Prayer

Almighty God, sometimes we struggle to recognize the good in our lives because of our unbalanced focus on the negative. Many blessings can be washed away by the most isolated negative experience or comment. Fill us with your Holy Spirit that we might be ever more able to acknowledge the negative while genuinely appreciating and focusing upon all the good in our lives. With confidence, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Compassionate God, today, we continue our celebration of Black History Month. May our ongoing celebration remind us of how vitally important it is to be truthful as a nation about our past, to be honest and hopeful about the future we desire as a people, and to recognize and accept that both require us to be a virtuous people in the here and now. May we as individuals and as a people pursue the success that is not defined by the size of our bank accounts but by the contribution we make to the lives of others. May we repent of injustice and contribute to the dawning of a new and better day for all. In humility, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Lord of love, today we celebrate love, inspired by the example of Saint Valentine, who was willing to lay down his life for the people he served. Jesus taught that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend. Inspire us by the example of Jesus and saints like Valentine that we might have the courage to sacrifice on behalf of those we love and serve. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prayer

Gracious Lord, sometimes, as a culture we make being busy a competition. In such a view, relaxation can be viewed as a sin. And yet, genuine self-care requires a willingness to slow down, to enjoy life, and to step away from the hectic pace of life to enjoy time with self and with others. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to relax and refresh ourselves. Help us to enjoy the blessing of relaxation. May it rejuvenate us and deepen our love for life. Amen.

Prayer

God of courage, too often today we mistake resoluteness and passion with virtue. As we celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday today, help us to be mindful of his wisdom that we must first place our feet in the ‘right’ place. Firmness in the cause of wrong is more dangerous than inaction in the cause of right. Inspire us by Lincoln’s wisdom and the power of his enduring legacy to make our own contribution to providing our nation and world a new birth of freedom, determined to stand always in the right place. In God’s name, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

God of healing, so many suffer in our world from maladies of the body and struggles of the mind. On this World Day of the Sick, we ask you to renew our commitment to Jesus’ ministry of compassionate care and the pursuit of healing those people who are suffering from illness and disease of every kind. We also give thanks for the many who are working faithfully, diligently, and at risk to themselves to create health and well-being in individuals and communities across our nation and throughout the world. In thanksgiving, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

God of strength, you call us to make a difference, for good, in our world. Help us to resist the temptation to sit on the sidelines, to avoid taking part and taking responsibility for the world in which we live. Give us the strength to engage with the issues and problems confronting our world and inspire us to contribute to bettering the lives of others. With trust, we pray. Amen.