by: John M. Dohner
Heavenly Father, we gather today in your presence to pray for strength;
For the strength to listen,
For the strength to hear,
For the strength to understand.
You have blessed us and your generosity is evident everyday in our lives.
And in the comfort You have bestowed on us, we pray for the strength to understand what it is to be poor.
We pray for the strength to be compassionate.
We pray for the strength to be generous.
And we pray for the strength to act.
In your name, Amen.
by: Ron Rett
Dear Lord, help us to remember that we are our brother’s keeper. Prayer is good, but faith without works is dead. As is written in Matthew’s Gospel:
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:34-50
Let us take a moment now to think of how we can help someone less fortunate, and then make a commitment to put our intention into action.