A Prayer For Those With Whom We Shared This Week

 

 

Jehovah God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Father through Him, we praise You for Your love and care of us.   Whether naughty or nice, happy or hurting You love us because You are Love.  You are the Father who is never mad at us, but always mad about us.  This morning we pray for those with whom we have shared our lives this week.  

 

We lift into Your presence those who stood quietly and reverently at the open grave committing the body of their loved one into the hands of our loving Savior.  Their comfort is in knowing that body will one day participate in the salvation made possible by Jesus the Christ, for in His death He redeemed us both body and soul.  Grant to those who feel the pain of saying good-by to one they will miss very much, Your comforting grace.

 

God of the ages, we remember this morning those who are experiencing the frailty of the body.  The decline, the deterioration, and the demands of four score and more years has robbed them of their agility, alertness and ardor.  May they be comforted by the words of Paul when he wrote, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

 

Gracious God, You have promised that You will permit nothing to come into our lives except what, we, with Your grace, can handle.  We remember those who are being tried and tested by great physical pain.   Most have tried pain pills, pain doctors, acupuncture, physical therapy, bed rest and yet the pain persists.  May the comfort of the Holy Scriptures give them peace and patience, healing and hope.  May they know that as a child of Yours, nothing can separate them from Your love.   And in their darkest night may they find strength and courage remembering, that in their pain, they are yoked with the suffering of Christ our Savior.

 

God of love, we remember them whose bed is their home and whose wheelchair is their only mode of transportation. We remember especially one who suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease.  He can neither talk or walk, breath or eat, without the help of modern technology.  In spite of his many limitations, we praise You that he indicates with a smile, as broad as the sunset, that he knows and loves You.   Bless those who care for him and give them the joy of knowing that they make his life possible.

 

Eternal Father, who understands the souls of mankind and their hunger to have value, we pray this morning for those who are looking for work.  Few titles are heavier than the title “unemployed.”   Employment not only puts food on the table but it does far more, it gives worth to the existence of us as human beings.  Work is the scaffold that helps a person walk tall.  Grant, O God, an answer to the prayers of those who cry out to You for employment.

 

Hear our prayer for those who have been a part of our lives this past week.   Amen