Sunday, May 19, 2019
Offered by Judith L. Watt, Associate Pastor

Gracious God, we are an impatient people filled with a multitude of desires and needs. We yearn for simple things—the arrival of spring-like weather, enough time for friends or family, a feeling of competence in our workplaces, the ability to have a day of simple rest.

We have desires that are more complex, too—that our national leaders would work for the common good, that the nations of the world would cooperate, that war would be no more, that women throughout the world would be able to make decisions as equal persons under the laws of any nation or village or tribe, that hunger and poverty would be eradicated.

So we ask, O God, that you would pour out your grace this day on each one of us, that you remind us of your love, and that you would replace any despair with the power of love.

We pray for those who are ill or struggling with chronic conditions. We ask for comfort for those who grieve, for work for the unemployed. We pray for those in prison. We even pray for those we would call our enemies and ask for the gift of forgiving hearts.

We thank you for those who have gone before us, especially those who conceived of a vision to build this place of worship, for in this space, year after year, scripture has been proclaimed, anthems have been sung, loved ones have been commended to your care, children have received their first Bibles, couples have spoken their vows, your people have been transformed and commissioned and sent out. We have been blessed, dear God, to share in this family of faith. And we give you thanks for the past five years of Shannon Kershner’s leadership. We humbly ask for your guidance into the future for years to come. We pray these prayers in the name of your Son and our Savior, Jesus, who taught us to pray together, Our Father . . .

Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church