Prayer

Gracious God,

Fear can so often inhibit us from doing what we know is right. Fill our hearts with your courage that we might rise above our fears. Through the gift of courage, make us steadfast instruments of goodness and truth. May your Holy Spirit cultivate within us, despite our concerns and fears, the courage to do the right and pursue justice. We make this prayer in God’s name. Amen.

Prayer

Eternal and ever-living God,

Keep us constant in love, persistent in faith, and steadfast in hope. Help us resist the temptation to be overwhelmed by the problems of the world. Fill our hearts with the courage to do small things well and the confidence to recognize that goodness in small matters contributes to transformation in large matters. Inspire us, through the gift of your Holy Spirit, to not worry about reaching the summit but continuing to move towards it each day. We make this prayer in the name of the Lord who is with us always. Amen.

Prayer

Creator of all,

Recent events remind us how perilous freedom can be, how difficult it can be to promote and maintain liberty in a world where the quest for power and control can battle with the noble values of dignity, solidarity, and justice. May your love and goodness help us to appreciate more the gift of freedom and the ability to have our voices heard. Encourage us, that we might contribute to building a world where the voices of all are audible and free. In hope, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Gracious God,

Life can be difficult and challenging for us all. Help us to be mindful of the burdens we all carry. Inspire us to be kind to all we meet for we know that they, like us, are experiencing difficulties and challenges. May our kindness serve as a source of grace and hope for others, an experience of light in a dark time. Amen.

Prayer

Ever present God,

Too often in life we focus on the problems we face and the challenges we confront. That focus can often leave us feeling overwhelmed, drowning in a sea of troubles. Especially in such times, help us to maintain our focus on you, remembering that you will never abandon us. May our prayer keep us fixed on you and stir within us the hope of a better day ahead. In God’s name, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Faithful Lord,

Thurgood Marshall confirmation to the nation’s highest court stands as a pivotal moment in the life of our nation. May his vision help us to celebrate the differences that shine your light on what makes us each unique and the similarities that bind us together as one human family. May our commemoration of Thurgood Marshall’s confirmation strengthen the ties that bind and inspire each of us to pursue justice in our own little acre of the world. We pray in the name of God. Amen.

Prayer

Merciful God,

Today, we recall the sacrifice of John the Baptist in the service of your kingdom. Though descriptions of John may make it difficult to relate with him, help us instead to focus on his devotion to the kingdom your son Jesus came to establish. May his selflessness and sacrifice inspire us to give of ourselves more freely each day that our lives might promote the kingdom and advance the dignity of all. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.