Heavenly Father,
We cry out to you,
“Come.” Come and be with us Immanuel – today,
In this Christmas season,
In this exam season.
Be with us in our struggles and in our joys.
We are waiting for You. Reveal to us the glory of being with you in your communion — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We yearn for Your counsel, Your strength, Your guidance, Your peace , Your justice and righteousness.
And yet we are busy, sometimes too busy to stop and pay attention to Your counsel and to receive Your strength, Your guidance, Your peace, Your justice and righteousness.
Right now we quietly sit before You to reaffirm our longing for You and our willingness to walk with You. (pause)
We pray over others who are not paying attention to Your kingdom or are unaware of Your goodness, and greatness, light for life; Reveal to these dear ones in darkness — Your counsel, Your strength, Your guidance, Your peace, Your justice and righteousness.
We ask for hope and justice for the patients impacted by the Zimbabwean doctor’s strike, for the doctors and nurses. Grant them your wisdom and generosity.
In many places Peace seems far away and pain seems more powerful. We look for You, the Prince of Peace to show yourself to those impacted by shootings in Mexico, by political changes in Namibia, and by struggles in Iraq and Iran. We need Your guidance to steward the earth so people experience your love and care. Come Lord Jesus, Come.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer —
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever.
Amen.