We come to you in this time of prayer, Lord, thankful that you allow us to reach out to you. We are in awe of your majesty, your omnipotence, your power. The heavens and the earth, the very universe itself falls subject to your desires. Turn your face toward us, wondrous God, as we your children, kneel at your feet and call you Father.
We come to you now, Lord, besieged…besieged by a cacophony of words, images, activities that call to us, invite us, entice us. Satan imitates the most alluring parts of life. The evil one uses us ourselves to focus on things other than your kingdom and your wishes.
We are tempted…we experience the temptation to complain, the temptation to draw inside ourselves, look out for ourselves, the temptation to think to highly of ourselves, the temptation to think others will take care of the needs around us, the temptation to believe our lives are about us. Help us understand our lives, as followers of the Christ, are about the kingdom, being obedient to God, serving others in the name of Jesus.
Help us endure the onslaught of the world that tells us to feed our own needs when the needs of others stand so starkly before us. Give us grace, give us empathetic spirits. Help us be tender and kind. Help us recognize that when we look into the eyes of another in need, we are looking into the eyes of Jesus, who lowered Himself to the position of a slave. Engender in us the desire to act and the discipline to carry out your commandment to love others as our Savior loves us.
Bless our enemies, Lord. Help us overcome the temptation to ignore, dismiss, or subordinate those we do not like, those with whom we do not agree, or those who do not like us. We are all your children, and as your children, we have been made worthy…worthy of each other’s attention, understanding, and time.
In the silence, O God, hear our petitions…for your grace, your forgiveness. Hear our pleas for mercy for ourselves and for those for whom we care. Hear our thoughts of gratitude, love, and thanksgiving.
Our victory is in you, great and wondrous Lord. Our victory is in helping your kingdom be made manifest and spread to the corners of the earth. Praise be to you, Father.
We ask special blessings today, Father, on the Eldoret Mission in Kenya. Give them strength, wisdom, and endurance, Lord, as they work to prepare ministers of the Gospel in the surrounding area.
And now we pray together the prayer that our savior Jesus Christ taught us to pray:
