Prayers for the Churched Generation

In our desire for the tradition, staidness and authority that the liturgical and high church tend to represent, may we not forsake listening to the voice of Jesus and acknowledging him as the one and only head of the universal and catholic church. May we fear and tremble at his word and love his name.

In our fervency for mission, may we not believe that the only viable mission field is the one across a sea. May we recognize that often the discipline and obedience needed of a missionary is cultivated in the homeland.

In the comfort that the homeland provides, may we not forget that the Christian gospel calls us to suffer – not only in the “martyrdom” sense of the word, but in the daily deaths where our wills and ambitions war against the voice of our God and obedience truly hurts. May we seek to live a life of self-discipline wherein we find the key to spiritual growth.

In our pursuit of pleasure and comfort, let us think upon the parable of Dives, the rich man, and the beggar, Lazarus.

In the fast pace of our lives may we remember to account for the reality that our decisions matter and have eternal consequences that definitively affect the lives of other people and our eternal destiny.

In a time where we hold ideas loosely, let us pray for commitment to truth – to the unpopular and steadfast in place of the new and transient.

When words are so carelessly dispensed, may we be wary of speaking idle phrases and banter of meaningless content. Let us respect words as the vehicle of power (God spoke and there was) and truth (the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth).

In a culture of materialism, may we be skeptical of the power of monetary and material accumulation to distract us from the call to follow Jesus. May the words of Jesus to the rich young ruler be considered seriously in our time where many of us would walk away with the ruler, grieved upon hearing those clear words, “Sell all of your possessions and follow.”