Prayer

God of friendship,

On the night before he died, your son Jesus called his disciples friends. Open our minds and hearts to your presence and love. May we experience your deep friendship for each one of us and reach out to others with loving kindness. May our nurturing of the gift of friendship create communities of compassion and care across our nation and throughout the world. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

God of mercy,

We know we are not always who you create us and call us to be. We can hurt our loved ones, we can fail to act for the good of others, we can be self-interested rather than selfless. Fill us with the grace of repentance and open our hearts to your forgiveness and mercy. Stir within us the flame of your love and give us the courage to walk in newness of life. We make this prayer through Christ our Risen Lord. Amen.

Prayer

God of mercy,

We know we are not always who you create us and call us to be. We can hurt our loved ones, we can fail to act for the good of others, we can be self-interested rather than selfless. Fill us with the grace of repentance and open our hearts to your forgiveness and mercy. Stir within us the flame of your love and give us the courage to walk in newness of life. We make this prayer through Christ our Risen Lord. Amen.

Prayer

God of joy,

Your son Jesus proclaimed that he had come that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Give us the strength and spirit to appreciate the life you have given us. Inspire us that we might see our lives as something to celebrate and enjoy rather than merely endure. Fill us with your Holy Spirit that we might enjoy each day you give to us and increase our willingness to share our joy with others. In the name of the God who creates us all, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Lord of life,

We live in a world of data, of metrics, of the primacy of science and technology. Yet, we know the most important aspects of our lives are the things that cannot be proven, that cannot be reduced to technology, that transcend data and metrics. Touch us today that we might possess hearts open to your love, eyes open to your presence, and lives open to your call. Bless us ever more abundantly with the gift of faith that we might draw closer to you and to one another. With trust and confidence, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

God of truth,

Your son Jesus taught us that if we remain in God’s word, we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free. In the midst of a world that struggles with the truth and that often mistakes the truth for propaganda, it makes it that much more important that we pursue your truth in our lives. Only through a commitment to the truth will we enjoy the blessings of freedom. Fill us with your wisdom that we might speak the truth to a world desperately searching for it. We pray in God’s name. Amen.

Prayer

God of justice and righteousness,

Through your prophet Micah, you call us to do justice. We live in a world that often fails to embody what the Lord requires. Justice still remains a far too distant reality for many in our communities, across our nation, and throughout the world. Renew us this day, that we might respond to your call to do justice with ever increasing vigor, determination, humility, and love. May our lives, we pray, contribute to the construction of a better and more just world. Amen.