Almighty God, the God who made the heavens and the earth, who commands all of creation, we give you thanks for the opportunities you present to us: opportunities to worship, to learn, to share your Word, to have meaningful relationships with our brothers and sisters and with our maker. You could have crafted us as nothing more than robots, toys to play with, but instead created beings with the ability to have complex relationships. You wanted a relationship – to share your love – Godly love, fatherly love. Thank you for this great, unconditional love.
Oh, God who commands the planets in their orbits, the sun as it shines, help us
to hear and respond to your commands to serve each other and the world around
us, to reach out to the dispossessed, to help those in need whatever the
affliction, to love the unlovable, to build relationships with our enemies, to
allow ourselves discomfort, pain, and even loss for the sake of others and the
sake of the Gospel.
Gracious God, who put the world right, who puts creation
in order – we ask your power upon us, the faint, we ask your strength upon us, the
powerless. We know that we are weak and
selfish. We fail each other; we fail
you. Thank you for allowing us to be a
part of your world since there’s no way we deserve it. Help us fully participate in your work to put
the world right and not be those who would ignore or hinder your plans, your
desires. Align ourselves with your will
to bless others and share Your love through Jesus Christ. We call on you, Lord, to renew our strength; give
us the ability to run and not be weary, walk and not faint, persevere in the
face of evil, and use every opportunity of sacrifice, service, and proclamation
to share the Good News and glorify you.
In the silence,
hear our struggles, Father. Respond to
our cries, to our whispered failures and fears.
Let us know you are listening.
Smile upon us and wrap us in your love.
Glory be to you, Oh
God, who was, who is, and who will always be.
Now, we
specifically ask your blessings on the ETSU campus house – the staff,
volunteers, and students as they serve you and share your love as a community on the campus of East Tennessee State
University. Encourage them; give them
wisdom and strength; help them persevere even when the responses they seek don’t
come as quickly as they hope.
And now we pray together the prayer Jesus taught us:
