Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of November 1, 2023
Rev. Catherine Nance
O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ….
We often begin our prayers recalling our spiritual roots began before the birth of Jesus
O God, Creator of the Universe …
We often begin our prayers recalling your love and desire for humans began before there were any names to call.
O God, Revealed to us in Jesus Christ …
We often begin our prayers acknowledging that You and the Savior are One.
O God, whose Holy Spirit hovers over us and in us ….
We often begin our prayers acknowledging the mystery of your omnipresence
But now, O God, we will just leave it at that: O God.
O God, who understand the limits of our language. And the complexities. And the tyranny.
If we say God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob … some will hear we are making a political statement about Israel;
If we say God of the Universe, some will hear that we do not believe you are involved in our daily living;
If we say God who is in Jesus, some will think we are excluding prayers for those who do not call on the name of Jesus.
O God … how did even prayer become so weighted and measured and suspect?
How about …. O God, who knows the name of every child.
Surely that is a way we can all begin our prayer. O God ….
You know the name the name of every child who has died in war or from illness or violence or hunger.
You know the name of every child who is afraid.
You know the name of every child who is struggling at school
You know the name of every child who has experienced joy this day.
O God, who knows our name, we pray for the children whose names we do not know.
O God, who knows their names, we pray for the children who are close to us.
O God, who welcomes the least of these, hear our prayers.
We pray for all children everywhere and for these requests from our church family ….
We pray for ….
- Friends who are going through difficult times
- A member recovering from surgery
- A husband who is now under hospice care; prayers for wife and friends
- A family grieving the death of husband/father after a long illness
- Continued healing and strength for a husband/father as he recovers from procedures and treatments
- A couple praying and hoping for a baby
- Those who are caring for aging parents and the struggles in relationships that occur
- A member recovering from emergency surgery out of town; may she regain her strength!
- The violence to stop in our world! We pray for peace in all the world. Dear God, please take the hate out of people’s hearts!
- A couple managing the ups and downs of living with dementia and adjusting to new medications.
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for …
- A college student who is having a good semester and has come such a long way; thankful for parents and support group
- Scientists who do research that brings healing to our bodies and hope for our world
- My Sunday School class
- Granddaughter is recovering from surgery
- That a young father/husband is back home with family
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.
