April 1, 2011

Lord God,

The Christ has so many names,

So many titles.

He is so many things to all different people.

Son of David,

Messiah,

Son of God,

King,

Savior,

Deliverer,

Son of Man,

Lord, you gave us Christ as an example for how we should live our lives.

Through him you teach us to have compassion for others.

Through him you show us what our relationship with you should be.

Lord, help us to live in Christ,

And let Christ live in us,

So that we can be yours, just as Christ is yours.

Amen.

March 31, 2011

Another month gone by, O Lord,

Another small landmark in the passing of time.

We are created and allowed only a short time on the earth,

Yet there is so much good we can do during that time.

Fill us not only with good intentions,

But allow our intentions to be fulfilled

So that this world will be better when we leave it.

Cause our works to lead to others’ survival

And abundant life.

And, Lord, never let us think for a moment that we do not have the power to overcome injustice,

Free people from bondage,

Feed the hungry,

Clothe the naked,

And love in such a radical way

That we can make changes in the very structure of society.

Amen.

March 30, 2011

God of all worlds,

That you love us is incredible.

We who are merely clay in your hands,

A creation of your word,

Have a place in your being

And are held in love and care by your hands.

Thank you.

Lord, Jesus the Christ,

The sacrifice you made on our behalf is staggering.

It is almost unfathomable that you would leave heaven itself

In order to come to earth to teach us to live

And defeat death so we can share eternity.

Thank you.

Lord, Holy Spirit,

Your sustaining power

And fresh new messages to us

Keep us alive and teach us to search for the truth.

You lift us up when we are low

And you heal us when we are sin sick.

Thank you.

Amen.

March 29, 2011

Lord, fill our hearts with desire,

Not for the things of this world that hypnotize us and lure us away from your light,

But for the things of your spirit.

Teach us to love what is good

And run from what is evil.

Show us how to yearn for truth instead of falsehood,

Justice instead of iniquity,

Love instead of apathy.

Help us to be like you.

Amen.

March 28, 2011

Lord God,

Heal your world.

Let peace reign instead of

Hatred

War

Prejudice.

Let love rule instead of

Disdain

Apathy

Malice

Let justice rule instead of

Poverty

Iniquity

Materialism.

Lord, please let your will truly be done here on earth.

Amen.

March 27, 2011

Lord, please forgive my sins,

And please forgive the sins of all those I come into contact with.

Actually, please forgive the sins of all people whether I come into contact with them or not.

I know that many believe that your nature must be a balance between justice and mercy,

And although I sometimes want to push for your punishment of those I think are wrong,

I pray that instead I may truly wish for and yearn for mercy

Not only for myself and those I know,

But for all humans everywhere.

I have no capacity to judge,

And I certainly cannot claim that another’s sin is greater than my own.

We all have our own sins,

And we all must answer for our own,

But I pray that your answer may be grace upon grace,

That we may learn to do right and avoid evil,

And that you would unite the entirety of humanity

One day in your perfect realm.

Amen.

March 26, 2011

Send a new wind, O God.

Blow in new ways.

Light a fire in our spirits

And fan the flames.

Cause us to be committed to your desires for us,

Because we tend to be ready to do your work one minute

And forget about it the next.

Help us to be on fire for you,

Not lukewarm,

But totally on fire for your purposes in this world,

In our lives,

And in all our relationships.

Amen.

March 25, 2011

Who have you created me to be, O Lord?

I have searched,

I have prayed,

I have walked your path,

And yet, sometimes, there is a longing

Deep within me,

That says I am intended for something different.

One minute I feel I am perfectly in step with you,

And the next, I feel that you want me to do something completely new.

Guide me, Lord.

Help me to know the path you have chosen for me,

And give me the strength to walk it,

Whether in security or in great need.

What I want for me is what you want for me.

Amen.

March 24, 2011

What does it mean to walk in your light, Lord?

How can we walk in your pathways for us?

When the prophets chastise the people

Saying they have loved what is wrong,

And they have looked toward idols to save them instead of the One True God,

Have we not all done the same?

Haven’t we replaced idols of wood or stone

With idols of money and power,

Prestige and influence?

Have we not become just as enslaved to these idols

As many were in ancient times to their own graven images?

Help us to break those chains,

And look to you to guide our conduct.

Help us to care for your creation and your world,

As you have commanded us to do.

Amen.

March 23, 2011

Give us a passion for compassion, O Lord.

Teach us,

Especially those of us who come from a land of privilege,

Or who have the abilities to offer to the poor

Hope and love and resources,

To give.

You require of us that we give,

With a joyful heart to those in your creation who need us to give,

And give most to those who are unable to give anything back.

Ignite our hearts with true love for all people,

And that love will translate to deeds to ease the suffering of those

Who cannot make it without our help.

Give us passion for compassion,

In our backyards,

In our cities,

In the communities where we live,

And in all the communities throughout the world where compassion is so desperately needed.

Teach us how to give freely and with great joy,

Not hoarding for ourselves the resources you have entrusted us with,

But sharing so that all the world can live in security.

