Strange Archives - Prayer matters

A strange sight

Exodus 3:1-5

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ³ So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight — why the bush does not burn up.”

⁴ When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

⁵ “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

You Break In

Into the daily cycle of our lives
When all seems well
With us and with the world
When our yoke is easy
And the burden light
You break in
And scatter our complacency

Into the daily cycle of our lives
When we are comfortable
And at our ease
When the fire is lit
But eyes are closed
You break in
And challenge our dependency

You break into
Our daily prayers
Humble hearts
Lay souls bare
You break in
You break in

You break in
When defenses are down
With an Angel’s shout
Or the quietest sound
You break in
You break in
And we change
And all things change
When you break in

written by John Birch, posted on the Faith and Worship website

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Strange and stranger

Prayer of intercession

inspired by Genesis 18:1-10

Lord God Almighty,
as Abraham and Sarah extended the gift of hospitality to visiting strangers,
open our hearts to share with others,
and to graciously receive the fulfillment of your promises.
Loving Christ:
Help us share the faith.

Holy Spirit,
Lord God, as we run from new idea to strange idea,
looking in vain for you,
give us eyes to see you present, as you always are,
in the form of the poor, the needy, and the hopeless.
Loving Christ:
Help us share the faith.

Heavenly Father,
creator of visible things, and creator of invisible things,
give us courage to trust you with this day, with tomorrow,
and with our redemption to eternal life.
Loving Christ:
Help us share the faith.

Lord Jesus,
the purity of your heart is obvious
in the single desire to do the Father’s will,
at all times, in all places and at any cost.
Help us keep our eyes focused on you as the singular Lord of our life.
Loving Christ:
Help us share the faith.

Holy Spirit,
inspire us to see Christ alive in our very own lives.
Loving Christ:
Help us share the faith.

Lord Jesus Christ, Great Physician,
remember us who are still in the earthly body,
so that disease may be cured.
We name those who need your healing power ____.
Loving Christ:
Help us share the faith.

Listening God, hear our prayers.
Amen.

~ written by Paul Sauer, posted on re:Worship

From the blog
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Strange but true

TO PONDER

‘Our pilgrimage on earth cannot be exempt from trial. We actually progress by means of trial. We do not know ourselves except through trial, or receive a crown except after victory.’

by Augustine of Hippo

from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro, p. 391

Prayer

Keeper of our lives,
      you know the hardness and gentleness of human hearts.
You call your people to faithful living.
Through the storms of life
      that bring suffering and fear, joy and laughter,
      teach us to turn to you for all we need,
      so that we may come to know your presence
      even in the midst of the trials that surround us.
Amen.

posted on re:Worship

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Strange territory

Prayer

inspired by the Beatitudes

God of life and of truth,
Your Son invites us to see the world through your eyes and we find ourselves disoriented:

You bless the poor
You bless the meek
You bless the pure in heart.
You turn our world and its values upside down.

We have signed on to follow your Son
but this is strange territory.
It doesn’t look anything like
the life we have been taught to yearn for,
to work for,
to believe will bring us happiness.

Yet, You know the despair that besets
so many of our young people
who fear that their future has been mortgaged
by our greed and carelessness.
You hear the cries of those who
have traded their souls for power and money
and now have emptiness as a friend.
You see those who are caught in lives that
lead only to weariness and anxiety.

Set us at Jesus’ feet
so we can learn to judge our lives differently.
Awaken in us that hunger and thirst for you
which will lead us to your will
and your peace.

Open our eyes to see your unexpected blessings.
Open our hearts to welcome you
when you come to us in strange ways.

Then make us into a community of blessedness
that beckons this neighbourhood
into your joy.

We ask these things in the name of Jesus
who blesses us with your living presence
and fills our lives with your life-changing truth.
Amen.

~ written by Christine Jerrett, posted on her website

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