A PERSONAL PRAYER
God of love,
When I am lost, find me and bring me home.
When I am weary, give me the strength to walk one more step, get through one more day, face one more challenge.
When I am joyous, show me how I can share my joy with others.
When I am confident, temper my confidence with humility.
When I am wrong, give me the grace to repent with authenticity.
When I am right, remind me that I could be wrong.
When I am self-righteous, make clear to me my sin, and knock me low.
When I am sad, use my sadness to teach me to empathize with others.
When I am searching for truth, remind me that your love is the only truth that is essential.
When I am stuck, stay with me until you finally make your way out of no way.
O Jesus, I suspect that sometime today, I will be all these things. So walk with me, and show me your way, truth, and life.
In your name and character I seek to pray, Amen.
SOME THOUGHTS TO SHARE
During the season of Lent, there is so much going on to help you focus on our inside-out habits. We have a prayer service every Wednesday night at 7:00 pm, music for meditation and reflection at 12:05 every Thursday, experiential Lenten calendar (Daily Acts of Grace and Mercy), and see the details for all our Lenten possible experiences here.
Last week at church, I ran into a woman who had received a note of gratitude from someone practicing our “year of gratitude.” The note was from a friend from childhood, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time. The gratitude card included a phone number, so the recipient called and rekindled an old friendship. What’s more, the recipient began worshiping at St. Luke’s! I hope you are practicing your year of gratitude, writing 365 notes of gratitude during the year. If you have fallen behind, or haven’t yet started, just pick right up now and aim at one every day. It will be a life-changing experience for you. There are other possible ways of building a habit of thanksgiving to cultivate a heart of gratitude. Check some of them out here.
This week, we continue our sermon series “The Book of Glory,” looking at the last half of the gospel of John, which outlines the last few days Jesus spends with his disciples before the crucifixion. This week, we will look at Jesus’ claim to be one with the Father, and his desire that we “believe in” him, as we study John 14, the familiar passage “In my father’s house there are many mansions…” Come and join us!
PRAYER CALENDAR
Sunday, March 17
Dear Heavenly Father, May we see your goodness and the depths of your love more fully throughout the season of Lent. Help us quiet our minds, simplify, and reduce our stress so our hearts can grow closer to you. May our actions be a reflection of love and gratitude for the sacrifice of Jesus to forgive us from our sins. Help us to feel the joy of your strength, love and grace in his resurrection. In Jesus’ name. Amen. -Prayer by Charlene Rogers, Genesis Sunday School Class
Monday, March 18
Gracious Lord, thank you for your presence with us every day and for placing your shroud of safety over us. We thank you for the many wonderful blessings you present to us each day. Help us to remember that these good and perfect gifts are a sign of your love toward us, your unending love. Help us to be good stewards of these gifts to others as we go about our day. In your son’s name, Amen. -Prayer by Brad Jackson, Genesis Sunday School Class
Tuesday, March 19
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus Christ, who saved us from our sins. Help us to reopen the amazing gift of salvation, and help us to experience the power of the resurrection. Amen.
Wednesday, March 20
Father God, thank you for all of the many blessings you have bestowed on us in the past and present and for those that will come in the future. It is far too easy for us to take them for granted each day. In my quiet times with you, your truth is revealed to me and I do know that all that we have and who we are comes from you Lord, through your abundant love and grace. May your love and grace flow through us to others as we work to bring your Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. In Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior’s name we pray. Amen. -Prayer by Steve Nelson, Genesis Sunday School Class
Thursday, March 21
Heavenly Creator, you have called each of us to a specific place for a specific purpose. Help us to always be working for your Kingdom wherever we are and in every circumstance. Amen.
Friday, March 22
Lord in Heaven, thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed on us. Help us to keep our focus on you so that we may see all of the amazing ways that you are working in our world. Then, O Lord, equip us so that we might join you in your Kingdom work here on earth. All honor and glory is yours. Amen.
Saturday, March 23
God of Love, help us to be slow to anger, and show us the freedom of forgiveness. Change our hearts so that we act out of love, show mercy, and walk humbly. Amen.
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