Passion for compassion.

Amen.

March 22, 2011

Lord, God, you have prepared a world for us,

A world that is entirely filled with things both living and inanimate

That declare to us daily your handiwork.

Help us to not miss the things all around us that testify to you

And your love for humanity

And indeed all creation.

You not only created us,

But at every turn,

When we were in need of redemption,

You created new ways for us to be redeemed

And become at one with you.

Although we have been unfaithful,

Your love for us has never wavered,

And we still look to you as our source of mercy

Rather than judgment.

Thank you.

Amen.

March 21, 2011

Lord, today is a new day.

Let me put my sins behind me.

Let me leave my jealousy and hatred in the past.

Let me leave my intolerance and look ahead to acceptance.

Let me bury my former self,

The one who lacked the character that you require,

And let me wake unto my new self,

Who is more and more like the person you desire me to be.

And, tomorrow, let me do it again.

Amen.

March 20, 2011

In the morning, Lord, everything is so fresh and so bright.

The sun rises again, and the promise that there will be a new day

Is renewed in our spirits.

Sometimes in the night,

When the darkness is all around,

We forget the promises of a new day,

And we focus instead on our fears.

But you are a God of faithfulness

Who brings the people from darkness into light.

Even when the darkness overwhelms,

You are there.

You turn our nights into days,

And we are ever grateful.

Amen.

March 19, 2011

Teach us to sing to you, O Lord!

Put a song in our hearts,

Place joy on our lips!

Remind us of your greatness

That we may every day shine your light in the world.

Your light shines, and darkness cowers in fear.

As we sing to you

As we make praises resound of you,

Let us brighten our own lights,

As we shine ourselves

To be mirrors reflecting your light.

Amen.

March 18, 2011

God in Heaven,

Teach us to love each other.

We are so filled with hate and division.

We cannot see our sisters and brothers as part of our family,

Or as part of your family.

We try to create separations between who is and who isn’t worthy of your love.

We think we know who is part of your plan of salvation and who isn’t.

We judge each other, when you have commanded us not to judge, but to love.

Lord God in Heaven,

Please teach us, instead, to love each other.

Amen.

March 17, 2011

No one compares to you, O Lord.

You are so far beyond our ability to understand

That we cannot begin to know who you are.

Without the revelations you have given to us of your nature,

We would be utterly lost about how we can begin to know you.

Thank you for your care for us.

It is unexplainable about how you care for us even though you are the master of the universe.

Yet, you care enough for me

And you care enough for all humanity

That you have called us into community with you.

How awesome you are that we can be a part of you,

And that we will one day spend eternity with you.

Thanks you for your love

Thank you for your compassion

Thank you for giving and sustaining our lives.

Amen.

March 16, 2011

Perhaps the best possible way we can learn how you feel about us

Is to spend time with our families.

You have given us earthly families who show us acceptance when we are unacceptable,

Love when we are unlovable,

Compassion when we least deserve it,

And grace upon grace.

And, as much as our families love us,

You love us more perfectly still.

Praises be to you!

Amen.

March 15, 2011

The gift of love is your greatest gift to us,

Not only receiving it, but giving it.

But we have lost our focus for love.

Many of us have forgotten how to love even ourselves.

But your love is more than we can give to others or ourselves.

Your love is perfect, and even when we do not follow you in the way you’d like,

Your love never falters.

Your love will never fail.

Help us to love ourselves and others with the love you have given to us.

At least, help us to get as close to it as humans can.

Amen.

March 14, 2011

We are made in your image, Lord,

But your ways are foreign to us.

We look to you for what seems like only a moment,

And then we turn to our own wants and desires.

We try, feebly, to be holy,

And we quickly run excitedly toward temptations and sin.

Leash our hearts to you, Lord we pray.

Make our will one with thine.

Re-create us in your image, not only in spirit, but in desire.

Cause us to run to you, our greatest treasure,

Instead of chasing vainly after worldly pleasure.

Amen.

March 13, 2011

Lord, God, Creator of the Universe,

Teach me to desire what is holy and good.

Teach me to think on those things that are perfect, like you.

Teach me how to love in the way that you would love,

Because I am prone to seek the unholy and impure.

I am prone to think on things that do not edify, but that tear down and cause pain.

I am prone to forget love and go my own way, loving only myself.

But, You, O Lord, have taught us that we should love.

You have shown us what to desire.

You have commanded us to think only on perfect and holy and good.

Help us to accept and follow your commands,

Because this will bring us only happiness and blessings.

Amen.

March 12, 2011

God of all things, you are holy beyond all measure.

We cannot add a bit of blessing to you by blessing you ourselves,

Yet, when we think of you, we are compelled to shout out how holy you are.

Holy God, Parent to us all,

Give us the ability to be holy, too.

Amen.

March 11, 2011

How can we gain wisdom?

How can we begin to understand the universe and all that is in it?

We can study, but can we ever really comprehend the mysteries of the cosmos?

How can we learn more of you, O God?

How can we commune with you?

