Sunday, December 6, 2009
Offered by Victoria G. Curtiss, Associate Pastor

We praise you, God of the past, present, and future, for sending Jesus into the world to show us your true nature and to teach us how to live. We thank you that we can anticipate with hope and wonder his coming again, to reconcile those alienated from one another, to shine light into the darkest alleys of our world, and to empower us to proclaim your love as joyful people. Thank you for calming our fears. Open our hearts to receive you fully. Silence our mouths, our minds, and our noisy busyness that we may behold your presence and trust your faithfulness to us.

This day we are grateful for interfaith understanding and respect, for acts of kindness that surprise and nurture us, and for marriages and partnerships that stand the test of trials. We thank you for opportunities to contribute our efforts and money toward justice and economic development around the world. We thank you for many who toil daily to preach good news to the poor through word and action. We praise you for laughter and loved ones and ask in this holiday season that you comfort those who struggle with depression and loneliness.

We lift up to you, Ever-Present Healer, persons who are challenged by illness or disabilities, including those with chronic pain, those confined to a wheelchair, and those without adequate health care or coverage. We pray for medical professionals and caregivers, and thank you for the advances of medicine.

We pray for children, particularly for those in foster care or who live in unhealthy environments. Bring safety, stability, and love into their lives. We pray for teachers and school administrators throughout the city and state, and pray that the quality of our education for the young increases.

We ask your strength, Creator of all, for persons who are working behind the scenes for peace, for the stabilization of societies, for the end of war and violence in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, the Middle East, Congo, and Somalia and for your protection for all who are in harm’s way.

All this we pray with confidence in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together saying, Our Father . . .

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church