Prayer for Today, Friday, July 1

Loving God,

Many times we feel like the younger brother who demanded his inheritance, squandered it in a foreign land, and wanted to come back as his father’s servant, only to be greeted by overwhelming grace and love. Inside we feel unworthy. Inside we know the ways we have dishonored You. For some of us it is a series of “little” sins: prejudice, gossip, meanness to others, demanding our own way, looking past those in need, and so on. For others of us the sins are “bigger”. In reality it makes no difference. Our sin separates us from You. May we realize You are like the father in the parable. Your love and grace are foolish by the world’s standards. You see us coming back up the road and you run to greet us. You stop our rehearsed speech asking to return as a servant so we can eat. You embrace us with your generosity. Now we understand. There is more grace in You than sin in us. And we give You thanks. Today we turn down that road home. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.
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Please pray for our hospitalized and ill: Davida Whitsett, L.V.Powell, Sue McClendon, Gene Carlson, and Ira McAnally.

Please pray for our cateress, Suzy Floyd, and her family. Suzy’s sister, Laura Seal, died on Monday.

Please pray for our church as new leaders officially “take office” today. Pray for Devon McAnally, Roy Smith, David Eck and Beth Henneke --- our new Board officers. We will have a Church Leader’s Retreat on July 16. Please pray for all those who participate, that we might truly discern what God is calling our church to be and do.

The scripture for today is Matthew 27:57-66:
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.”Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.”So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Grace and peace,

John McLemore