God of all, we marvel at
the beauty of your world. Even with all
its blemishes and scars, it is a majestic creation.
And even though we are part
of it, even though we are surrounded by it, many of us fail to see the world’s
grandeur. Instead, many of us see your
world through the lens of addiction.
Regardless of the cause,
our addictions can get in the way of serving you, of doing your will. Our addictions can hurt those around us.
Help us be honest with
where we are, Lord. Help us look starkly
at ourselves and see the challenges we face.
At the same time, let us not be overcome by what we see, what we
realize. Do not let us be overcome by
guilt and shame. Instead, allow us to
remember that you love us supremely and that you have made our imperfect lives
white as snow in the name of our savior, Jesus Christ.
Forgive us for the hurt we
cause others, and allow them to experience forgiveness for us, too.
If we fail, when we
back-slide, remind us that you are there for us always, with open arms, calling
us back to you.
Give us the gift of
perseverance – to carry on, and to continue our efforts to be more Christ-like,
even in with our feelings of inadequacy.
Help us ever strive to break the chains of bondage that often stand in
the way of allowing us to do your will.
Thank you for our Christian
family – our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Help us open ourselves up to them and allow
them to surround us with love, just like the love that Jesus showed to us.
Help us move forward without fear, focusing our lives on service
to your world, loving those around us, and glorifying you with our words and
our deeds.
In the silence, gracious God, hear us.
Hear our cries, O God.
Listen to our prayers.
And now we pray together, as a family, the prayer that Jesus
taught us to pray:
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