Prayer

Giving God,

We dream great dreams and harbor deep hopes, for ourselves and for others around us. Yet even our best dreams are nothing compared with the gifts and the plans that you have for us. We thank you today for your gifts and ask you to open our hearts more and more to receive and embody them. By trust and perseverance, help us to freely share what you’ve given for the good of others, especially those who are most vulnerable and in need. Amen.

Prayer

God of tomorrow,

We are confronted more and more with the fallout from all the damage we’ve done to our environment. As we strive to respond, inspire us with a deeper sense of integrity, responsibility, and authentic commitment to the generations that will come after us. Bind us by conscience to them, that we might make sacrifices today for the sake of the world they will inherit. Even if we may never hear a word of their thanks, help us do what we can to leave them a rich and vibrant ecological inheritance. Amen.

Prayer

Gracious giver,

As we extend your compassionate ministry to others today, invigorate our hearts with gratitude. Inspire our many acts of service—both big and small—with the joy of self-giving love. And rather than wait for an emotional swell to spring up, teach us the wisdom of a disciplined habit of gratitude. May we count our many blessings deliberately, reminding each other of the many gifts we have the privilege of possessing together. Presence and time, creativity and humor, a form of work that has purpose and brings healing to others. With gratitude for all these good gifts, may we choose to be a blessing to others today. Amen.

Prayer

Ever-patient God,

We are not very good at handling delays. Whether in our daily routine or in the bigger decisions of life, we struggle to be patient and wait. And in our relationship with you we can often grow weary, waiting for a response to our prayers. For all of those who are right now struggling in what feels like a holding pattern, we ask you to strengthen them in their place of waiting. May they take heart and remember that your delays are not the same as denials. And may we all grow stronger by living into the virtue of patience. As a ministry united, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

God of the ages,

We’ve all heard it said, there’s no such thing as “not having time.” We only say this because we aren’t very good at investing the time we’ve been given. Help us in this. Because, frankly, we need the help! We live in a culture that makes being busy into a competition and a mark of our worth. We know it’s untrue, yet we often become addicted to the pattern of spending rather than investing our time. Forgive us, heal us, and lead us to use our time wisely. Amen.

Prayer

Divine Healer,

This week is a special time for us to honor our physicians and give them our thanks. They stand as embodiments of hope for so many who are sick and suffering, in pain and distress, awaiting answers and feeling despair. As they continue in service to others, we ask you to bless them and assure them of our gratitude for their selflessness and commitment, even in the midst of such challenging times. Empower them to continue accompanying their patients and families with compassion, wisdom and discernment, that they might continue to bring your good help into the lives of so many. Amen.

Prayer

Empowering God,

We who follow Jesus’ way have been warned that our mission may get us in trouble with those in power, who preserve the status quo by guarding the interests of the powerful and the overprivileged. All the same, empower us by the spirit of Jesus to build a more just society. May we seek out and protect all those who are marginalized, while advocating for the promotion of the common good. Make us fearless proponents of your healing liberation for all, especially those who are vulnerable. And may we be happy and joyful, even in the tumult that follows so great a calling. With joy for the road ahead, Amen.