Pastoral Prayer for March 27, 2022

Please allow the words of this prayer to become your own.

Loving God,

Sometimes I am afraid of you,

or at least my idea of you.

I’m afraid of being exposed; afraid of being punished.

But this fear pushes me away from you,

whose nearness is my good.

Open my eyes to who you really are,

of what a Spirit-born awe of you can bring forth in my life.

Dismantle my small, self-centered, convenient ideas about you.

Replace the illusions with glimpses of your true glory.

Bring forth my deepest reverence.

Build in me a lifestyle of praise.

You, Loving God, are like an ocean – too deep to fathom,

too wonderful to comprehend.

You are greater than all matter, all energy, all time.

Today I ask you to grace me with an abiding, life-shaping awe of you.

By your Spirit, reveal to me more of your divine nature, so I can

trust you more fully,

seek your best with my whole heart,

and serve you with joy.

Our hearts continue to be heavy over the horrific violence in Ukraine.

We know that you are doing everything in your power to bring about peace,

including knocking on the door of Putin’s heart and begging to be let in.