughter beginning at private school.
• A teenage granddaughter who is having hip surgery in July but dealing with other health concerns now. Please pray that her energy level will return and that her body remains strong!
• Peace and comfort for an elderly relative who is facing life alone after the death of her husband.
• The aftermath of an unexpected death in the family.
• Those affected by Americorps cuts; lots of ministry partners depend on those…
• The Roman Catholic Church as the process to select a new pope begins. 
• Relief from evil forces in our world; especially how friends treat one another.
• A woman who asks for prayers for her healing and for forgiveness.

We continue to pray for…

• Those who are grieving the sudden death – it always seems sudden, even when expected – of loved ones.
• One who is seeking direction on work / career concerns.
• Those navigating all the decisions when dealing with chronic illness of parents; especially Alzheimer’s.
• A mother dealing with a recent diagnosis and waiting on further testing.
• Those who are receiving chemo and/or radiation treatments.
• Those who are ‘stuck’ between doctor’s appointments, test results and next appointments … May God give them healing patience.
• Family members who are trying to balance caregiving and work and family responsibilities.
• Those who are impacted by homelessness.
• So many who are dealing with Alzheimer’s and how best to care for family members. Praying for strength!
• Friends and family members needing prayers
• A wife who has been diagnosed with stage-4 metastatic cancer; prayers for her family.
• For a member whose immune system is compromised from cancer treatments; prayers for patience, comfort, and healing as she is feeling isolated.