Daily Prayer for Wednesday, August 5, 2020

“All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near; join me in glad adoration!”        
                                                 —-Joachim Neander, 1680

Preparation for worship
Sit in a relaxed position. Take a slow, deep breath (or 2 or 3 or as many as needed) until you feel your body, mind, and soul begin to relax and rest in the Spirit.  Take time to reflect as you move through this time of worship…

Opening Sentences                                                                 John 6: 34-35
The Lord gives food in due season;
God satisfies the desire of every living thing.

Prayer                                                                Christina G. Rosetti, 1830-1894
O Lord,
give us all grace and strength
to overcome every sin.
Sins of besetment, deliberation,
surprise, negligence, omission,
sins against you,
ourselves,
our neighbors,
sins great, small,
remembered, forgotten.
Amen.

Hymn of the Day
Go Down, Moses, by Louis Armstrong.  Pray and listen!

Reading of the Day                                                     2 Corinthians 8: 7-15
7 Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.
8 I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 10 And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something— 11 now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. 12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. 13 I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between 14 your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. 15 As it is written,
“The one who had much did not have too much,
    and the one who had little did not have too little.”

Prayers for self and others
Please pray today for those who are being affected by COVID 19. Please pray for Mark Sabala, working with Covid patients as a nurse, Marcy Szeliga, working as a case investigator and contact tracer, for the Zumwalt's daughter Sherri Salley, Connie Powell's niece Krystal Powell, and all others who have been recently diagnosed with- or are recovering from- the virus.  Today pray for the staff at your favorite local restaurants- that they would stay well.  As we hear of more friends who are directly affected, or who are working in high risk places, we will list them here.  Use this time to lift your joys, concerns, and hopes to God.

Benediction
May the God of glory,
the Lord of life,
and the Spirit of truth
be with you all.
Alleluia!