Day 34

April 1

We come humbly to you, Great Creator and Father, knowing we fall short of your expectations and your Glory. Yet you have welcomed us to your table and forgiven us with your overflowing grace. We know it is our sin which separated Israel from you and continues to damage our relationship with you today. Yet your plan for us to be your people continues. You have given the greatest gift and offered the ultimate sacrifice for us and we know we do not deserve this. The life you lived and the life you gave is why we are forgiven yet we continue to ask for your forgiveness. Your patience and grace are the gifts on which we focus during this Lenten season.

Father, we celebrate your creation and our place within it. We look at the awesome and amazing world you made for us and are grateful and as we move forward to a new normal, we remain in awe of your plan, your guidance and your presence in our church…your church. We know it is your plan for us to be redeemed and we ask for your grace on us as we work to serve you and serve your people in this hurting world. We continue to be amazed with your work which we are honored to do in our church and are more amazed by what we can do when we work together for your good and glory.

Thank you for all you are doing for us and through us and for those around us in need or who do not know you or need strong reinforcement of your presence. We know our community, our nation and our world are in great need of your love and grace. We thank you for your provision and for your use of us to be your loving hands and feet to serve the world and share this love with others.

I ask you to continue to bless our pastors and leaders with faith and wisdom to carry out this plan. Help us unite within your church and our church, unite around Arlington and around the world in order to share your love and the joy we know comes from you to help others so they will come to know you and accept your salvation.

In your son’s holy name we pray, Amen

WRITTEN BY JOHN KNAPP

About This Prayer:

So grateful for our church and what God is doing in and around our community. Note: I try to pray using the "ACTS" tool but as I believe we need to confess before we come into His presence, I changed this to the "CATS" methodology in which I begin with Confession, then Adoration, Thanksgiving and Supplication.

Luke 19:28-40 & Luke 23:13-21

As we enter this Holy Week, we recognize that the story of Jesus’ last week is not just an story of ancient history, but it is also a story of our responses to life and the call of God in our lives. The crowds around Jesus quickly turn from shouts of praise and excitement, to shouts of hatred and crucifixion. The fickleness of the human experience happened then and happens now when we are confronted with the life, love, and teachings of Jesus, but the story is not really about us, or the people in Jesus’ time - the story is about the amazing grace and love that Jesus offers us all!

In the space below, write or draw your own prayer of response. Make a list of the people to pray for in the coming week.