Weekly Prayer – June 12, 2024

Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of June 12, 2024

Written by Steve Richardson

God in heaven and in our midst: Open our minds to your presence as you hear our prayers. 

Thank you for moments such as now to ponder your grace, mercy and blessings that refresh our spirits and emotions; to pray for others and for your help with one another’s needs; and to seek your guidance for decisions and uncertainties. 

Giver of life, each of our hearts beats in rhythm to our own body’s needs.  For our spiritual hearts, attune them to beat in rhythm with the needs of the body of Christ. For times when our hearts are restless, calm them as Jesus pacified the restless sea. When they feel broken, bind them together again with your grace and compassion often found through our relationships with others. When our hearts seem as if they’re not beating at all, rejuvenate them with your transforming energy.  

Your holy scripture instructs us repeatedly about neighborliness and love, especially for people and groups that we tend to push to the backgrounds and margins. For these neighbors, Lord, move us – – 

from blinding apathy to recognition;  

from recognition to acceptance;  

from acceptance to respect;  

from respect to inclusion;  

from inclusion to affirmation;  

from affirmation to partnership;  

and from partnership, to the fullness of love you want us to have for one another. 

 Through your church, you connect us to a community of people bound by mutual love and who strive to live as your disciples. For Church Street, we are especially grateful for Pastors Catherine and Tim. We rejoice in knowing both have been re-appointed by Bishop Wallace-Padgett to continue their callings in ministry to us. Thank you for Brad and Christina, too, whose support, commitment, gifts and service have nourished your church. 

Creative God, you’ve given us many blessings through music at Church Street. Thank you for the talents shared by Tim Ward, Edie Johnson and others who lead our choirs, as well as all of the musicians who sing and play instruments. Thank you for the safe return of the Youth Choir following their trip last week to Boston, where voices of Church Street extended to others the splendors of the sounds of your kingdom. 

In our church community, there are many other needs and prayers, including these listed here. Surround each of these persons with your loving embrace and comfort… 

We pray for …

• A member whose mother is in the hospital
• One who is still recuperating from trauma of car accident
• A member who is dealing with MS; awaiting results from tests
• A couple who anxiously awaits birth of child
• For an indigent friend, with no family support,  in another state with serious health issues, dependent on frequent trips to ER for medical care. 
• One of our neighbors whose car was totaled after an accident; prayers of thanksgiving that no one was hurt
• One who has been in hospital and is recuperating at home.
• For a couple getting married this weekend
• For one whose father died; funeral was yesterday
• A relative who needs a kidney transplant

We continue to pray for ….

• One who will be having surgery soon to remove tumor in soft palate
• One who is looking for housing
• A young woman dealing with mental health issues
• Individuals and family members navigating the dementia diagnosis
• A mother-in-law who just entered hospice care at home
• Friends and family who are having struggles
• A couple who is waiting to hear about IVF procedures and results.
• Family members who continue to deal with cancer … all the tests and new treatments and waiting and follow up appointments. May they feel God’s healing presence in the midst of it!
• Friends and family members who are going through a troubling time.

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for ….

• For those who attended Holston Annual Conference as local church and district lay members.
• For our bishop and our superintendent
• Beautiful weather these last few days!
• That my cousin is coming for a visit

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.