Good morning.
Today is Thursday,
February 18th,
2021.
Oh Lord,
Let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to God,
The three in one,
Creator,
Redeemer,
And sustainer.
As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever.
Amen.
Come let us bow down and worship.
Let us kneel before the Lord,
Our maker.
Remind yourself that you are in God's presence.
Notice how God may be speaking to you today.
Let yourself dwell on a word or phrase that catches your attention or moves your heart.
And then let your heart simply respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
Hear the cry of your children,
Lord.
Come quickly and set us free.
Our reading today is John 4 verses 39 through 42.
Many Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus on the strength of the woman's testimony that he told me everything I ever did.
The result was that when these Samaritans came to Jesus,
They begged him to stay with them a while.
So Jesus stayed there two days and through his own spoken word,
Many more came to faith.
They told the woman.
No longer does our faith depend on your story.
We've heard for ourselves and we know that this really is.
The savior of the world.
Please repeat these words.
Hear the cry of your children,
Lord.
Come quickly and set us free.
On Thursdays,
We pray for our families.
So I invite you now to lift your family before God.
Perhaps.
You want to lift a family member,
Someone in your family who is heavy on your heart today.
Or perhaps you want to lift your family to God.
Families are a complicated web of relationships.
And God understands those relationships better than we ever could.
So perhaps you want to lift the complex relationships of your family to God.
Let your mind wander and perhaps there's a place of joy or a place of pain that you want to lift before the Lord in this space.
Bless all who call on you,
Almighty God,
From the rising of the sun until its setting.
From your goodness and riches by your love,
Inspire us by your spirit,
Guide us by your power,
Protect us in your mercy,
Receive us now and always.
We pray in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray.
Our Father in heaven.
Eternal God,
Earth maker,
Pain bearer,
Life giver.
Source of all that is and all that shall be.
Not only father,
But mother of us all.
May the hallowing of your name echo through the universe.
May the way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world.
May your heavenly will be done by all created beings.
May your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on Earth.
With the bread we need for today,
Feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another,
Forgive us.
In times of temptation and test,
Strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure,
Spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil,
Free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love now and forever.
Amen.
God our savior,
Your living water flows freely.
Give us this water,
Oh Lord,
That we may never thirst again.
That we might be born of water in the spirit.
Fill us with fountains of living water springing up with eternal life.
Amen.
And now my friends,
May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ go with you wherever he may send you today.
May he guide you through the wilderness,
Protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Go in peace.
