Heavenly Father,
We thank you and praise you for your mercy and goodness. Thank your for your presence here and always.
Lord, this has been a challenging year. The natural disasters – the fires, hurricanes, and floods, the political division and social unrest, and the pandemic have hurt us physically, economically, emotionally, and spiritually. So many have suffered from illness, lost loved ones, lost their jobs or businesses, or suffered because of separation from friends and family. We feel helpless, we are anxious, fearful, and we are so weary.
God of peace, we pray for you to renew our strength. Restore us, give us courage, and renew our spirits.
Gracious Father, we confess that we are often prideful, and we believe we can accomplish everything by ourselves. When things are going well in our lives, we fail to give you credit for our blessings, when the truth is that you are the source of all our blessings. Forgive us that sometimes it’s only in times of suffering that we ask for your help and put our trust in you.
Merciful God, you declare in your word that your grace is sufficient for us, because your strength is made perfect in our weakness. We ask that our pain and troubles lead us to a closer relationship with you, so that your supernatural power strengthens us as we put our faith and trust in you. Renew us as we wait on you.
Loving Father, strengthen us with courage to avoid temptation and not give in to selfishness or despair. Strengthen us with purpose so that we may reach out and show your love to others, for there are many in need. Strengthen us with hope and wisdom to stop worrying and trust in your higher purposes and your divine plan.
God of mercy, be with those on the front lines, with the health care workers, first responders, teachers, and all those working and putting themselves at risk to keep us going in this pandemic. Sustain them with your power and grace. Bless the church staff, and all those in ministry, and all your people with the power of your Holy Spirit, so they can encourage everyone in this time. Give your comfort and peace to those who are isolated because of the risk of COVID-19, and those already infected. Strengthen them physically, so they are able to fight the disease, and emotionally, reassuring them that they are not truly alone.
Holy Father, we thank you for your ever-presence in our lives. Even though it’s difficult, help us to remember that joy in the Lord is our strength, because true joy is not dependent on the world or our current circumstances. Help us to rejoice in your promise to never leave us or forsake us. Thank you for your ultimate plan to eventually be together with you for all eternity. Thank you for your son Jesus Christ, whose loving sacrifice made this possible.
It’s in his holy name we pray,
Amen
Written by Kelly Milburn, Genesis UMC member