Awesome Creator, quiet down the noise and speak in our silence. Connect us to Your Word by reconnecting us with each other. Capture our imagination. Lead us in Your direction as we lead others. Change the story that the world tells us because we cannot share in God’s love if we do not share in God’s compassion. Give us the strength to let go of limitations, mistakes and ego because only out of our nothingness can You create a new beginning and new possibilities.
Holding on to what was will only hold us back from living in the present, and we will miss life if we try too hard to shape the future. All we have is now. All we have is God and each other. So let’s hold on to the truth, the truth that the created is forever held in the arms of the Creator one scarred hand to the other.
Lord God, “Your mercy fills the space between our hearts and Yours” (Emilie Kirkpatrick). We’re here because we forget that we are always in Your presence. We’re here because we need the strength of Your word to drown out the noise of this world. Speak the truth that pierces through the darkness of our minds and hearts so that we will know that no matter what happens in this life, we do not need to be afraid to live in the victory of Christ.
Because of You, we can be the change. We don’t have to make the same mistakes that other people made before us. We can step outside of ourselves and see each other, one sinner to another, in need of the same grace, love and forgiveness. We don’t need judgment and we don’t need to judge. We need to love and love is the only way that others will know who and what we are.
“God our provider, You have not fed us with bread alone, but with words of grace and life” (ELW p. 64). Lord, stop our confusion because we seem to always be running to or from something. Always going in circles. Remind us that You are always right beside us.
We come here because we want more. We want a deeper relationship with You and with each other. We want to learn how to live a more fulfilling life. We want to know that we belong. We want so many things but the only thing standing in our way is doubt and fear. And the only thing stronger than our doubts and fears is You, the God who loves us so much that You sent Your only Son to die so that we could see just how much we are worth to the One who created us.
There is a time when we have to lead others but it is always time to be led by the Holy Spirit so that we can know that life is worth living. Give us the knowledge that illuminates the world and the courage to believe in the impossible again. Let us be Your witnesses, Your advocates, and the ones who tell Your story. And when the world throws our mistakes back at us, we have the Word of God that tells us that “God has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12) and that “this world is not our home” (1 Peter 2:11).
God of today, tomorrow and yesterday we thank You for the time that You gift us in this life. Help us to see that You are our shield from an unforgiving world. Create clarity in this moment so that we can let go of things that don’t matter. Reveal to us the things that we need to strip away so that we can clearly see our purpose in Your story.
Everything starts with an idea…a vision. Be the vision that is the foundation of each thought we have. So that every word we say and every step we take is rooted in the truth of the Word of God.
“For not our righteousness but the righteousness of Christ, reconciled us to God and redeemed us from sin” (Martin Luther). Because of Christ, we can be the voice for those too afraid to speak. Because of Christ, we can be the change needed to impact this world. Because of Christ, we know God’s love. And we “encounter God every time we encounter love” (Rev. Jeff Hood). So let us experience love now and forever.
Creator God, thank You for Your presence that never leaves us. Teach us how to start this week with You as the focus. It’s so easy to focus on ourselves, but doing so will not reveal our life’s purpose. Help us to be open to the possibilities of God. Rearrange our priorities so that we are not holding onto things because “a life devoted to things is a dead life, (but) a God-shaped life is a flourishing one” (Proverbs 11:28). Brings us back to basics. Bring us back to You.
In this place, we see many people but know only a few. Change that. And when life tries to confuse us or change our direction, remind us that everything starts with God. And God is the strength that we need to endure the storms of life. God is how and why we can persevere beyond the imperfections of this life. God is everything that we need.
Almighty God, be our vision so that we can see past the lies that surround us. You are the only truth that withstands the wreckage of time. We come to You because we don’t have all the answers. We come to You because we need words of comfort and hope. We come to You because we need You. We need Your strength and support so that we can stop chasing the past or the future because all we have is now. Unfreeze the moments that hold us back from living. Transform us even when we think we can’t change. Give us the courage to not be afraid to live or grow so that we can step into our purpose and unleash the gifts that You have given us.
In our darkest hour, remind us that Your Holy Spirit dwells within us and within every flaw of our being that is made perfect and new because of the sacrifice of the only Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. Yes, we stand with You now, but You, oh God, have always and will always stand with us now and forever.
Almighty One, thank You for continually working thousands of miracles in and around us even if we are only aware of a few. Mature our faith in You so that we can function on a more spiritual level instead of a worldly one.
Write into the margins of our minds so that we can trust in Your timing, rely on Your truth and experience Your presence. Remind us, that because of Your Son, we are not defined by our past, but are redefined by Your grace, love and forgiveness.
Lord, give us the strength to rise up from complacency and let us be extensions of You, of “justice, truth and love…because whatever we put into life is what we will get out of it” (Rev. Ed Bacon).
Almighty God, shine Your light into the darkness of the unknown. Help us to embrace Your plans and lay down ours. We may not understand how everything will turn out, but we pray for the wisdom to trust You. Forgive us for our unawareness of the constant presence of Your Holy Spirit. Forgive us for living a life that shuts You out. Show us, that no matter where we are or what we’ve done, that You are always for us and You are always with us.
“We may have weaknesses, but God has strength. We may have sin, but God has Grace. We may fail but God remains ever faithful” (God’s not Dead), and “the pain that we’ve been feeling, can’t compare to the joy that’s coming” (Romans 8:18).
Almighty One, thank You for every second of life that You give. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Thank You for forgiving our mistakes and making us new. Lead us into Your vision and take us away from the uninspired and routine. Make us new and vibrant messengers of the Gospel and Your eternal truth so that every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Your Son, Jesus Christ, is Lord of all. We pray all these things in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
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