Mother Father God, we praise you this morning. We lift up our prayers of joy for your
presence in our lives and your guidance through all of our days. You have created us in your image, and we
know that you love us. The gift of our
lives is so great, that we stumble finding adequate words of praise to you.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Loving God, we know that your deepest desire is that we work together to
bring about your kingdom today, not some far off time in the future. But we have allowed a world where violence is
accepted, where people are treated without mercy and justice and where many of
your children lack clean water and adequate food sources. The existence of suffering in the world is
not your work, but too often because of our selfish focus on comfort and
plenty, and our unwillingness to focus on others. Be with those in the world in need of
healing, comfort and peace. Provoke us
to put our own needs aside and provide more for the needs of others.
Give us this day our daily bread,
Almighty God, you have provided us a world that has plenty. Your sun and water and land spring forth with
lush plants that provide us sustenance.
We know that there is enough food in the world to feed all of your
children. Alight a fire within us, to
seek and discover ways to share what we have with those who have not.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lord, you know the secrets that lie deep within us, the stories of how
we have failed one another and you. We
lay these ugly places and thoughts before you … we silently offer you our
sins…. Gracious God, the way that you
love and forgive us is overwhelming. We
are inadequate to receive your grace.
Help us to open our hearts to those that we need to forgive. Carrying the weight of sins done against us
wears us down, and separates us from you.
Forgive us and help us let go and forgive others.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
With every shooting, every needless death, every person mistreated we
know that your heart breaks open. We
react in anger and feel helpless against the face of evil. We feel tempted to seek revenge instead of
residing with you. All of our hearts are
broken open this week at the killing of five brave servicemen in Chattanooga. The acts of people like the gunman shakes us
to our core. Help us to create a world
where love and community blot out the hatred that exists in the hearts of
some. We lift up to you and honor the
lives of Carson Holmquist, Randall Smith, Thomas Sullivan, Skip Wells, David
Wyatt Surround these families and the
families of all who are currently serving our country with your gracious and
peaceful love. May these feel our
prayers and may they help sustain and guide them in the days ahead.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
God you are our beginning and ending.
Thank you for your deep and abiding love for us. Thank you for your spirit that lies within
us, guiding our thoughts and actions.
And thank you for the gift of your son, whose life stands as our example
of God on earth. We share together the
prayer that Jesus shared with us …
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