Tag Archives: doubt

Three Prayers Inspired by John 7

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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 <><

Three Prayers Inspired by John 7 © 2023 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting without asking permission. It’s always a treat to hear from you if you’re using it. Leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in a book, blog, etc.

Questions and Commitment – prayers inspired by John 6.56-59

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Christ in the Wilderness by Ivan Kramskoy

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)

Questions and Commitment prayers © 2023 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia. You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting without asking permission. It’s always a treat to hear from you if you’re using it. Leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in a book, blog, etc.

Sermon Series- Wild Man, the Life and Witness of John the Baptist, Parts 3-5

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Sermon Series- Wild Man, The Life and Witness of John the Baptist
Message 3 of 5: Increasing and Decreasing
Scripture: John 3:22-30, John Answers His Disciple’s Concerns

Offered Sunday, 3/7/2021 via Facebook Live at Trinity United Methodist Church, Sarasota Florida.

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Sermon Series- Wild Man, The Life and Witness of John the Baptist
Message 4 of 5: Faith and Doubt
Scripture: Matthew 11:2-11, John’s Question from Prison

Offered Sunday, 3/14/2021 via Facebook Live at Trinity United Methodist Church, Sarasota Florida.

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Sermon Series- Wild Man, The Life and Witness of John the Baptist
Message 5 of 5: Bad Things Happen
Scripture: Mark 6:17-29, The Death of John the Baptist

Offered Sunday, 3/21/2021 via Facebook Live at Trinity United Methodist Church, Sarasota Florida.

This message includes a remembrance of the eight persons murdered in Atlanta a few days before. Xiaojie Tahn, Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Soon Chung Park, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Yaun, Paul Andre Michels

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You can find us live on Facebook Sundays at 9 AM and 10:30 AM, and Wednesdays at 8 AM.

© 2021 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
Leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Two Prayers Based on John 20-21

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For the past few months, a couple of thousand folks have been reading and discussing a chapter a day from the Gospels as part of Summer in the Scriptures, sponsored by the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church.

I’ve been supplying a prayer for each day’s reading. 98 chapters = 98 prayers. Wow! Some have been brand new, but many were curated from prayers written over the last eleven years of this blog’s life. Again, wow! It’s not often I have a chance to see what seems to me small, isolated offerings come together like this.

Thanks for going on this journey with me. I pray it was blessing and goodness for you. Postings will be less frequent now that the project is finished.

Thanks also for being part of our community here. You are always welcome, wanted, and appreciated. – Lisa <><

Summer in the Scriptures John (18)Based on John 20:24-29
Thomas and Jesus

Jesus, you give me what I need
What I need to believe
What I need to live

Like my brother Thomas,
I lay the doubting down
You come for me
You want me as well
You want us all

The gift of your presence is for me
The gift of your peace is for me
So too the power of your Spirit
The very Breath of Life
Abundant Life in your name

Jesus, you give me what I need
Seeing
Signs
Spirit
Wounds
Words
Wonder
Peace
Power
Sending

Oh, My Jesus
My Lord and My God

Summer in the Scriptures John (19)Based on John 21

Cast your net again,
We know this familiar foolishness
So we cast it…
we cast it wide, drag it deep, sweep it around the sea
Suddenly! So many fish!

The cry goes up with our hope
It is the Lord! It is Jesus!

He sank down to the bottom
Down to the mud and the darkness
Down to the pain and the brokenness
Down to our level

Until he was lifted up- lifted up on a cross
Up went the fists
Up went the mocks
Up went the stares
Up went the sign
King of the Jews

Down came the hammer
Down came the tears
Down came the blood
Down came the love
Down to our level
buried beneath waves of fear and injustice and sin
Buried beneath earth

He did as he promised!
He is lifted up from the earth!
Up from the grave
Up goes the shout
Up goes the sun with the Son

Cast your net again, my Jesus
Cast it wide, drag it deep, sweep it around the sea
Draw us up from the bottom with you
Draw us up from the mud and the darkness
Draw us up from the pain and the brokenness
Draw us up from the selfishness and the loneliness
Draw us up from the fear and the hate and the sin and the death
Draw us up from the bottom with you

Cast your net again into the sea of humanity
Cast it wide, drag it deep, sweep it around the sea
Draw us up
Draw us in
We are caught in your saving embrace

Jesus says, “Now follow me.”
“Come, cast the net
Cast the net again and again and again and we will find some more
Cast it wide, drag it deep, sweep it around the sea
So many, so different, so beautiful
Use all your strength to bring them in
Have no fear, the net will not break.”

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What I Need © 2020 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
Cast Your Net Again © 2000 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Prayer Prompts and Breath Prayers Based on Mark 10 and 11

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summer in the scriptures- Mark (6)
Prayer Prompts based on Mark 10
Use one or more of the following prompts as you pray. Just finish the sentence again and again or use it as a springboard for your prayers. Share your prayer in the comments. What prayer prompt would you write? Share that as well.

Jesus, I confess my hard-heartedness concerning…

Jesus, soften my heart towards…

Jesus, forgive me for making it hard for ____________ to get to you

Jesus, help me receive and bless…

Jesus, help me leave ___________ so I can follow you fully.

Jesus, please save _______. All things are possible for you.

Jesus, I confess my misplaced priorities…

Jesus, lead me into humble service and sacrifice.

Jesus, hear my cry…

Jesus, let me see…

Breath Prayers Based on Mark 11:20-25
The withered fig tree
Read Mark 11:20-25. Silently pray the phrase after IN on your breath in. Then silently pray the phrase after OUT on your breath out. Take your time. Breathe deeply. Choose one, a few, or all of them as is most helpful to you. ⁠

I’m new to breath prayers. Maybe you are, too. This practice helps me when things become overwhelming, when I wake up in the middle of the night, or when I’m having trouble hearing God.⁠ How do breath prayers help you?

IN: Jesus,
OUT: Keep me faithful and fruitful

IN: Have faith in God
OUT: breath out in silence

IN: Jesus,
OUT: heal the doubt in my heart

IN: I believe
OUT: Help my unbelief

IN: Jesus, I forgive
OUT: speak a name or situation on the breath out

IN: Heavenly Father
OUT: Forgive me

Share a breath prayer you’ve written

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For the next few months, I’m reading a chapter from the Gospels each day. This is part of the Summer in the Scriptures reading plan sponsored by the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Click Here for the reading plan.

You’re most welcome to read along and to join the Facebook discussion group, Summer in the Scriptures. You don’t need to be a Methodist or attend a Methodist church. All are welcome and all means all.

As part of the Facebook group, I’ve been supplying prayers based on the day’s reading. Feel free to post your prayers and observations based on the readings here or there as well.

May the grace of the Gospels, the challenge, and the call, inspire us to great faith and great good works in Jesus’ name. – Lisa <

Prayer Prompts and Breath Prayers based on Mark 10-11
© 2020 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.