Friday, February 24, 2023

How many times, O Yahweh? How many times have we pushed against your mighty hand when you hold us in place, preventing us from making disastrous decisions that would lead us down a path of darkness and destruction? Only when we enter your sacred prayer space, do we realize the true nature of your strength. You use your strength to protect us, not to control us.

Thank you, Yahweh, for wrapping us in your love. Thank you for reminding us to let go of our anger, bitterness, and slander. Thank you for the invitation to be kind and compassionate. Thank you for forgiving us.

Save us from ourselves. Give us ears to hear you, hearts to understand you, and wisdom to be like you. Give us the peace that can only come from relationship with you, so we may also be at peace with ourselves and each other.

Thank you, Yahweh; you are our God who sees us and keeps your promises to us. You are with us in our fear, sadness, and depression. Thank you for caring for our needs, especially when we have neglected our needs and forget to celebrate your goodness and miracles. Thank you for your provision and leading us on our journey to you and relationship with you.

Today, we invite you to reread, rest and reflect on the prayers of the past week.

Lectionary Readings for Today:
1 Samuel 15:32-34
Psalm 23:1-6
John 1:1-9

We enter your sacred prayer space throwing off our exteriors, these barriers that are full of deceitful and pious behaviours. We long to be genuine, to return to our true selves, the way you created us to be. We have learned how to put on a good show for others. But these are the ways of darkness. We seek a new path. We seek your path of life.