Neighbors
Father,
You have shown us from the beginning
Your Story is the story of God, People, and Place.
May we see our neighbors and neighborhood
As hallowed gifts and holy ground.
Thank you for inviting us into the sacred story
Of Your extravagant love and endless grace.
Jesus,
You are the Good Neighbor
The One who sees, stops, and sacrificially serves
When we are overwhelmed and overlooked.
May we love as You love,
And see our neighbors across the hall or across the street
Not as unwelcome interruptions or random strangers,
But as the Beloved.
Spirit,
Your presence brings comfort and courage
Lead us as we work for the well-being
Of our neighbors and neighborhood.
May we be formed as we labor with love
To see our neighborhoods transformed
By Your creative and generative love.
May we find You and be found by You
In the holy work of neighboring—
Welcoming, listening, remembering, and inviting.
Cultivate in us a love for our neighbors
That expands our hearts and extends our homes.
May our city blocks and our suburban sidewalks,
Our apartment hallways and rural highways
Become the sacred places
Where Your Kingdom comes
And Your Will is done.
Amen.
Thank you to Kyle Stanton, Jesse Blaine, and Daniel Coffey for their pastoral perspectives on praying for our neighbors.
