Father in Heaven,
You are the giver of good
And everything good comes from you.
We give you thanks
For the soil and this season
For water, wind, and winter light
And for the beauty of this place we call home.
We give you thanks
For our communities and counties
For leaders, lawmakers, shop owners, and educators
And for all the unseen servants in our society.
We give you thanks
For insulation and refrigeration
For reliable electricity and constant heat
And for water that is always available, early mornings
and late nights, in our homes.
We give you thanks
For paved streets, sidewalks, and stop lights
For parks, playgrounds, hospitals, and high schools
And for the generations and civilizations who made
this place their home long before us.
May we wake with grateful hearts
May we walk with grateful bodies
May we talk with grateful minds
And may we live with a grateful spirit
For all the gifts of grace of this place.
Amen
Other prayers to engage with place…
Father in Heaven,
Creator of all that is,
All that has been,
All that will ever be.
May we become more attuned to the history
And beautiful layers of life
That existed in this geography before us.
May we have a holy curiosity about this place:
Where our home was built,
Where our family sleeps,
And where we eat our daily meals.
Creator and Good Shepherd,
You made the creatures we tend and the ground beneath their feet.
Before they belonged to our farms, businesses, or tables,
they belonged to You.
Lord God,
We pause in this moment to give You worthy recognition
For Your supreme sovereignty over all things.
We offer both acknowledgment and gratitude
For Your attentive, providential love and care
That You extend to us each day.
Dear God,
There are so many ordinary ways
To give and receive your love.
From the cuddles of our kids.
From the laughter of a dear friend.
From holding the hand of a spouse.
Teach me today
To give and receive
Your love as a neighbor.
Father in Heaven,
With August’s arrival,
The morning sunlight beams
Come later through the windows.
May we rest in your great faithfulness,
Remember that your steadfast love never ceases;
And Your mercies never come to an end.
Dear Holy Flame,
If ‘Hope is the thing with feathers’, (thank you, Emily Dickinson)
Then Joy is the thing that flickers!