Father In Heaven,
Father, You are good. Lord, You call us to pray to You, talk with You; to bring our concerns and cares to You; to seek Your guidance and direction; to ask for Your help for ourselves and others, and for peace for our world. We come to you for blessing and help for all who care for others. Caring for others takes many forms, at many places, and at any time. It should be carved into our culture for world wide caring.
Our love for You is expressed when we share Your love with others in the many ways our ministries of care help meet the need of others. Taking the time to put others before ourselves includes letting others know they are not forgotten; that there is someone thinking about them, individually. We look for opportunities to encourage and lift up our family, those unable to join us in worship or fellowship, whether recovering at home, or residing in homes of assistance or formal care for their well-being. We lift up those who need care as well as those providing for their care through visitation or other connections. Help us see opportunities to love others with a gift of food or meal to any in need; helping nourish those for a time, whether whose means is limited, to sustain in recovering from wound or illness. We thank you that your body responds to the needs of others.
Father, remind us that walking with those who are grieving is a powerful, significant way to provide support and care to one who has lost someone of great importance in their life, someone who meant a great deal; whose loss touches deeply. We pray for your leading in our means by which we bring and show Your love to those grieving, in sharing Your word, Your reassurance and Your peace for the road forward.
Lord, we are thankful for those who carry out your work in caring for others. We are especially thankful for Kim Kligerman, our leader of Genesis Care Ministries and the wisdom and discernment you continue to give her.
A new command, Jesus gave us, to Love one another. As He loves us, so we must love one another. And by this, others will know we are His disciples, if we love one another. Father, we ask you to continue to bless the work of our care for others, and help us continue to reach out to others in need. We can identify our spiritual gifts for ministry and use those gifts as a guide in finding our interest. May those who use their spiritual gifts for ministry, be blessed.
And finally, Father, we lift up to you, the team of Stephen Ministers, who have heard your call to provide personal care and listening support to those who are experiencing transitions or difficulty in life. You have gifted our congregation with this Ministry, its training and process, and the guidance of Stephen Ministry leaders Kim Kligerman and Lynn Mull who prayerfully align the needs of care receivers to the skills of Stephen Ministers for one on one caring relationship under supervision. Each of the Stephen Ministers finds that you bless the giver as well as the receiver with your amazing Holy Spirit. May you be with each of our caregivers as they approach these tender relationships full of faith in what you have done and will continue to accomplish with our brokenness, full of the compassion of Christ as we approach our caring relationships, using the skills You are refining in us to be attentive listeners, reflectors of your grace – all while pointing to Jesus. Help us to be full of trustworthiness in the confidential nature of our discussions – providing a nurturing and safe place to talk, cry, rejoice, and receive your solace and hope in their unique situations.
All these things we pray in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen
Prayer written by Mary Ann Windon and Mark Binkley