Morning Prayers Friday, 14 August 2020
Good morning Cornerstone Family, friends and visitors. I hope this break in the hot weather has brought you some relief and a good night’s sleep. Let’s give thanks together and prepare for the day ahead.
On May 1st I offered morning prayers on the theme of HOPE, using my tiny pumpkin seedling as illustration—Well, here we are in mid-August and the seedling is bearing fruit. It looks almost ready for Rev George’s promised pumpkin soup! That tiny seed just keeps practicing what it was designed to do – to bear fruit.
Romans 12 encourages us to nurture our talents, to bear good fruit:
“Love sincerely. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another. Honour one another above yourself. Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another…”
We pray for people who practice their healing gifts. We pray for people who practice their gifts of logistics. We pray for people who practice their teaching gifts. We pray for people who practice their gifts for welcome and hospitality. Lord, nurture and keep them in your care today that their gifts may grow, prosper and bear sound fruit.
O Lord Bless Them All.
We pray for learners whose fruitfulness has been strangely, uniquely measured. Lift their eyes to a future full of opportunity rather than disappointment. Encourage them and those who love them to nurture talent, to be joyful in hope. Give their youth something to look forward to.
O Lord Bless Them All.
We pray for people whose places are plagued by disaster, illness, war or just plain injustice. May our locked down communities be blessed with the fruit of devotion to one another. May people suffering disaster, from Mauritius to Beirut to Stonehaven, find relief in the help offered by others. May people living under the weight of poor governance know of our support, live with continuing honour, grow in dignity and nurture their fervour for self-determination.
O Lord Bless Them All.
We pray for ourselves, stepping out to work, to have a holiday, to volunteer, to care. May we approach everyone with openness and eagerness to know their story and meet their needs. Bring us to day’s end joyfully tired, having been fruitful in harmony and becoming well-practiced in hospitality.
O Lord Bless Them All.
Cheryl Montgomery
