Theme:
Prayer for Those Close to Us
First Word: 2 Timothy 1:3-7 I am grateful to
God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember
you constantly in my prayers night and day. . . I am reminded of your sincere
faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice
and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason, I remind you to rekindle the
gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did
not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and
of self-discipline.
Last Word: 2 Timothy 2:1 You then, my child, be
strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Questions:
In today’s first reading, Paul shares thanksgiving and encouragement for
Timothy and for his sincere faith, inherited from loved ones.
- Who prays for
you? Do you ever consider what ancestors may have prayed for future
generations, including yours? How might you pray for the sincere faith of those
who will come after us?
- Can Paul’s
reminder of God’s gift of power lead you to ask a loved one to pray for you or
your family?
- Did you
inherit a rich faith? What faith do you hope to hand down to those you love?
Those who come after you?
- How is God
calling us to share the vibrant life with our loved ones? How can we boldly
share the gifts we are given – for our families? With our families?
Reflections:
At a family reunion many years ago, planners
interviewed relatives in a take-off on Jay Leno’s Jaywalking segments. My
second cousins called their video J-Walking,
and they asked various family members, “Who told you about Jesus?” Touching memories were shared and the power of family faith
was made visible. We were surrounded by ‘the inheritance of the saints’ of
which Paul writes.
Today our
prayers surround those who are near and dear to us. When I once asked a church
staff person, at an African church, about the relationships of three young men
we were supporting, her response began, “Here, our definition of family is very
wide.” Whoever you consider family, whoever is family for you, we invite you to
direct prayers today to those relationships. Paul’s words in Colossians offer a
wonderful prayer for those close to you: May
you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power,
and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully
giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of
the saints in the light. Colossians 1:11 We share in an amazing
inheritance! We have a legacy to pass on. Those we hold near and dear to us
bring us to holy ground--connections where we feel God’s grace, relationships where
we need God’s grace, joys and challenges where we share the sacrificial love
God has showered on us.
Paul writes
to his disciple Timothy, encouraging and guiding him in 1 and 2 Timothy. In the
Message translation of 2 Timothy, a subheading reads To Be Bold with God’s Gifts. Paul remembers Timothy’s “rich faith,
handed down from your grandmother Lois’ . . . keep that ablaze! God doesn’t
want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.”
What
privilege and power we have in praying for those we hold dear. May God grant
you peace through your prayers for those you love and may you be blessed by the
prayers of others—those who may have prayed for you in decades past, and those
who will lift you up in prayer well into the future.
2 Timothy 2:1
You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Prayer Starters
Lead me,
Lord, into conversations of faith with my family, into faith-filled days that
will live on in those who come after us, and into your will for our lives of
service. Give us contagious faith! Lead us into opportunities to pass on a
vibrant and blazing faith to others whose paths connect with our own. Thank you
for the gifts you give in ‘a spirit of power and of love and of
self-discipline.’
A prayer for
all you hold dear, “May the Lord Jesus keep you in his love.”
Let God Lead
Prayer - Lord Jesus, thank you for your steadfast love for our family and our
congregation. We ask that you would clearly lead Resurrection Lutheran Church
into the future you want us to have. Guide us to be your church for people far
into the future. You grace us and call us to a vibrant life of faith in Christ,
a life we are asked to share with others. Take away our fear and give us
courage and strength to trust that you go with us. Holy Spirit, give us ears to
hear your voice, give us eyes to see your path, and give us faith to follow
you. (pause for silence and listening) In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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