Heavenly Father,
Drive us out of our self-pity and inward gazing as churches and Christians. Help us to have Your eyes to see the people and the world with Your love. Help us to see how we can join in others’ joys and struggles. Help us to think less of what we want, and more of what You are calling us to be and do. Help us be willing to give up our preferences for the sake of others, particularly younger generations. Rise up mentors across generations, give people the strength to enter into the messiness of walking beside one another. Use youth to call us into action and lead us in action, in both word and deed.
Drive us back into our neighbourhoods to connect with our neighbours in meaningful ways. Give us holy imaginations of how we can show your Gospel to our neighbours in fresh ways, that they might taste and see that You are good. Give us holy dreams of how we can join in righting wrongs in our neighbourhoods. Give us wise words to explain Your love and Your Gospel to this generation. Give us courage to live Your ways even when it is misunderstood and unpopular. Win our hearts that we may be more sold out to following Jesus than to consumerism or anything else that would steal our allegiance. Make us willing to count the cost and pay the cost for following You and Your ways in this world.
Give us wisdom in how to lead Your Church into the future You have planned. May we both personally and corporately open our homes, hearts, and minds in new ways. May we truly be sanctuary and family for others. May Your Church remember her mission and live her mission.
Rise up people that daily go into their workplaces, grocery stores, schools, homes, hockey arenas, coffee shops…carrying Your Spirit and Gospel. Use us as a people to display You and Your love in such a compelling way that people across all four of our Atlantic Provinces, and all across our world, ask – “Wow, what is it about these Christians that they love their communities and us so?” Help our churches, leaders and Christians work together deeply for the sake of justice, peace, and salvations. This very day, and every day, may we perceive how you are breaking into our world – into our own heart, own family, own neighbourhood, and repeatedly say “yes” to joining You in Your work.
God, may we see your justice, oceans of it, gushing from our churches into the streets.
God, may we see your fairness, rivers of it, flowing from our churches into the streets.
God, may we see your grace, buckets of it, pouring from our churches into the streets.
God, may we see your Gospel, shoes fitted with it, running from our churches into the streets.
God, change us, change our neighbourhoods, change our world with You and the Good News that You have broken into our world and are redeeming all things.
We also pray… (Add to this prayer in the comments please.)
In Jesus Name,
Amen.