[The photo above was taken last week before our Easter Sunday worship services. The Easter season lasts for fifty days and will conclude on Pentecost Sunday which will be on May 20th. Each Sunday during the Easter season is a time for us to celebrate the presence of the Risen Christ especially when we walk through the valleys of life. Click here for yesterday’s sermon, “Through the Valley.”]
Our Lord and shepherd, thank you for times like this when you lead us beside the still waters of prayer. Our days can get so busy, that we sometimes forget to drink enough water. But you always know what we need and you lead us to places where we can restore our souls.
Forgive us, O God when we forget to enjoy the green pastures and the pools of water along life’s journey. Sometimes, we even forget that we need a shepherd, but then life knocks us to our knees and we remember that we are more like sheep than we care to admit.
We get thirsty. We get lost. We wander. We stray. We get weak. We get tired. But thankfully, as our shepherd, you give us what we need and just when we need it. Help us to be open to those “thin place” moments when our eyes are finally opened like Doubting Thomas, and we are able to sense the presence of the Risen Christ in a very real way.
Thank you for the many thin place moments and green pastures that you have blessed us with this past week, like last week’s inspiring Easter Sunday celebration, like helping a pastor to write another sermon, like a bible study group giving thanks to you for all that they have learned together, like church members giving away Easter lilies to people in our community, like our puppet ministry blessing the residents of Lindley Inn yesterday through our Athens First Saturday Outreach.
Thank you for all of these thin place moments and green pastures and so many others that you provided for us along our journey this past week. And we know that you will lead us to many more this week.
Lord, our loving shepherd, even as you have led us to places of safety and refreshment, comfort those who are in special need of you this day. We pray for those who are in need of direction, those who are grieving, those who are in need of healing, those who feel lonely, those who have broken hearts.
Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need thy tender care. We pray this in the name of the Risen Christ who taught us to pray together saying… “Our Father, who art in heaven…”
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