Beulah UMC
Thank you for this sweet hour of prayer, O God. Thank you for this sweet “hymn sing Sunday.” Thank you for this sweet congregation who have been such a blessing to Penny and me over these past three years. Thank you for how they have accepted us Yankees from the north and welcomed us with open arms.
Thank you for our Sunday mornings together, our bible studies, our Big Grab events, incredible potluck meals, fun hot dog meals which I’ve always relished, our Holy Week services, learning my new favorite hymn, “Beulah Land,” decorating the church for Christmas, getting to know the nursing homes and hospitals in Columbia, comforting one another at funerals, having the church pray for our dog, Blu when she had her leg surgery, and being able to drive on our awesome new church parking lot. For all of this and many, many other blessings, I can only say with today’s psalmist, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me to express” and “surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place.”
And thank you for this sweet hour of prayer in which we have the privilege of lifting up to you our prayer needs including the people on our church’s prayer list as well as the many other joys and concerns that have been spoken and unspoken. We pray that your healing, comforting, guiding, and empowering presence would surround each of these persons and needs.
During this sweet hour of prayer and this time of pastoral transition, we pray for the new pastor who will begin serving here. Thank you for being a God of new beginnings and new opportunities for ministries and service in your name. May this church continue to bear fruit as new seeds will be planted for the sake of your kingdom.
Just as we have been singing hymns this morning as if we have one voice, we now join in one voice in praying the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray together…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
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