Monday, February 27, 2023

Thank you, loving God, for our ancestors and the community whose prayers for us lead us to joyous victory. Thank you for the mentors, community, leaders, and water-carriers who teach us to honour you. Thank you, Life-Giving Spirit, for giving us power, love, and self-discipline so we can live a life of faith and joy.

We walk with you to the spaces in our landscape that represent grief and death to us. Jesus calls to these spaces. We hear him command that which is dead within us to come back to life. Dreams, desires, gifts, and visions that were once dead are caught in the breath of Life-giving Spirit and come forth within 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.

Loving Yahweh, thank you for providing for our daily needs. Thank you for listening to us, even when we are complaining against you. Thank you for teaching us to be in a relationship with you and each other. May we never forget your loving presence and blessings. May we look to you.

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.

We enter your sacred prayer space, and become aware of your firm yet gentle hand upon us. We lash out at others for their acts and behaviours, but do not listen to your wisdom and guidance about how we should behave. We have acted with judgemental convictions towards you and others. But you are the God of countless second chances.