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This
devotion is designed to be used by boards,
committees, or small groups in your congregation.
Any seating arrangement will work, but the best
atmosphere is created by having the group sit in a
circle or semicircle. Each
of us sitting here tonight didn't end up here by
chance. Our parents, grandparents, friends,
pastors, spouses, and others have helped to shape
our understanding of who God is and what our
callings are in response to the love God has shown
us in Christ. (Read Hebrews
12:1-2) I
know that in my own life, I'm usually so busy, I
never take time to thank God for working through
those "saints of the church" to create and maintain
faith in me. Tonight,
I invite you to do just that! Imagine
that there are a number of these saints standing
behind us. Close your eyes for a moment, and put
faces on those saints. Remember the ones who
"dragged you to church and Sunday School." The ones
who first opened your eyes to the beauty of the
Scriptures. The ones who took time to listen to
you, even when what you had to say wasn't all that
interesting. The ones who were there when tragedy
struck your life or family. I'll
begin a prayer of thanks for these people, and
during the silence please name these saints. When
all have had a chance to name the saints standing
behind them, I'll close the prayer. Dear
Lord, We
thank you for coming among us both on the cross in
Galilee, and in the people we are remembering
tonight in prayer. Tonight, we thank you in
particular for those people who have shaped our own
faith in you...(Allow time for each to share at
least one name)... May
each of these saints and the many others we
silently lifted up in prayer, rest in your eternal
loving arms, now and forever. Amen. Just
as the people we remembered in prayer have shaped
our lives, each of us is the instrument God is
using to shape the lives of people around us.
People come to know our loving savior, through us.
(Read 1 Peter 5:1-4) Imagine
that standing in front of us are children. They
could be our own, relatives, neighbors, or
congregational members' children. As
we pray once more, let's ask that God would work
through us to shape the faith of the young people
we name in this prayer. Dear
God, Just
as you have worked through others to create and
sustain faith in us, please give me the wisdom,
courage, patience and strength to be your agent of
grace for the children we remember in prayer
tonight...(allow time for them to each name at
least one child)... May
each of these children continue to sense the
support they have in our congregation - and may we
be the ones through whom you work. In
your sons name we pray, Amen. Read
1 - Corinthians 10:31-11:1 This
devotion was created by Pastor Greg Kaufmann for
his father's Board of Elders' meeting in Watertown
Wisconsin, Nov. 1, 2000. |
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