No Condemnation by Lisa Degrenia Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” – John 8:10-11
Jesus, you do not condem You reveal You write the truth on the sands of our souls
We hear our prejudice We see our hypocrisy
continue with your own prayers of confession
We drop the stones of our deadly traditions Our blood trappings We surrender our false supremancy
All have sinned, we have sinned All fall short, we fall short All need you and your redeeming love, We need you and your redeeming love
Shine On by Lisa Degrenia Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12
Shine on Jesus Shine on me Make me a Child of Light Being light Living in light Bearing the fruit of light
Shine on me and in me exposing the works of my darkness to the light Your healing, redeeming Light
Shine on me, Shine in me, Shine through me Exposing the works of darkness around me The oppression, corruption, destruction Exposing them to the light Your light Your truth, your justice Your mercy, your healing, your love Your ways Your Light
Shine on Jesus Lord of Light Light of the World Shine your healing, redeeming Light
Freedom in Christ by Lisa Degrenia Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.- John 8:34-36
Come Mighty Savior! Wield your truth Release the captives Release us
Come Mighty Savior! Shatter the bonds of Fear and Sin Shame and Injustice Falsehood and Death
Come Mighty Savior! We long for your deliverance Take our strongholds and give us freedom Take our numbers and give us names Take our sentences and give us life
If you make us free We are free indeed
Continue with your own prayers of deliverance and thanksgiving
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I’ll be posting prayers based on the Gospel of John throughout Lent and Easter this year. Thanks for coming along with me on the journey. – Lisa <><
If you know the artist, please leave a comment so I can give them credit for their work.
Are You the Messiah? by Lisa Degrenia There was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, “He is a good man,” others were saying, “No, he is deceiving the crowd.”- John 7:12
Jesus, you come performing signs speaking out against evil healing and revealing
Yet, we question we argue Are you the Messiah?
Yes – No – Yes – No We build our case he has a demon he is a sinner he’s untrained he’s not what we expected he threatens our power
Help us see you fully and truly Help us get past our agendas Help us place our hope in you
Prayer for Living Water by Lisa Degrenia On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” – John 7:37-38
God of the Wilderness, God of the well, We are thirsty. We are dry and hard. Our hearts are more stone than flesh. Swing your saving rod once more. Crack us open. Break us of quarreling and division. Smash our fondness for complaining. Shatter our mistrust, especially our mistrust of you. Let your living water flow, a stream in the desert, a spring of salvation.
God, we are so very thirsty. Flood us and the world with your healing and transforming love, through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Pause in silence to receive
Make me a River by Lisa Degrenia Holy Spirit, flow from my heart quench my thirst for the holy make me a river of compassion, justice, and hope for all
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John 7:37-39 is read on Year A — Easter — Day of Pentecost
I’ll be posting prayers based on the Gospel of John throughout Lent and Easter this year. Thanks for coming along with me on the journey. – Lisa <><
Turn and Return by Lisa Degrenia When Jesus speaks words of sacrifice, many want no part of it. They turn and walk away. You can hear the heartbreak and pain in his voice, “Do you also wish to go away?” The wound grows even deeper as Jesus states someone who stayed will eventually betray him.
We fall away Slip away Turn away Hide away Run away Push away Go our way Lose our way
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your Presence? You pursue
Woman sweeping Spirit drawing Hound dog tracking Lover calling Brood Hen gathering Shepherd searching Racer enduring Father waiting… praying… hoping… looking… running… embracing Our turning and returning
I Am Yours by Lisa Degrenia Simon Peter answered Jesus, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” – John 6:68-69
Jesus, sometimes your way is easy Your burden is light It overflows with hope and consolation and grace
Sometimes your way is hard It confronts and challenges It offends me – what I believe and what I hold dear
Sometimes your way is mysterious I don’t understand I can’t see it, grasp it
Still, I follow I want to follow
Help me hold nothing back from you Even my doubts and questions
Help me open the deepest places of my being to you All my weaknesses and wounds All my strengths and privilege All that I am and will become
You have the words of eternal life You are the Holy One of God I trust you I have confidence in you I am yours
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I’m posting prayers based on the Gospel of John throughout the seasons of Lent and Easter this year. Thanks for coming along with me on the journey. – Lisa <><
John 6:56-69 is read on Year B — Season after Pentecost — Proper 16 (21)
Christ the Saviour with Eucharist by Spanish Renaissance artist Vincente Juan Masip
Bread of Life by Lisa Degrenia Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35
Blessed Jesus, Bread of Life, Bread of Heaven coming down for us lashed and leavened hidden and risen
Help us hunger for you alone
Nourish us with your word and ways Satisfy us with the feast of you
Give us this day our daily bread
You are food for the journey of faith and action You are drink for the journey home Life now and eternal life Blessed be your name
Bread in the Wilderness by Lisa Degrenia This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. – John 6:50
In the wilderness of this season I come face-to-face with my dependence my deepest needs, my deepest wounds my deep capacity for denial and destruction
I come face-to-face with me and face-to-face with you
Reveal everything I need to see everything I need to know everything I need to feel
Reveal and refocus my appetites Feasting on you… your bread in place of my shame Nurtured and nourished by your grace and hope
Reveal and heal, Blessed One Reveal and make whole So I may live
Morning by Morning by Lisa Degrenia Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” – John 6:51
Morning by morning Like the sunrise Like manna
Morning by morning you waken and provide You open my eyes to your presence and desire for this day You open my ears to your encouragement, truth, and grace You know my weakness, my weariness You open me to your sustaining
Morning by morning you waken and provide Now open my mouth to share what first found me In every season and circumstance With every soul along the way
Morning by morning you waken me My eyes, my ears My mouth, my heart
Morning by morning you waken me To You and to all Like the sunrise Like manna Great is your faithfulness!
Continue your prayers of adoration and commitment
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I’m posting prayers based on the Gospel of John throughout the seasons of Lent and Easter this year. Thanks for coming along with me on the journey. – Lisa <><
John 6:35, 41-51 is read on Year B — Season after Pentecost — Proper 14 (19) John 6:51-58 is read on Year B — Season after Pentecost — Proper 15 (20)