Prayer for Today, Saturday, April 9

Divine Presence Who Draws Us Unto Yourself,

We seek peace, O Lord; peace in our hearts, peace in our homes, peace in our land, and peace in our world. Help us to realize peace comes with a cost and it is not easy to achieve. There is so much violence in our media, the games our children play, and in our language. It is no wonder violence is a reality in the larger venues of life. Forgive us, Dear God, when we assume that violence leads to peace. Help us to follow Jesus’ model of love and forgiveness, yet not backing down from the profound issues of the day. May we bring violence and the myth of redemptive violence to the light of day and expose its flaws. May we allow Your peace to enter our hearts and may we truly be peacemakers in the world. It is in Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN.
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Madge Loomis’s memorial service is at 11:00 a.m. on Monday in the Sanctuary. Please pray for her children and friends.

Imogene Price and Willo Clark are continuing to improve after surgeries. Lift them up in your prayers.

Austin Wade is in Room 201 at St. Mary’s hospital. Tomorrow is his 79th birthday. Austin is a widower and the Saturday Service and the Tuesday Noon Bible Studies are his primary connections outside his home. You can send Austin a birthday wish at https://www.stmarysregional.com/Home/e-Patient . Even if you are not personally acquainted with Austin, I encourage you to send a message. Be sure to note that you are a member of Central Christian Church.

The scripture for Today is Matthew 18:10-14:
“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore