We thank Thee, our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, that Thou hast kept us this night from all harm and danger and we pray Thee that Thou wouldst keep us this day also from sin and every evil, that all our doings and life may please Thee. For into Thy Hands we commend ourselves, our bodies and souls and all things. Let Thy holy angel be with us that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
O God, our Father, Your Son, Jesus, prayed that all His followers might be one. Make all Christians one with Him as He is with You so that, in peace and concord, we may carry to the world the message of Your love. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
Awesome God, You are the true Dreamer of dreams. This world is here and we are here because You had a dream, a dream of having a people for Yourself, a dream of being their God. We thank You for other great dreamers this world has known, especially today Your servant, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Human as he was, You used him for Your divine purposes, to speak Your peace, to cast Your dream, to preach against hatred and intolerance, to prepare us all for life in Your Kingdom, where no money unites and where no color divides. Lord, we pray for Dr. King’s family and for all who have picked up his mission. Bless all of us to be used daily by You to carry Your dream into our world. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, You have brought us this weekend to an historic moment in the United States of America. Today, at Your invitation, we are bold to pray for our country and for her leaders. We give You thanks for our out-going President George Bush and for his entire administration who have served us for the past 8 years. You have carried us through some incredibly difficult dark days. Tears have been shed and anger has been voiced. Whether we agree with everything or anything that has transpired these past 8 years, we ask Your peace for all who have served. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, You have brought us this weekend to an historic moment in the United States of America. Today, at Your invitation, we are bold to pray for our country and for her leaders. We give You thanks for our incoming President Barack Obama and for his entire administration and for their families who this week will feel heavy weight of leadership entrusted to them. Lord, be with them. Their task will not be easy. Lord, protect them. There are many who wish them harm. Lord, endow them with wisdom and integrity to know what is right and to do it. Lord, empower them as extensions of Your authority here on earth. Above all, bless the United States of America. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
Lord Jesus Christ, healer of the hurting, we pray for those around us near and far who are hurting because of the current economic state of our country. We pray for those who have lost their homes. We pray for those who have lost their jobs. We pray for those who have lost their investments and life savings. We pray for those who are still encountering losses in all those areas and in others. Lord, You have allowed a big wake-up call to be given to us. Help us to deal compassionately with those who are hurting while also re-evaluating what is important for each of us. Lord, we ask You to bring peace to our troubled economy and to each of us. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
Bring peace, O Lord, bring peace, not only to our economy and to our country, but to Your entire world. To Iraq and Iran and Afghanistan, bring peace. To Korea and India, bring peace. To Israel and Palestine, bring peace. Wherever discord and violence reigns, bring peace, O Lord, bring Your peace. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
Head of the Church, we lift up to You our congregation. We thank You for allowing us to rise up to some big challenges last year, to not allow fear to divert us from what we believed were Your plans and purposes for us. We thank You that You again provided for our needs. We thank You for the challenging mission and ministry You continue to place before us. Help us always to make Your plans our plans, to not question You or doubt You when You call us to step out of our comfortably safe boat onto the water to walk toward You. Instead, always fix our eyes upon You, knowing that all we say and do is done for Your glory and for the edification of Your people. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
“Go into all the world. Make disciples. Baptize. Teach.” Lord Jesus, that is Your Great Commission. We confess the times that we have been less than faithful in following that command. We confess our own human fears and weaknesses in being Your salt of the earth, Your city set on a hill, Your light of the world. We ask You to allow us another chance, “A Time to Shine in 2009.” To that end, we ask Your blessing upon our upcoming “Equipping to Share” workshop. We ask that each of us would attend this event in order for You to open our eyes to daily opportunities to speak Your Name and share Your love to those around us. We also ask that many others from many other congregations would join us for this opportunity to also be equipped to be Your servants. We ask Your blessing upon the more than 425 letters and postcards that were mailed this week, that they find their way into receptive hands. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
Great Physician of soul and body, we pray for healing and strength for Peter Renfroe, Carrie Dickens, Carole Recinito, Kerri Baggenstoss, Janet and Richard Smith, Kalie, Arlene Lowe, John Dunn, Vickie, Preston Lee and Mike Stallworth, Hanna Gasser, Nino Viscoso , Terry Gallagher, Bert McBride, Johnny, Danny and Irma Elias, Dick Bassett, Hal Stroh, Kevin Johnson, Estelle Thaxton who is recuperating from a fractured leg from a recent fall and Brian Hooper who will be undergoing eye surgery. We add to this list all those we now mention in our own thoughts. Be with them each. Graciously meet all their needs and provide for them. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
We give You thanks that both Jill Fenske and Charles and Clara Newhouse have been allowed to return to their ordinary places of residence following hospitalizations. We pray for their continued good health and strength under the care of those You have provided for them. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
Creating God, at the beginning of time You made male and female. You brought them together as helpmates for each other. We ask Your blessing upon this coming Saturday’s wedding of Lemeesa Ali and Adam Foelsch. Lord, knit them together in their new lives. Bless them as husband and wife. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
O God, our Lord, our Father, in Holy Baptism You have called us to be Your people and have granted us the remission of sins. Make us ready now once again to receive Your holy Body and Blood for the forgiveness of all our sins. Grant us grateful hearts that we may give thanks to You for all Your gifts. Lord Jesus Christ, Uniter of the Church,
These requests and whatever else remains now in our hearts and minds we present before Your Throne of Grace and Glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who taught us to pray: