Last week in worship, our congregation was invited to write their own “Collect Prayers.” And, during the Prayers of the People, everyone was invited to bring their prayers forward and place them in a box marked “Prayers.”
Over the past few days, I have been sifting through these hand-written prayers – praying my way through them – and typing them up so that some of them can be used to help guide our prayers in worship over the next few weeks. At last count, I have thirty prayers. Most of them are only three lines long but there is so much in those three lines – naming God as Loving, Gracious, Almighty, Omniscient, Savior, and Ever-Present; praying for health, strength, energy, courage, patience, wisdom, hope, and so many other things. There are names mentioned and names omitted. There are personal – very specific – prayers and there are general prayers.
It’s all there . . . all of the great hopes and deep needs of God’s people at BPC . . . and it is a privilege to pray through it all. But the privilege is not just mine. Here is a sample, and I invite you to pray with me:
Gracious God, you are always with us. Please give me strength to be less anxious so that I can go through life easier and not worrying. I am praying in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Loving God, you are a forgiving God. Please give us hope so that we have the courage to do what is right – not just what is easy. I pray all of this in the name of Jesus who listens to our prayers. Amen.
Omniscient God, Supportive God, Encouraging God, You are always watching over us and encouraging us to think for ourselves. Please watch over my mother, father, and stepfather, and church family. Please allow them to heal, to be protected, to know peace in life and death. Hear my words, give love and strength to those who mean the world to me. Amen.
Forgiving God who gives us grace. Guide me to be the best person I can be so that I can be there for others. In the name of the Son of God, our teacher, who hears our prayers and died for us. Amen.
Just so you know, as a church, we are always praying – praying in worship, in committee meetings, in our homes, and. . . over e-mail. There is a new e-mail address that we have set up – [email protected]. If you find yourself in need of prayer or want to share a prayer with us, you are welcome to write at any time. Just so you know, if you use the new e-mail address, I am the only one who will receive your prayer and – depending upon whether you want that prayer shared with others or not – will be very respectful of how “public” you want your prayer to be.
It is a privilege to pray for you and with you as your pastor AND to encourage our prayers with and for one another.
This week, we continue our sermon series and are focusing on “Weekly Worship” as a practice of discipleship.
See you in church!
Grace and Peace,
John
PS – I came across a beautiful story of something that happened at church. In a moment of deep personal grief and pain, a woman shared a story of the power of presence. Click HERE to read the story.
Prepare for Worship
This Week: “The Blessings of Not Letting Go – Living Discipleship # 3 – Weekly Worship”
- Read Genesis 32:9-13, 22-31
- Read Psalm 96
- Read or sing Hymn # 395 – “Blessed Jesus, at Your Word”