Sunday, June 16, 2013
Offered by Judith L. Watt, Associate Pastor

God of this world, God of our lives, God of all possibilities, we thank you for this moment—for this very moment—a moment that affords us the chance to focus on you, to rest in your presence, to take a deep breath, to settle down, and to sit together with others, all of us so yearning to know that you are by our side.

You know us, O God. You know that sometimes we are full of joy and trust and confidence, feeling pretty good about ourselves. But you also know how fragile we are, how quickly we become defeated by a word or a dismissal or a failure. You know our old wounds and hurts; you know our anxieties about the future; you know how quickly our minds can start running in directions that are damaging.

So we are thankful that we can come before you in prayer, that in the company of others we can hold onto a trust that you hear us, that despite our fragility and failure you love us. And that in the midst of our joys and triumphs, you share our happiness, especially when it is happiness that comes from your grace.

We pray today for those who are grieving a great loss and ask that they might feel your arms of comfort. We pray for our community as we grieve various losses. We pray for those who are battling frightening disease and for the loved ones in their lives trying as best they can to encourage and support. We pray for those who are discouraged because their bodies continue to fail them.

O God, we pray again that our earth would be freed from war. We especially pray for a miracle of peace in Syria. Strengthen our nation to pursue just priorities, and empower our leaders to rise above partisan squabbles so that a common good can be achieved.

On this day when we honor fathers, we give you thanks for our fathers, knowing that some of us were fortunate to have fathers who have won our admiration and praise and that others of us have been disappointed or hurt by our fathers. So accept our thankfulness and also hear our pleas for healing and forgiveness. Thank you for those we can call fathers in faith. Continue to be with us this week, increase our faithfulness, help us to worship you with abandon, to pour out our own alabaster jars of gifts and graces. In the name of Jesus, who could rely on you as Abba, we pray together, saying, Our Father . . .

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church