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In Our Prayers…
St. Mark's Members: Julie A., Stephanie C., Rebekah D., the family of Melanie H., Terry, L. John M., Shirley M., Kirk M., Myra M., Denise M. and family, Debra M., Carl R., Barbara T., St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, the NC Synod, the ELCA.
Extended Family & Friends: Dom C., Fred D., Bill H., Phyllis H., Stone Ty O., Debbie S. O., Andy S., Lucia S., Mike S.
The Greater Community: Robeson Community College, Robeson Church and Community Center, Episcopal Lutheran Campus Ministry, UNC-Pembroke, Wesley Pines, GlenFlora, Lutheran Services of the Carolinas, ELCA World Hunger, ELCA camps including Lutheridge, Lutherock, and Camp Agape, military families, law enforcement and first responder personnel, those who suffer with addiction and those who minister to them, missing and murdered indigenous women and those who search for them, indigenous children harmed in government boarding schools, victims of human trafficking in North Carolina and the world, anyone impacted by natural disasters, including wildfires, and anyone facing housing or food insecurity.
Daily Prayer Ventures
July 2025
These petitions are offered as guides to daily prayer for the global, social and outreach ministries of the ELCA, as well as for the needs and circumstances of our neighbors, communities and world. Thank you for your continued prayers for the life and mission of this church.
1 Remember in prayer congregations, synods and outdoor ministries that have applied for an ELCA Disability Ministry grant. These grants support projects and programs that identify and prepare people with disabilities for leadership positions and equip members of congregations to welcome them to full participation in the life of the church.
2 Nothing is impossible for God. Our sins, fears, demons and eccentricities are no match for God’s power to forgive, heal and renew us. Give thanks to God for surrounding us with siblings in Christ who extend to us their mercy and love.
3 Our church has missionaries in 35 countries, and its Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program covers six countries/territories. Pray that God will bless these missionaries as they serve alongside companion churches in education, evangelism, administration, parish ministry, leadership development, justice and health.
4 Independence Day Give thanks for the freedom we enjoy in our country. Promise to be responsible with that freedom and attentive to those marginalized by poverty, prejudice, persecution, unjust laws or malevolent ideologies.
5 “Insofar as a Christian is free, no works are necessary. Insofar as a Christian is a servant, all kinds of works are done” (Martin Luther, The Freedom of a Christian). Praise God for freeing us from sin through the redeeming love of Jesus Christ. Ask the Spirit to inspire our service, our acts of kindness and mercy, and our praise for God, the true source of absolute freedom.
6 God sends us into the world equipped to share the gospel, care for neighbors in need, inspire hope and strive for justice and healing. Give thanks for the strength and encouragement we receive from our church, our faith communities and our siblings in Christ.
7 Pray for the ELCA Domestic Mission unit and its renewal team, which help synods to equip congregations for engaging in renewal ministry and for growing as vibrant and diverse communities of faith.
8 Give thanks for community gardens that feed our neighbors, and pray for the people who tend them with love and purpose.
9 Pray for people traveling this summer, that they will be enriched by their experiences, filled with awe at creation, and inspired to share the good news of Jesus Christ everywhere they go.
10 Pray for the ELCA stewardship leaders network, which grows well-equipped mission interpreters, stewardship key leaders, ventures steward leaders and stewardship coaches to serve as resources for congregations and nurture generosity across the church.
11 “Let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10). Pray for our nation, that we will be renewed in our resolve to uplift neighbors who are excluded, forgotten or ignored.
12 Stewardship and generosity are daily expressions of how we respond to God’s immeasurable grace. Pray that the Spirit will nurture within us a lively spirit of generosity to respond to the needs of others, do God’s work in the world and grow the church.
13 Pray for the compassion to care for our neighbors in need, just as the good Samaritan stopped to assist a stranger robbed, beaten and left for dead.
14 “Listen to the word that God has spoken; listen to the One who is close at hand; listen to the voice that began creation; listen even if you don’t understand” (ACS 974). May we be open and attentive to how God speaks to us, reaching into our souls every day to stir our faith, knowledge and wisdom.
15 Praise God that in baptism we are marked as forgiven and freed from the grip of sin and death; empowered to act with love, kindness and mercy; and welcomed into a vast community of siblings in Christ.
