Prayer Friday

God of moments when the sun is shining,
God of days when the rain won't stop.
God of times when our souls surge with life and smiles sit on our faces,
God of heartbreak and ache that won't feel like they will ever stop.
God of every single second, we open our hearts to You in this moment.

We know that You are here in this place.
We trust that with You there is quite enough strength and power and grace.
We long for You to illuminate our lives and stir our souls.

We give thanks for the moments that have led us this far.
For childhood memories ~ carefree and joy-filled.
For the yesterdays that strangely warm our hearts.
For stories we can share with each other.

We give thanks for those honest, heartfelt times we went astray.
Times we knew the truth of the prodigal son who sat in the mud with pigs.
Times we wondered, "Can it get any worse than this?",
Only to have that rhetorical question answered not in the way we wanted.

For the past, for this present moment, for the unknowable future,
We open our hearts to Your wisdom...truth...grace...and love.
Be with us this day and through this time.

All this we pray in the name of the One who promised Your presence and invited us to abide with thee, Jesus the Christ.  Amen.