Weather Alert:

Church programs for Monday, Jan. 22 will resume their normal schedule at all locations this evening.

Programming Note:

Leawood’s Sunday night in-person worship has been moved to 4 pm for Sunday, February 11. 

Search
Close this search box.

Prayer Tip--The Cosmos, God and the Bible

June 16, 2024
SHARE

Daily Scripture

Genesis 1:1-5 and Psalm 19:1-4a (NIV)

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.

Daily Reflection & Prayer

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1)
This week, as we contemplate the wonders that God has created, and look up to the blue skies, the clouds and the amazing beauty of building thunderheads and beautiful clouds, and the mysterious beauty of the night sky, it seems like a great time to simply sit with God and spend our prayer time in praise. A time to remind ourselves, and confess to our Creator, that we recognize the truth that God is God. And we are not.
We strengthen our relationship and appreciation of God when we take time to lay aside our lists of questions, requests, and confessions and dedicate some prayer time to praise and thanksgiving for the beauty that surrounds us, for the blessings we have, for the glory of a sunrise and the incredible sight of a night sky.
Looking around us or above us at the wonder of the natural world and all of creation helps us to not view ourselves as more important or larger than we really are. Sit under the canopy of the night sky, watch a thunderhead build in the distance, drive away from the city to sit somewhere where the sky and earth around us can make us feel very small – as it should! God is God, and we are not.
Praising God for the miracles that surround us can give us a great surge of joy – like unwrapping a miraculous gift, or finding a moment of perfect peace. Taking time devoted to only prayers of praise can fill our hearts with wonder and give us great reasons to share God love and power with others. Use your voice, describe with wonder what you see and feel and experience and thank God for every bit of it.
This week let’s find some time for fresh air and open eyes to look up and around and praise God for all the gifts we have. Let’s ask for our eyes to be open to blessings and gifts we may be blind to.
Prayer

Powerful, loving, and creative God, I come to you in praise and thanksgiving for all that you have given me and for my ability to find joy in the world around us. Thank you for (share your list of blessings and wonders with God in praise). Help me to keep my eyes open so that I can continue to see all you have given me. Amen.

GPS Insights

Picture of Jennifer Creagar

Jennifer Creagar

This week's prayer tip is by Jennifer Creagar, the Community Assistance Coordination Director in Resurrection's Congregational Care Ministry. She is married and loves spending time with her family, and she enjoys writing and photography.

© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References