Today is Thursday,
February 4th,
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 sing to the Lord.
Let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
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 a phrase that catches your attention and let your heart simply respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
Jesus you are the lamb of God.
You take away the sins of the world.
John 1 verses 28 through 34.
The next day,
Catching sight of Jesus approaching,
John exclaimed,
Look,
There's God's sacrificial lamb who takes away the world's sin.
This is the one I was talking about when I said the one who comes after me ranks ahead of me for this one existed before I did.
I didn't recognize him,
But it was so that he would be revealed to Israel that I came baptizing with water.
John also gave this testimony.
I saw the spirit descend from heaven like a dove and she came to rest on him.
I didn't recognize him,
But the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,
When you see the spirit descend and rest on someone,
That is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
Now I have seen for myself and have testified that this is the only begotten of God.
Please repeat these words.
Jesus you are the lamb of God.
You take away the sins of the world.
Our prayer focus for Thursday is our families.
So perhaps you want to pray for your family,
Whoever comes to mind when you hear the word family,
Whoever the spirit of God leads you to pray for today,
Whether it is your whole family or just one member of your family.
Perhaps you want to pray for the relationships in your family or perhaps you want to pray for a family member.
Whoever the spirit of God leads you to pray for right now,
I invite you to hold this person or these people before God in this space.
Bless all who call on you almighty God from the rising of the sun to its setting.
May the light of Christ go before us and behind us,
Beneath us and above us on our right and on our left.
When we rise and when we lie down,
May the light of Christ be with us.
May the light of Christ be in us.
In the name of Jesus who taught us to pray,
Our father which art 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,
Jesus,
Our redeemer,
You take away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us.
Grant us peace.
We long for your comfort in a world full of trouble.
Because you have overcome the world,
We can have peace.
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.
