Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President, asks you to keep in prayer the joys and concerns that she has for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Sharon's prayers will be posted periodically on this page for you to read and reflect in your daily prayer time.

Prayer for February 9, 2007:

Loving God, who is always near us in all the places of our lives, we ask for your wisdom and guidance as several church leaders, including me, as General Minister and President, travel to Haiti to worship and to meet with the 10th Congress of the National Spiritual Council of Haitian Churches. Bless the thousands of our partners in ministry who will gather there. Guide our time together, Lord, that your will may be done, that your love may bind us even closer together, and that your Spirit will send us out to share your love in new and exciting ways.

We also ask for your presence and direction for the 98th Annual Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Puerto Rico that will take place this month.  May everyone who worships and shares at that gathering be inspired and guided by your Spirit. May your church grow stronger and your mission draw nearer to victory as we celebrate your presence in our world and in this community of faith. May each step of this journey be measured and empowered by our Lord Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Prayer for January 16, 2007:

Wise and loving God, we trust in you to guide our steps through each day of this new year. Move us to our knees, as we seek to discern your will for our service in congregational, regional, and general ministries. Direct our work with the whole family of faith as we serve you in our ecumenical relationships. Grant that we may see the possibilities of mission with fresh eyes and a clear vision that comes from you. Enable us to share the good news of Jesus Christ from our own doorsteps to the ends of the earth. Fill us with the contagious excitement that comes when we are in your presence and on your path.  May your love be known everywhere and may your will be done by all of us, through Jesus Christ our Lord and our guide. Amen.

Prayer for December 1, 2006:

Loving healing God, thank you for being near when we pass through times of trouble and concern. When life brings illness, injury, or infirmity, to us or to those whom we love, remind us of your care and your nearness, and lift us into your comforting arms. Give us the strength to endure and the faith to trust. Grant us the healing that we need, whether that be the healing of body or of spirit. May your gifts of strength and compassion be given to all who care for others and may they be used as ministers of your healing presence. We pray in the name of Jesus, whose balm is sufficient for our need, amen.

Prayer for November 3, 2006:

All present God who blesses every gathering of your people, we are grateful for this wonderful season of many regional assemblies. Each assembly thus far has been blessed with your Spirit and your guidance. As we eagerly approach the Great River, Illinois and Wisconsin, Indiana, and Georgia regional assemblies, we anticipate with joy your presence and direction. May each one of us know your touch in a special way during these times of fellowship, worship and learning. Those who gather will each be praying to discern your will and they will be offering themselves to you in loving service. May they be guided with your wisdom as they seek to become your church for the future and may they find inspiration and courage for the tasks you place before them. We pray that you will call them forth with a clear vision and with hearts filled with love and courage, in the name of our Lord Jesus, who calls us, blesses us, and sends us out. Amen.

Prayer for October 11, 2006:

Gentle and powerful God who loves the wholeness of your church family, we ask your blessing upon those who will gather for their regional assemblies as this month continues. May your presence be clearly known at the regional assemblies of Ohio, Florida, Pacific Southwest, Southwest, Kansas, Tennessee, Capital Area, and Arizona. As your faithful children gather there, touch their hearts and minds as they offer themselves to your service and as they seek new ways to be your church. May they be blessed in their times of fellowship and inspired in their times of worship. Enable them to discern your will for their churches and their region, and give them the strength and the faith to follow that vision. May they return home to be both a blessing to their congregations and a strong presence of your love in their communities. We pray in the name of the One who empowers us and sends us out, Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for September 18, 2006:

Loving God who gathers us together, as we approach a time of many regional assemblies, I pray that you will bless those gathering with a special awareness of your presence and your love. As the Kentucky Regional Assembly concludes and as we prepare for the assemblies of the South Carolina, Upper Midwest, Mid-America, Nebraska, and Oklahoma regions, we pray that those gatherings will be inspiring productive church-building times of worship and prayer. May they be blessed with the discernment of your mission for the church in these challenging times. Grant that those who plan these assemblies, and those who lead them, will find wisdom and insight for their roles. May they also find times of rest, refreshment, and renewal - that their service may be a blessing to them as well as others. God, grant that as your people gather, there will be an overflowing blessing of your love and guidance. Bless these times together with a depth of sharing, discovery, and harmony that will energize your churches for the ministries to which you have called them. We pray in the name of our Lord who both calls us and enables us. Amen.

Prayer for September 9, 2006:

Gentle and loving God who provides for all of our needs, thank you for calling Marshall Dunn to work among us as our temporary Associate General Minister and President. I thank you for the burden he will lift for me as I travel among your churches at their regional assemblies. I ask your blessing and guidance for him as he takes up heavy responsibilities and as he seeks to serve you in this new way. May your hand be upon him each day and may he be blessed with a special sense of your presence and your care. Grant that the ministry he offers in these next few months may be a blessing to your church and to him. I ask this in the name of your Son Jesus, whom we serve together. Amen.

Prayer for September 2, 2006:

Merciful God who rules this world and all who live upon it, I am grateful today for these brave and dedicated servants who are the Central Committee of your World Council of Churches. Thank you for our wonderful variety of spiritual experience and the rich diversity of expressions of faithfulness. I seek your blessing for us all as we struggle with difficult issues that touch and shape the lives of your children. May our minds and our hearts be open as we seek to discern your will and your way. Grant us a constant awareness of your presence and a deep sense of your guidance. May your Spirit continue to move among us and within us. Make us worthy of your calling and grant that what we do here may be a beginning of healing, wholeness, and harmony in your world. Amen.

Prayer for July 21, 2006:

Ever faithful God, you bless us with your guidance and we seek it daily. Today we ask that you will bless your people as they gather to plan ministry in your name. As the days draw near for meetings of the General Board, the National Convocation, the North American Pacific/Asian Disciples, and many other ministries, make us all open to your spirit's guidance and bless us with your presence, your love and your wisdom. As we meet soon to plan worship for our next General Assembly, and as all of your servants plan their various ministries, may we be led to discern your good and perfect will. Watch over those who travel and touch all of our hearts with the gifts of openness and faithfulness. In the name of Jesus who gave us the example and the power to be your servants.

Prayer for June 26, 2006:

Creator God who knows us and loves us as we truly are, we ask for special blessings for those leaders in your church who bear personal burdens. As they experience health concerns, concern for members of their families, and other issues that weigh heavily upon them, grant them healing, health, and your gift of peace.

Bless all who serve you in your many ministries, that they may be guided into healthy lives as they take time for rest and as they maintain spiritual disciplines. May part of their good stewardship be the daily stewardship of their own lives and health. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus.

Prayer for June 19, 2006:

Loving God, I lift up to your care and guidance to all of those who offer leadership to your church. May those who lead in the congregational, regional, general, and higher education ministries be enabled to focus on their unique call to mission. Grant them the wisdom and skill to organize all that they do around that vision of your will. Help us all to be living models of the Good News of your Son and use us to share that Good News with your world, today and tomorrow. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and our guide, amen.