Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of October 9, 2024
Written by Steve Richardson
God in heaven and in our midst, thank you for these moments to pray and to seek your guidance and your help, especially with circumstances beyond our control. Instill your Holy Spirit’s divine presence in our minds, thoughts and actions.
Thank you also for the grace-filled church community of Church Street United Methodist. Each of us comes to this church for different reasons. Whatever each person seeks and how the rest of us respond, we pray that every encounter and every interpersonal relationship is a reflection of your love and an extension of your holy kingdom.
A few days ago, we were reminded of the horrible human-triggered tragedies inflicted one year ago in the Holy Land, plus the suffering and conflict that have since followed. We continue to lament that this land’s sacred grounds aren’t spaces of peace, rather fear and anxiety and warfare.
And now our neighbors who live in states south of us are bracing against another destructive, life-shattering hurricane. They haven’t even had time to recover from the one just a couple of weeks ago.
Our hearts ache. Our minds try to make sense of all this. Our souls yearn for a better existence. Yet solutions seem fleeting. What can we do, Lord? As individuals, we feel helpless. However, within in our own personal spheres of daily living, maybe the least we can do is to aspire to live out Saint Francis’ prayer:
“Make me an instrument of your peace…Where there is hatred, let me bring love…Where there is despair, let me bring hope…Where there is darkness, let me bring your light…Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.”
Those are things we can do.
God of wisdom, ours is a noisy society, bombarded by messages and information. Most of these we don’t even seek or care to know. Yet we constantly find ourselves subjected to others who attempt to persuade and influence us to do things, to buy things, to shape our opinions, to define our aspired status, to “not miss out,” to hurry, to serve our own self-interests by yielding to the interests of the message senders. Amid this 21st century Babel, Lord, tune us to hear and find solace in your still, quiet voice. We know yours to be a voice of comfort, calm, inspiration and hope. You are our souls’ source of true wisdom, and may that wisdom generate senses of self-assurance and your peace.
Free us from selfishness. Free us from apathy. Inspire us to serve one another. Strengthen us for grateful and joyful obedience to your way of love.
With hopeful anticipation of your evolving creation, we ask, “What’s next, God?” Whether we lead or follow, equip and strengthen us to be ready to respond when we recognize your call.
And now, God of Peace, hear these needs and prayers of others in our congregation. Embrace all represented here with your loving presence and comfort…
We pray….
- For daughter who is pregnant; ultrasound shows developmental abnormalities
- For those cleaning out from Helene; for all who are working to restore utilities
- For those without homes
- For those who are in Hurricane Milton’s path
- For so many family members and friends of our church family who reside in the Tampa area and along the coast and inland.
- For a member having a medical procedure this morning under general anesthesia
- For members who are in hospital; for strength
- All of the requests for family members and friends in Asheville area and east TN; may they feel the comfort of our prayers.
- For one who is praying for bitterness in her heart to be taken away
- For a member who is in rehab hospital
We continue to pray for….
- A member whose mother is in hospice care
For so many who are having respiratory issues, covid, pneumonia, etc.
For a husband and children grieving the sudden death of their wife/mother
All of the men and women in the military….
Those who are caring for family members who have dementia …
Members who have cancer and are going through the ups and downs of treatments.
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for….
- For the birth of a new grandchild! For Children who live back in Knoxville!
- For all the stories of compassion and connection we are hearing about after Helene; in midst of disaster, people share God’s love!
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.
