Almighty God of Beauty and Justice, we dare to come and share our hearts and souls with you in prayer. We come grateful for a time and a place of worship as we celebrate that you are God, and we are not. As a doting Mother lifts her child upon her lap to tenderly read them a story, lift us into your very Presence now and reveal yourself, your words and your will to us this day.

         Lord of all, our world is so small and fragile. Our penchant for over consumption and waste not only affects our planet’s resources but impacts the lives of those who are the world’s most vulnerable. Spirit, help us to become frugal stewards of the gifts you provide and thankful for those who provide them.

         Prince of Peace, we pray for your world where political, spiritual or economic hubris cause conflict and war. Our elementary thinking of “I’m right” and “you’re wrong” cause the death of schoolgirls in Afghanistan as well as tears the fabric of this nation’s very republic. Replace our pride with gentle, reasonable humility that seeks to serve our neighbor with the love that you yourself suffered to demonstrate to us. We pray your churches throughout the world would be lighthouses of grace in a dreary world that is often overshadowed with sickness, death, bigotry, and apathy. We pray you would make each one of us vessels of love and transformation wherever we are and with whomever we are with; lay upon us the expectation that we are your needed and required agents of change in the world instead of leaving the task for someone else.

         Specifically, Jesus, we pray for all those who are sick and for those who are dying…

         We pray for families struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table…  

         We pray for our local, state and federal leaders and that they would lead with justice and fairness instead of political ambition…

         We pray for our police officers, firefighters, and first-responders – that you would keep them safe and ever mindful and in control during duress and pressure…

         We pray for those who serve our country in the military…

         We pray for those women in our lives who have shaped us, nurtured us, protected us and loved us…

         Finally, we pray for those who are immediately around us whether at home, in the next apartment, or the neighboring pew…

            Now hear us as we pray together the prayer Jesus taught his friends to pray…

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 debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.