Congregational Prayer for the Little Things

God of grace,
thank you for the little things.
For the gift of this one little day in the great span of time.
For the little beauties;
the sunlight on blankets in the morning,
the fragrance of coffee,
the smile of someone who cares for us,
the texture of the day unfolding as it should.
Thank you for the gift of normal days,
peaceful, pleasant, ordinary.
Open our eyes to the little blessings we so often take for granted.
Thank you for sending a Saviour
who knew the pleasures of everyday life,
who grew up in a family,
and saw the sky every day just like we do.
Help us learn from the little things he did:
stopping to talk to children,
even when he was being hurried to more important things.
Jesus noticing the woman giving two pennies to God,
or making a barbecue on the beach for his friends.
Presentness, thankfulness, hospitality:
we need these in our lives, in our community.
Thank you for this community,
the simple act of coming together to praise you,
the little offerings we give,
the small ways we try to show we care.
We do care, and we want to care more.
We want a love as deep and rich as someone who died for our sins:
Jesus, you were true to us even in the face of cruelty,
even to your last breath.
Fill us with that spirit of love so much
that it comes out of us in a thousand little ways this week.
Returning kind words for harsh words.
Giving freely when we see a need.
Forgiving easily and daily, and not holding grudges.
There are big needs and big problems in the world,
we trust that you will take our offerings,
our little actions for peace,
and multiply them the way only you can.
We trust in you, together, as your people,
and so we pray together, the prayer you taught us to pray:

[The Lord’s Prayer]