Let us pray that God’s glory dwells within us and among us: Lord God, your Word is not distant, your love is not rationed, your grace is at hand, for you are present with your people as we call upon you. We bless you as our Creator. We honor you as our God. You are […]
Let us pray in Advent with longing and waiting for the coming of the Lord: Father, in heaven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds search for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior, and give us the strength to grow in love, so that the […]
We can look for all the signs we want for the Lord’s Second Advent, but the reality is that we will not know when Christ returns until it has already happened (Mark 13:32-37). One day it will happen, and although that has not happened yet, may we be aware of our own impending deaths as […]
Let us pray that we reign with Jesus by serving with him: God our Father when you wanted to show us that you are the Lord of all people, you sent us Jesus your Son as the humble servant of your love. Give us faith to learn from him that to serve is to reign. […]
The prophet Ezekiel envisioned a future in which God himself would shepherd the people with fairness and justice. The leaders of ancient Israelite society had not practiced fairness and justice (Ezekiel 34:1-4, 11-12, 20-22). It was a society in which the strong and influential forgot that the advocate for the poor, the weak, and the […]
In ancient Israel, the proper worship of Yahweh entailed the fair and just treatment of everyone in society, especially the most vulnerable. The failure of the ancient Israelites led Zephaniah to call the day of the Lord a day of darkness and gloom (Zephaniah 1:7-18). Lest we become arrogant, think of our society’s reliance upon […]
Let us pray that our prayers rise like incense in the presence of the Lord: Almighty Father, strong is your justice and great is your mercy. Protect us in the burdens and challenges of life. Shield our minds from the distortion of pride and enfold our desire with the beauty of truth. Help us become […]