16 Ask God to help us advocate for and improve access to public spaces for older adults and people with disabilities.
17 Pray for congregations and special ministries that work for wholeness, peace and justice in your community, across our country and throughout the world.
18 Promise to love and serve our neighbors in need with the same boundless grace and concern that God has shown us, unhindered by suspicion, prejudice, exclusion or the belief that someone must work or suffer as we have to earn our respect.
19 We are a church that believes God is calling us into the world — together! Companion synod relationships of the ELCA connect our synods and congregations with Lutheran churches throughout the world. Praise God that this program nurtures all involved for life and ministry through prayer, study, communication, exchange of visitors and sharing of resources.
20 What have you witnessed or learned that reminds you of God’s presence and activity in the world? Lift up prayers of joy and thanksgiving!
21 Pray for voting members, church leaders and congregation observers as they prepare for the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix, Ariz. Ask the Spirit to fill them with enthusiasm for the church’s mission and guide their discernment of how we should do God’s work in a changing and challenging world.
22 Ask the Spirit to renew the energy of staff serving in summer camps and outdoor ministries. Pray that they will be enriched by their ministry experiences and inspired to pursue vocations of service in the church and society.
23 “When all our words seem frail and hollow, God heeds the prayers within our tears” (ACS 1050). Praise God for hearing and grasping the depth of our prayers and lamentations, especially when they feel clumsy, inadequate and incoherent.
24 Praise God for gathering us in a church that welcomes all, strives to be faithful to the gospel and equips us to serve in a world of complexity, tension and ambiguity.
25 Give thanks for the Spirit, who strengthens our trust in the steadfast love of God and calms our disbelief and anxiety when we question how anyone can truly love us as we are.
26 Pray for children, youth and young adults in your congregation, that their faith will be nurtured, that their gifts will be valued and used, and that they will be included in every aspect of the church’s mission.
27 Thank God for Jesus Christ, “from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with a growth that is from God” (Colossians 2:19).
28 Pray for the voting members, church leaders and volunteers gathering at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Phoenix, Ariz., for decision-making and spiritual discernment on behalf of the entire church.
29 Ask the Spirit to grant us humility and courage, that we might recognize and repent for our legacy of injustice, false history and mistreatment of Indigenous people, which persist today. Pray that our church and society will work toward truth, repentance, healing and unity — God’s work of reconciliation in the world.
30 International Day of Friendship Promise to build bridges between individuals, countries and cultures, stirring empathy, inspiring peace and promoting mutual understanding and respect for diversity.
31 Thank God for the ELCA’s special relationship with the Reformed Church in America, a full communion partner since 1997. Pray for the church, its members and its leaders, that together we will find strength and resources for the work of sharing the gospel and serving our neighbor.
Reprinted by permission. This resource may be copied and shared among members and friends of the congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Contact info@elca.org for additional information. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631-4101. Telephone: 800-638-3522.
Pray at Our Labyrinth
You are welcome to walk our labyrinth at any time.
Walking the spiral is a form of prayerful meditation to hear God's voice, know God's will in our lives, and seek to have Christ as the center of all things; remembering that we are His hands bringing His love back to share as our witness to the world.
Click the link below for an in-depth explanation of Christian labyrinths.
Open the pdf below for 12 reasons how a labyrinth benefits a church.
Why Prayer Labyrinths
12reasons.pdfBegin & End The Day in Prayer
Morning: PRAY
Four steps for a good morning prayer can be remembered by the acronym –
PRAY: Praise, Reason, Ask, Yes
Paise God. Begin by thanking and praising God for keeping you through the night. Give thanks for God's great love.
Reason why God is giving you this day. What needs to be done by you today?
Ask God, for forgiveness and grace. Ask God for one gift today to help you be the best you can be.
Yes God! Tell God you are ready, willing, and able to accomplish the tasks for the day. Do your best and give God the rest.
Evening: GRIP
In the evening, get a grip on the day:
GRIP: Gratitude, Recollection, Inventory, Prayers
Gratitude: Take a moment to thank God for giving you this day. Give thanks for God's great love for you. Where did God bless you today?
Recollection: Look back at the events of the day. Consider who you saw, what you did, where you went. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you courage to be truly soul-searching. Were you growing closer to God or further away?
