Prayers of the Church, 2.15.09

We come before you, Lord God, looking for an anchor in a stormy world. All around us the world is busy, the world is chaotic, the world is beautiful and ugly at the same time. We are bombarded by temptations, by sin. We are surrounded by danger. Want and need are everywhere we look. The poor and the despised, the ugly and the infirm, cry out for help. Trust in the world and we are lost. You are our rock, you are our strength, you are our redeemer. In you, we find our peace. We rest upon your unchanging grace; in every high and stormy gale, our anchor holds within the veil.

In you we find our peace, but it’s often on our own terms. We like you Lord, the way we like you. It’s almost like we have our own religion that we need you to fit into. Clear our minds, Lord. Make us right. Help us see you are the God of everything and that you’re with all your followers, all your servants. Forgive us when we put you in a box, forgive us when we pull you out and dust you off and try to wind you up like a toy to please us. Forgive us.

We want to serve you, Lord. We want to do your will and we often try very hard to spread the Good News to every nation. But we also often see one way to accomplish your tasks. We often see OUR way of reaching your goals. When things stand in our way, we lose focus, we get frustrated, we sometimes even give up. God, don’t let us get sidetracked by the world, by our own desires, by well-meaning people, by our fears and phobias. Just as Jesus kept his eyes upon you and his purpose, so help us to remain steadfast to your design.

Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and his righteousness. We know, Father, that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Thank you for the cleansing blood of the Lamb. Thank you for your limitless grace.

Forgive our enemies and let them be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb just as we are.

In the silence hear our prayers of despair and of hope, of sadness and of joy…of thanksgiving:


We pray for Agape Women’s Services and their mission here in the community. Bless them as they show your unconditional love for the people they serve.

We also pray for Greg and Allison Coley and the entire Globalscope team serving at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. Help them build the relationships, help them share your love with the students, and help them stay focused on your will.

And now we pray together as Jesus taught us to pray: