Good Morning, God,
The headline stories of late have been about the past couple of special shopping days - Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The good news is for retailers - the sales for both days are up significantly over last year. the good news is also for some consumers - they got what they wanted at super prices.
The bad news is, though, not the monetary prices that were paid, but the prices that were paid in terms of being very competitive with each other, harming each other - the one who used pepper spray in the crowd, for example, not being with and in a family gathering on Thanksgiving for being in line very early to stake a claim to shop.
Then, Lord, there is the sad idea that a lot of this boils down to greed.:A lot of the purchases made were not to give to others as gifts at Christmas, but to get for ourselves at a cheap price.
Lord, where we are greedy and selfish, humble us and make us generous, loving givers.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
20111128
A Prayer for the Headlines for Monday, November 28th
Good Morning, God
We have a saying here, Lord, that "Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It is the way it is. The way we handle it is what makes the difference."
Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to handle life with prayer. We believe and can see that prayer "works" for handling life. When we wake in the morning and have come through another night, we can give thanks for your presence and gift of sleep. When we get up and face the day, we can trust that whenever and wherever we are, you are there to guide and direct us. When we have decisions to make that affect our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, we always can have you at our side, helping us discern our course. When we are finished with our day and are ready to sleep again, we can be assured of your "Well done" where we were righteous, your forgiveness when we stumbled, and your presence and protection as we turn off and receive rejuvenating sleep.
So, we pray this morning, "thank you for your care of us through the night. Guide and direct us this day and keep us in your loving care always".
In Jesus name, Amen.
We have a saying here, Lord, that "Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It is the way it is. The way we handle it is what makes the difference."
Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to handle life with prayer. We believe and can see that prayer "works" for handling life. When we wake in the morning and have come through another night, we can give thanks for your presence and gift of sleep. When we get up and face the day, we can trust that whenever and wherever we are, you are there to guide and direct us. When we have decisions to make that affect our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, we always can have you at our side, helping us discern our course. When we are finished with our day and are ready to sleep again, we can be assured of your "Well done" where we were righteous, your forgiveness when we stumbled, and your presence and protection as we turn off and receive rejuvenating sleep.
So, we pray this morning, "thank you for your care of us through the night. Guide and direct us this day and keep us in your loving care always".
In Jesus name, Amen.
20111125
A Prayer for the Headlines for Friday, November 25th
Good Morning, God
Lord, thank you for yesterday and this day. Even though this day is one of the most hectic of the year, we are happy to be here. Yesterday reminded us that we have much for which to be thankful - for health and strength and daily food; for family, friends and faith.
Now, today and for the next several weeks, we have the opportunity to be a blessing for which to be thankful and receive joy. Lord, your word says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." So, today we are beginning to experience the joy that comes from giving.
We appreciate the gifts of the deep discounts on the items we want to buy. We appreciate the shopkeepers putting on extra help to accommodate our buying frenzies. We appreciate our imaginations that can be inspired with ideas for just the right gifts to give. And, Heavenly Father, from whom all good gifts come, we thank you for the gift of being loved and being able to love.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Lord, thank you for yesterday and this day. Even though this day is one of the most hectic of the year, we are happy to be here. Yesterday reminded us that we have much for which to be thankful - for health and strength and daily food; for family, friends and faith.
Now, today and for the next several weeks, we have the opportunity to be a blessing for which to be thankful and receive joy. Lord, your word says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." So, today we are beginning to experience the joy that comes from giving.
We appreciate the gifts of the deep discounts on the items we want to buy. We appreciate the shopkeepers putting on extra help to accommodate our buying frenzies. We appreciate our imaginations that can be inspired with ideas for just the right gifts to give. And, Heavenly Father, from whom all good gifts come, we thank you for the gift of being loved and being able to love.
In Jesus name, Amen.
20111123
A Prayer for the Headlines for Wednesday, November 23rd
Good Morning, God,
The headlines are about how not even a "Super Committee" can solve our monetary problems! Twelve educated, astute, passionate, and discerning individuals, and they cannot come to an agreement on how to solve a one trillion-plus deficit problem. One side says, "cut spending"; the other side says "increase income." Neither side wants the other side to enact their side. Nor is there any compromise, and all sides lose.
There will be those of us citizens who will be thankful tomorrow that neither side "won." There will be those of us citizens who will be ungrateful that there weren't any winners and losers; in other words, that there wasn't "compromise."
Lord, we aren't talking about major life principles here. We are only talking about how we fund how we want to live in our country. Bottom line, Lord, we all are going to have to pull together in this matter, and maybe suffer together a bit, to survive without a severe, really severe, economic crisis.
Lord, let us be very grateful tomorrow for what we have, but be very willing to give up what it takes, so that we might still have "liberty and justice for all."
In Jesus' name, Amen.
The headlines are about how not even a "Super Committee" can solve our monetary problems! Twelve educated, astute, passionate, and discerning individuals, and they cannot come to an agreement on how to solve a one trillion-plus deficit problem. One side says, "cut spending"; the other side says "increase income." Neither side wants the other side to enact their side. Nor is there any compromise, and all sides lose.
There will be those of us citizens who will be thankful tomorrow that neither side "won." There will be those of us citizens who will be ungrateful that there weren't any winners and losers; in other words, that there wasn't "compromise."
Lord, we aren't talking about major life principles here. We are only talking about how we fund how we want to live in our country. Bottom line, Lord, we all are going to have to pull together in this matter, and maybe suffer together a bit, to survive without a severe, really severe, economic crisis.
Lord, let us be very grateful tomorrow for what we have, but be very willing to give up what it takes, so that we might still have "liberty and justice for all."
In Jesus' name, Amen.
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