Forgiving God,

We know we have sinned and fallen short of Your Glory. We have judged others. We have not given to the needy. We curse people or even things. We have not always honored our parents. We have coveted what others have. We have not loved others like we love You. There are so many ways we have failed to live a Christ-centered life. We repent and are heartedly sorry for our misdoings. Please forgive us.

Help us to extend mercy rather than judgment. Spur us on to give generously to those in need. Nudge us to bless others rather than allowing anger to rule our minds and tongues. Grant us patience and love toward our parents. Help us be grateful for what we have and live like Jesus, loving others as we love You.

AMEN.


Rev. Julie Wright

Most Gracious and Loving God,

Thank you for your steadfast love, which endures forever!

Sometimes, we feel like we are wandering in the desert along a wayward path. Lord, help us realize that you are always present, even when we stray from you. Please help us to feel your comfort and guide us out of the darkness and into the light. We long to please you, and we know you are faithful. May your bright, shining, eternal truth be an everlasting light to illuminate our way forward. Lord, in our weakness, sometimes we doubt you exist. Forgive us when we wander from your proven path. Build us up with the courage to put your teachings into practice. Enable us to witness and remember the times when your teachings bear fruit in our lives and the lives of others. May that fruit confirm in our hearts and minds that you are who you say you are, the Son of the Living God. Allow us to trust in you until the end of the age.

Thank you for your steadfast love, which endures forever!

In Jesus name, we pray, amen.


Rev. Geoff Beakley

Our Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for Your loving care and guidance. You are a good God, and Your love for us never ends.

At times, we wander away from the paths You have chosen for us. In those times, we find our lives lack the richness that You intend for us. Forgive us and lead us out of our desperation into the fullness of life and joy, which You alone provide.

There are times when we feel lost and cannot discern the right direction for our lives. When we struggle to find our way, provide us with guidance. When it seems that we are wandering in a desert, lead us to shelter and quench our thirst. When we long for something that we cannot find and are hungry but cannot be satisfied, feed us with bread that satisfies.

Lord, there are times when we feel overwhelmed. There are so many temptations to stray. Guard us from beating ourselves up because of them but help us to realize that they are a part of the human experience. We trust You and Your Word that promises You will be present to strengthen us so we can endure and stay true to Your call upon our lives.

We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.


Rev. Jamie Jenkins

Holy God,

We praise you and give thanks, for you are good and your steadfast love endures forever. Let us become more aware of your presence in our midst. Forgive us, Lord, when we doubt your faithfulness, and help us to trust you always. Fill us with your peace and grant us grace for this moment and this day. Remind us once again of your love and fill us with your peace as we seek to live as Christ has called us. Amen.

Rev. Elizabeth Byrd

Redeeming God,

Sometimes, fear and trepidation fill our hearts and minds. The burdens of life feel all too heavy, and we just do not know how to handle them on our own. In the midst of our distress, we cry out to you. We remember how you stood with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. We remember how you delivered Daniel from the Lion’s Den. We remember how you redeemed Ruth. Now, hear us, O God. Cover us with your feathers. Deliver us from destruction. Release us from every scheme and snare of the enemy. Bring light to our darkness. Save us in the mighty name of Jesus. For we know that you are able and that your grace is enough. In Jesus’ name. Amen.


Rev. Josh Miles

Gracious and Loving God,

We give thanks for life and for all that it means to be born human, to
be born in your image. We give thanks that your transforming, creating, birthing love and spirit guides us and follows us throughout our lives if we will simply listen. No matter how far afield we stray, you never stop calling our names, looking for us when we are lost, beckoning us to come back to you- time and time again -to start fresh, to be cleansed anew, to be reborn and re-imagined into the persons whom you created us to be. Creating God, we claim the precious gift of life with all of its amazing possibilities, allowing us to be called your children, pushing us to be better people, and inspiring us to be your disciples so that all the world will see your glory, your light, and your love in and through us.

In Your Holy name we pray, Amen.


Rev. Mace Hall

Almighty God,

You created the universe, and all that is in it. You spoke, and order came out of chaos. We believe this, Lord, but we do not understand how this is possible. We are limited in our understanding.

When we read scripture, we confess that there are many things we don’t understand; we are sometimes confused and left with more questions than answers. We are limited in our understanding.

Loving God, you tell us that your steadfast love endures forever. We can testify that you have brought us out of difficult times in the past, even when we were experiencing the consequences of our own misdoings. When we return to you, place our trust in you, and order our lives after the example of Christ, we witness your work in our lives. Thank you for never giving up on us. Thank you for staying with us even in times of trial.

Help us, Creator God, to live in complete trust that you are good, that you want good things for us, and that your love will always surround us. Help us to hold on to the hope we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ, who promises abundant and eternal life. Give us peace and assurance that even when we can’t fully understand your ways, you are in control. You will deliver us and provide for us.

Instead of worrying about things we don’t and can’t understand, may we continuously offer our praise and thanksgiving in our thoughts, our words, and our actions.

In your Holy name we pray, Amen.


Rev. Leslie Watkins

Gracious God,

We give you thanks that you are always with us. In your word, you promised to never leave us, and in fact, we can look back and give thanks for so many times that you have been our rescuer and our deliverer. We have not come this far on our own, but we have come this far by faith and by your mercy. Forgive us when we fail to remember your goodness and convince ourselves that we have to solve our own problems. By your grace, restore our belief and renew our trust in you so that we can give you all the praise and glory.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.


Rev. Daniel Ogle

Almighty and Merciful God,

We thank You for the blessings of this day as we continue our Lenten journey with Jesus toward Jerusalem. By Your Spirit, let us muster our strength in You so that our hearts remain steadfast and true during this time of pilgrimage. We’re grateful for moments of prayer and meditation in our homes and other quiet spaces, even as we give thanks for our church home where we may come together each week to worship and offer praise unto You, O Lord.

As the psalmist sings, “how lovely is thy dwelling place where even the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest where she may have her young—a place near Your altar.” May we find comfort in this beautiful and tender image of peace and belonging. We know You meet us anywhere and everywhere we may be, from moments when we call out to You in prayer to simply watching over us throughout the day and night. We especially give thanks for the places You dwell where we discover true sanctuary. Places where we find renewal and nourishment as we go back out into the world to share the love of Christ with all we meet. Let our walk be blameless. Forgive us when we fall short. Restore us to Your path.

As Jesus taught, let us never take such places for granted or act in ways that profane Your holy name—for You create anew every day. Your house is a house of prayer for all nations. Guard us from coming before You in a presumptuous posture, but never let us forget that we are always welcome in Your house with sincere hearts—hearts grateful for Your love and renewed each and every day in Your grace.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.


Rev. Darren Hensley