Prayer 3 14 99<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God summons us to wake up and see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Light has come to lead us to all that is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our eyes have been opened to God\u2019s goodness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We seek to live as children of light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Visitors<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back of bulletin for prayer concerns and celebrations<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O Gracious God, we present ourselves to you in the need of prayer. We have hesitated to seek you for guidance in our busy lives. And when we lose sight of your will for us, we begin the perennial sin of believing that we can do everything for ourselves. Help us to count our blessings of your ever-forgiving love; especially when we forget to whom we belong. We belong to you, dear God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We come to you, glorious God, for your light reveals the gloom in which we have lived. We did not know that we were blind until you taught us to see. There is so much more of life than we have allowed ourselves to experience. You open our eyes to the vast possibilities for helping others, overcoming injustice, and building community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We pray, O merciful God, for many in our congregation who are standing in the need of prayer. Together in one Spirit, one voice, one heart, we bring these petitions to you for mercy and grace. We pray for Elsa Ng\u2019s brother Andy; for Jane Wong\u2019s mother Betty, for Lujuan Norris, for Aprielle Chan. We pray because we believe that when our faith is joined together and if it is according to your mighty will, our prayers may be answered. We pray for the losses in our fragile lives knowing that eternal life is always with you and not here on earth. Dear God, we pray for Ed Chan and his family and for John Wong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And for the many friends and family members who are living with concerns for their health, doubts about their future, and anxieties about relationships, we come stripped of all unnecessary pretensions and seek your love to bathe our souls. O God, we give thanks to Jesus Christ who has made life worth living today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amazing God, how patient you are to keep forgiving us, even when your light has shone into our lives and we persist in our blind spots.\u00a0 You invite us to lie down in green pastures beside still waters.\u00a0 When we allow ourselves to be quiet in your presence, we sense your goodness and mercy.\u00a0 In the midst of suffering and loss, we know an abiding peace as you comfort us.\u00a0 You fill our cups to overflowing. Dwelling in your love, we have no fear of enemies.\u00a0 Living in your light, we have nothing to hide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shepherd of us all, reach out today to all of us who have gathered here and to those who are still lost and not yet found. We thank you for your goodness and mercy that are always available to us. We accept with joy your healing power in our lives. In name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, Our Father\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
May Christ be near you to defend you, within you to refresh you, around you to preserve you, before you to guide you, behind you to justify you, and above you to bless you. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Prayer 3 14 99 Call to Worship God summons us to wake up and see. Light has come to lead us to all that is good. Our eyes have been