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Weekly Prayer
Most Holy Lord,
We open our hearts to you this day. We ask that your Holy Spirit come into our hearts and lives to wash away those aspects of ourselves that stand between others and us as well as between you and us. We know that you have blessed us with marvelous gifts of compassion and understanding. May we use those gifts when we meet those who are different. Whether those differences are skin color, religious beliefs, ethnic origins, political preferences, or class structure help us remember that different does not mean deficient. While it is easy to stay comfortable in our own world, give us the courage to move outside our comfort zones to speak even when we do not know the person, to reach out even when the person is not like us, or to listen when the words are difficult to understand. You are the God of all. May we love all that you have made.
AMEN
Most Wonderful Presence,
We call upon your presence now.
We call upon your supporting presence to give us the strength to face difficult tasks.
We call upon your caring presence to be available to those who feel isolated.
We call upon your grieving presence to share those moments of loss whether in the moment or in our memory.
We call upon your loving presence to be with us in those times when we feel unlovable.
We call upon your laughing presence as the irony of life breaks into our reality.
We call upon your crying presence when you see the multitudes in our world who suffer needlessly.
We call upon your nurturing presence as we enjoy the fruits of your creation.
We call upon your presence now.
AMEN
Loving Spirit,
We pray for your touch upon our worried brow. We can sense much intensity in our lives. We worry about our children, spouses, and extended families. We worry about our neighborhoods, schools, and communities. We worry about and battle the many diseases that affect both young and old. We worry about our country and the many countries which surround us. We long for good news but only receive the bad news that comes across our TV screens or out of the mouths of politicians and political analysts.
In the midst of this, we need good news. Touch our worried brow, O God. Lift our heavy spirits. Give us the strength and motivation to hear the good news, to see the good news, and to experience the good news. Create within us a peaceful place that we might become the good news to that child who is fearful, the teenager who is awkward, the spouse who is hurting, the adult who is overwhelmed, or the elderly person who is confused.
Touch our worried brow, Loving Spirit.
AMEN
Most Holy God,
As this day unfolds I understand our need for you. I understand our need for compassion and grace. I understand our need for love and acceptance. These gifts that you have bestowed upon us make us human. They are also important gifts to bestow upon others who surround us at work and home. Allow us to see those who are in need of compassion and grace even when they are pushing us away by being obnoxious or difficult. Give us the understanding needed to offer love and acceptance in the midst of pain and rejection. Prevent our own limitedness from being a hindrance as those who are not easy to engage enter into our personal space whether at work or home. May we find in you the selflessness needed to be faithful while in the same moment creating caring boundaries that defend our personhood in a healthy manner.
AMEN
Creator God,
We come to this day with open hearts, minds and souls. We know this is not always so. There is power that flows toward us when we are able to open our hearts, minds and souls. We need the strength that can only come from you to be so vulnerable in those moments. We open our hearts to the possibilities of the love that flows from family, friends and coworkers. We open our minds to the possibilities of change and new realties that come to us at work, at home, in the community and even the seasons. We open our souls to the cleansing effect of forgiveness. This forgiveness we experience from you, from others and even from our inner spiritual selves. We pray that we will be unencumbered by low self-esteem, pettiness, and fear so that we might enjoy the fruits of our relationship with you.
AMEN
Most Gracious and Holy God,
Mystery abounds beyond our understanding. A baby is born. There is a wreck and no one is hurt. A young person dies. Elderly people hang on to life within an institution as their bodies slowly waste away. A cure is pronounced when all treatment options are gone. Often we find ourselves asking “Why God?” when events and plans do not go the way we think they should. At the other extreme we find ourselves satisfied if events unfold as we think they should and never give a thought to you. We pray for miracles against all odds as we ignore the miracles that surround us. In this moment may we open ourselves with all our wants, desires, and wishes to your love, grace, and creative energy? May we find comfort in the disappointments that come our way knowing you are disappointed also? May we find joy not just in those moments when we get something that we want but in those moments of mystery? It is in those moments of mystery that our faith supports us and our desire for you guides us, even when the moment is beyond our understanding.
AMEN
Holy Creator,
You have made us for love. Love of you and love of one another. Most importantly love of ourselves. Forgive us when we are unloving to one another or to self. Forgive us when we turn our backs on your love of us and are consumed by self doubt and low self-esteem. We are truly thankful that you have placed various gifts and graces within us that allow us to reach out to others in special ways. For some of us we have a gift of being technological which allows us to not only understand but to explain office procedures, business problems, complex computer programs, medical tests, or a complicated diagnosis’s to those who are overwhelm by the technicality. For others it is the gift of being relational where words, inflection, touch, or facial expressions can bring comfort to those who are grappling with fear and anxiety. Still others are gifted with vision to be able to see the opportunity that lies in the future when others are struggling with the issues of the present. May each of us understand that we are all loved and blessed by you? May we value ourselves as much as you value us and use our various skills to love others as you have loved us?
AMEN
Gracious God,
Our lives are endless cycles of day and night, darkness and light, life and death. We live in between the worlds of happiness and sadness, tears and laughter, joy and pain. We desire only pleasure but realize that we cannot recognize the good if it were not for the bad. We could not recognize the suffering if it were not for enjoyment. We could not recognize the accomplishment if it were not for the struggle. So in our times of wanting happy news, contented families, easy going jobs and responsibility without difficulty, give us wisdom. Give us the wisdom to have a long term view. Give us the wisdom to separate the chaff from the wheat. Give us the wisdom to allow those who suffer to do so when it is needed. Give us the wisdom to intervene in that suffering when it is unneeded. With this needed wisdom give us the courage to act instead of hoping that some else will take the action needed and the strength to bear the consequences of that action.
Most Holy God,
There are days in our lives where we find ourselves in conflict with loved ones, neighbors, or coworkers. These are difficult times because we are called to be in community to love and understand those in our lives, even the stranger. The strain within our personhood, which we find in these times of conflict, depletes us of the energy that we need to make positive decisions about the world in which we live. The uncomfortableness we experience makes us want to close ourselves off from the relationship and in the end from ourselves. We are admonished to love ourselves as we love our neighbor. When we are in conflict our love stops flowing in both directions of any relationship. We pray for the strength to move toward healing anger, resentment, and conflicts within our lives. We ask for the courage to invite those who may hold negative feeling towards us back into relationship. We seek the power of your presence into our lives to be a living example of grace and forgiveness.
AMEN
Prayers from the pen of: The Rev. Dr. David C. Johnson BCC, ACPE Supervisor
Board Certified Chaplain | Pastoral Care Department | Carolinas Medical Center | P.O. Box 32861 | Charlotte, NC 28232
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