We can read, we can study, but we can never know more than you yourself reveal.

Lord God, teach us who you are.

Teach us how to know you.

Teach us how to love you and to read about you and to look for you and to find you.

Amen.

March 10, 2011

Lord, the psalmist writes that there is no place we can go where you are not.

We believe this to be true.

So why is it that we can still sometimes feel so lost and

Disconnected from you?

How is it that in the midst of our turmoil,

Knowledge of you and the presence of your spirit

Can seem like the remembrance of a dream.

Lord, when we need you most is often the time when we feel your presence least.

Yet, we believe that it is not you who have moved, but us.

When we are hurting, Lord, send your spirit.

When we are lost, lead us.

When we are in pain, touch us.

When we are afraid, hold us.

And when we are desperate, remind us that all is in your hands.

Amen.

March 9, 2011

Mother, Father, Parent,

God, Lord, Creator,

Great Spirit, I AM,

YHWH,

You are called by many names throughout the nations,

And all we know is that you are indescribable.

Any name we affix to you cannot possibly describe the greatness you are.

We all tend to think of you in certain ways

With certain images,

But any image we have of you

Automatically downplays the infinite forms you can become.

Teach us to think of you in the most constructive ways.

Help us to understand as much of what you are as our human brains can handle,

And help us to remember the things that you aren’t.

Always remind us that one of the things you aren’t is limited.

Amen.

March 8, 2011

Why do so many people run so far from you, O God?

Why are there so many who are unable to acknowledge your might?

Some will go to great lengths to try and prove that you do not exist,

But their work can never be convincing.

Neither can our faith be convincing to those who have determined

You do not exist.

Show your people how to win the hearts of the many

Who deny your existence

And do not know of your presence.

Show us how to teach others of you

Without seeming condescending or self-serving

Or naïve or overly pious.

Lead us that we may show others what it is to be led

By the creator and lover of all.

Amen.

March 7, 2011

How can we keep faith in a faithless world?

How can we continue to believe when all around us tries to point us away from the eternal one?

We are so easily moved by the things around us,

We are so quick to lose faith in what you have promised us.

Sustain us and cause us to turn to you when we are in need.

Help us to focus our thoughts on you when this world offers answers

That we know within ourselves to be false.

Help us to look to the one who has created us to sustain and love us

Through all our trials and troubles.

Amen.

March 6, 2011

Lord and God of all things, times, and places,

What could we see if we had your eyes,

Even if just for a moment?

What could we feel if we had your heart?

What could we hear with your ears,

Or touch with your hands?

Could we begin to see, feel, hear, or touch

The way you do?

Could we even bear it for a moment?

Or would we become so overwhelmed we couldn’t do anything?

Lord, we put our trust in you that with all you see, feel, hear, touch

That you are in command and control of the universe still

And that, although you give us our own will,

You have compassion for us when we make mistakes,

Or when others’ mistakes hurt us.

Thank you, O God.

Amen.

March 5, 2011

Creator of all,

What seems to be missing in so many lives are

Purpose and identity.

Many of us do not know who we are anymore.

We do not realize how dependent we are on you,

And we do not know our true identity as your children

And members of a global or local community.

We also have lost sight of our purposes.

Even though many believe there is something special intended for us,

And many of those believe that purpose is given by you,

So many feel as if they have missed their purpose,

Or are simply still looking.

Help us to rely on you,

And believe that you will restore our identities

And show us our true purposes.

Amen.

March 4, 2011

Lord, you sent your son Jesus into the world to seek out the lost and save them.

We are all lost.

We learn that all we like sheep have gone astray and lost our way.

But, our faith tells us that Jesus is the way.

Turn our hearts, minds, and spirits toward Jesus.

Let us open our hearts to the way,

And let us find our way through your son.

We recognize that all of us are lost,

But we also recognize that we still have hope through your grace,

Through the love of Jesus Christ,

And through the continual leading of your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

March 3, 2011

The psalmist writes that we should lift our eyes unto the hills from where our help comes!

We are usually pretty bad at trusting in you, our Lord and God.

We do not believe that you will come through for us.

We do not expect that when we do look to the hills we will see our help,

Coming just in time to save us.

We follow after our own gods here on earth

Rather than putting our trust in you.

Thank you, Lord, for being patient with us when we lose our focus on you.

Thank you for remembering your love for us even when we turn to others to save us.

Thank you for leading us through our wildernesses even when we think we’d be better off back in Egypt.

Amen.

March 2, 2011

O, Lord,

Please forgive us for the ways in which we have sinned against you.

We do not even know the depth of our own sins.

We do not know how deeply we have deceived ourselves and convinced ourselves that we are worthy of your love and redemption.

Lord, help us to examine ourselves.

Help us to see ourselves the way you see us, and cleanse us from our sins.

Help us to truly repent, not just pay lip service to repentance,

But truly be sorry for our faults and try to turn away from them.

And, help us to see others then way you see them,

Through eyes of love.

Help us to see your fingerprints on creation and on the rest of humanity.

In this way, we can be the disciples you want us to be.

Amen.