Sunday, March 4, 2007
Offered by Keith C. Harris, Associate Pastor

Loving and gracious God,

It is in our lives that we become aware of your life. It is in the rhythms of the world that we hear your pulse, your breathing, and your footsteps. We are reminded by your Son to look for you not only in this sanctuary, but on the sidewalks we pass, the roads we travel, the rooms in which we live, and in the many ordinary miracles that we take for granted in the world which you have created.

We pray this morning for our world and those who continue to struggle with the natural and human-made disasters, both large and small, in their lives. We pray for those who do not know from where their next meal or clothes or a friend will come, for those who have no safe place on which to lay their heads for sleep this night. We pray for not only for this country’s leaders, but the leaders around the world, that they and we might work together for justice and peace for all people.

Remind us by your Spirit that you are the author and source of our lives. You spread before us many pathways in the world of wilderness and in a mystery of love give us freedom to choose our path. We ask for your guidance. In our moments of despair, we ask that you would encourage us and broaden our perspective. In our moments of failure, we ask that you would forgive us and empower us with your strength to try again. In our moments of victory, teach us humility.

We ask that you would fill us with your loving Spirit, that we might be servants of care and concern. Open our ears that we may hear each other. Warm our hearts that we may care for one another. We ask that you would continue to enlighten our minds that we may be about the tasks you set before us. We pray all of these things in the name of your Son, who modeled and lived grace and servanthood for us, taught us that the greatest among us would be the servant of all, and taught his disciples and us to pray in this way, saying, Our Father . . .

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church