Inventory: Take inventory of how the day went. Thank God for the good you have done. Ask forgiveness for any wrong you have done. Prepare to make some amendment for sins. Take a good look at your mistakes and ask for forgiveness. Accept God's forgiveness and be at peace.
Prayers: Give to God all those who need your prayers. Let no boundaries stand in your way as you pray for yourself, your family and friends, the Church, the country, and the world.
The Examen
Inspired by St. Ignatius, the examen is a reflective practice that connects us to our true selves and to the Sacred within us and around us. Its steps create space for loving and honest conversation. Through practice, we grow to recognize, know, and trust our inner wisdom and the voice of the Divine. In other words, it’s a path of spiritual friendship. It helps us live lives of compassion, intention, accountability, and hope.
The examen is founded on the belief that Love is in all things. We experience Love through our five senses in our daily experiences in the world and in people around us. In particular, we listen to how and where Loving Presence reaches out to us everyday.
Traditionally, the examen takes 5-15 minutes and is practiced in the middle or at the end of the day. The practical steps below work to guide the flow of our reflections according to its interior rhythm. Some people may feel awkward in the practice at first. Like all friendships though, trust and ease grow from rapport and showing up.
There is nothing to achieve. This is simply an opportunity to pay attention, to love, and to get to know the Sacred through your own experience. The examen is a gift we give ourselves and others through our generous attention to Love in the world.
ﾠ1. Give Thanksﾠ
Pause and give thanks for something
in your day (even if it’s small).
Gratitude lets us see the light in our lives alongside the shadows. Acknowledging what we cherish gives us a sense of wonder and connects us to Love within us and around us. In this way, gratitude is one way we tell the truth about ourselves and our lives. It’s another way we say, “This matters to me.”
ﾠ2. Reviewﾠ
Review what happened in your day
and how you felt about it.
We don’t have to remember every detail, but a general recap of our day makes us more aware of our reality and emotions. This is especially helpful if we are on autopilot or feeling disconnected from ourselves, love, or others. Reviewing our day also helps us consider that Love speaks to us through our humanity (our thoughts, emotions, and bodies) and that we’re invited to listen to all of that.
ﾠ3. Reflectﾠ
Reflect on consolation
and desolation by asking:
“When did I feel connected to
and disconnected from Love today?”
Holding the memories and feelings from the day, we now observe (without judgment) what sticks out and grabs our attention most. We listen to what brought us alive and made us feel most like ourselves. We call this feeling of being connected to Love and our true selves, consolation. And then we also listen, with equal attention, to what broke our heart, made us feel isolated, or misunderstood. We call this feeling of being disconnected from Love and our true selves, desolation. These deeper messages from our experiences and heart are often ways the Sacred invites us into deeper relationship, healing, and growth.
ﾠ4. Mendﾠ
Listen to where you need mending
or need to make amends.
This step is about accountability and compassion. We sit in union with Love and consider where there was misunderstanding or pain in our day. We listen to where we need to make amends and commit to taking steps to do so. We also listen to where we need to speak up about our own needs or on behalf of someone else. Again, we commit to following up on these revelations when we end our practice.
ﾠ5. Intendﾠ
Set an intention and move on with Love.
This step is about making peace with the day and moving on with fresh intention. It’s like cleaning the slate. We might need to wrap up loose ends, but we’re ready to move forward and intend to do so with Loving Presence. Based on all you’ve discovered and acknowledged so far, where do you want to go now? With what attitude and purpose do you want to take your next steps? What do you need to let go of and what do you need to carry with you to move on from here?
ﾠ6. Gratitudeﾠ
Give thanks (again).
Gratitude provides such a nourishing perspective, hope, and humility that ending our practice with it is like lighting a lantern for the path ahead. It also reminds us that we are not alone, but are traveling with Love who accepts us just as we are.
Click HERE to download a
printable copy of The Examen.
While You Wait
The Rev. Hollie M. Holt-Woehl explains how, even while waiting in line yet again, we can employ this time to offer our prayers at: While You Wait.
Prayer Requests
Please use the form at right to submit a prayer request for those in need.
We'll add them to our prayers during service and to our prayer list we distribute in our newsletter and post online.
You can also tell us when prayers are answered and those we have prayed for can be removed from our prayer list using the form at far right.
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