By Dot Hall,

Loving God, we come to you in thanksgiving, knowing that all we are and all that we have is a gift from you.

This coming week we ask for your wisdom as we vote for new leadership in our country. We ask for your continued blessings on Honor Flight Syracuse and their mission to honor and serve veterans who have served our country so honorably.

We ask for your grace and support for those in our congregation who are grieving: especially the families of Jim Messina and Charlene Hughes. We ask you to bless and heal those on our prayer chain: Alan, Hugh, Kristen, Morgan, Susan, Marianna, Susan, Catherine, Ruth, Beth, Victoria, Jaylene & Shirley. And please hold those that are silently dealing with issues in your loving arms.

We are listening, Lord God. We offer to you this day all the facets of our life, whether it be at home, at work, or at school. Help us to be patient, to be merciful, to be generous, to be the stewards you have called us to be. Give us the wisdom and insight to understand your will for us and the courage to be grateful stewards of your abundance.

We offer our gifts of time, talent and possessions to you as a true act of faith, to reflect our love for you and our neighbor. Help us to reach out to others as you have reached out to us.

Lord God, as we reflect on our stewardship, help us to ask ourselves these questions:

What have I done with you, to serve you and honor you? Did I give you my best or just my scraps? Was my faith just an afterthought or did I put Jesus at the center of my being?

And secondly, what did I do with the people you put in my path? Did I honor them? Respect them? Serve them?

Lord, we come to you now with our silent concerns and celebrations. Hear us as we speak for our hearts privately with you.