Palm Sunday, April 1, 2007
Offered by Adam Fronczek, Associate Pastor

Lord, we gather on this day when the gates of Jerusalem open and our Savior comes in.
Our Savior Jesus Christ enters the city in glory and will soon go to the cross
for the sake of the world he loves so very much.
Our Savior enters triumphant and victorious, yet humble and riding on a donkey.
We are spellbound, O God, at your majesty and humbled that you show such concern
for us and for our world.
And so we pray for the concerns of this our world.
We pray that just as Jesus went to the temple demanding justice
that we might enter this holiest of weeks demanding justice and goodness
and wholeness in our own city, country, and world.

We pray, O God, for the poor, the weak, the oppressed.
We pray for victims around our world:
victims of crime in Chicago,
victims of natural disasters in the Midwest and in the Gulf states,
victims of war in Iraq.
We know that you, God, have the power to change hearts and minds
and so we are spellbound by your love,
and we ask you to inspire us in your service.

We pray, O God, for those who are lonely, tired, and broken.
We pray for people who suffer in hospitals
and for those who suffer without health care.
We pray for people who lack love and companionship
and for those trapped in troubled relationships.
We pray for those who are spiritually hungry that they might be fed.
We know that you care for each one of us in our brokenness,
and so we are spellbound by your love,
and we ask you to inspire us to care for the world as you do.

We pray, O God, for those who are waiting and for those who are stuck.
We pray for families whose loved ones are away,
we pray for people who wait eagerly for news,
and we pray for people who have decisions to make.
We know that yours is a love that is in the world and in the everyday things.
We are spellbound that in your glory you condescend to look after us.
Inspire us to look after ourselves and our friends and our neighbors.
Help us to live lives that are life-giving.

We pray, O God, that we might come into this most holy of weeks
spellbound at the glory you bring
and humbled by the service to which you call us.

At the beginning of this week, we pray that we might make a beginning in your world.
We pray that we might be spellbound.
We pray that we might be inspired.

We pray for the many needs of this our world, and as Jesus Christ taught us to pray:

Our Father . . .

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church