Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of April 4, 2021
Written by Rev. Tim Best
Lord Jesus, you who defeated the power of death and overcame the cold darkness of the tomb, free us from our bondage to the powers of death. Just as your disciples discovered the clothes which bound you, folded and empty, empower us by your spirit to overcome the powers that seek to bind us and all creation.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Let us discover anew this day the power of resurrection. Create in us a new heart, a resurrected heart. Where the world sees defeat, let us pray for hope and trust in your faithfulness. Strengthen us that we might be a community that proclaims newness of life.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the midst of our Easter celebrations, we pray for a world that has suffered at the hands of a deadly disease. We pray for those who suffer, are alone, or are in any kind of trouble. Transform our hearts that we may respond with the love of Christ to the needs of our neighbors.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for our community, for Knoxville, for Tennessee, and for the United States, and for the world; guide all those who lead and make decisions that our human communities might more fully reflect your kingdom.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remove from us the graveclothes that have bound us to hate, suspicion, prejudice, and violence. Fill us with your zeal for a just and peaceful world that we might proclaim new life by word and deed.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray that we might be renewed by your promise to raise us from the dead, just as you were raised. We pray for those who have died and ask that you would give us the confidence to trust in your resurrection power each day, that we would live and love boldly as your disciples.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
And though we can never fully understand that Love that was nailed to a tree and laid in the tomb, we know in our hearts that it reflects the depth of your concern for your children; so we bring to you our earnest prayers – both our glad thanksgivings and our challenges:
Joys
- Thanksgiving for a new grandson
- Gratitude: cancer victim is returning to work
- Daughter thankful for support during father’s death
- One thankful for financial support for ill husband
- Outpouring of support during Lent for BOH
- Gratitude for in-person worship
- Thankful husband recovering in rehab facility
- Prayers appreciated: friend with pneumonia is improving
- Multiple members express gratitude for church’s worship team
- Three offer thanks to church for vaccination help
Concerns
- Pray for a mother who is making poor decisions
- Recovery for member – serious back surgery
- Peace & healing – member facing prostate surgery
- Healing for husband with shoulder injury
- Ongoing prayers for one enduring cancer treatments
- A husband who needs encouragement
- For a miracle to heal a painful leg ailment
- Healing for two with lymphoma
- Courage & strength for friend with intestinal cancer
- Continued prayers for healing after eye surgery
- Continued healing for two alcoholic sons
Train our hearts that when we, like Mary, hear your voice, we would recognize it and obey. In obedience to you, Christ Jesus, we join our prayer to that prayer which you taught us:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
