A Prayer For You Today

I sang the hymn as a child in church. I am glad Jesus is glad to fill our cups.

A prayer for you today.

Bless these, our small offerings, O Jesus, who alone can make a rich feast for many from the meager gifts of a few. Now receive our insufficient gifts: our imperfect talents, limited resources, half-formed intentions, and flawed efforts. Consecrate them for your good purposes, that they might become, in your hands, more than mere proofs of our inadequacy.

For you delight, O Christ, in using our poverty to display the riches of your grace—meeting and filling our weaknesses so that they become hollows where your mercy and glory might pool. Do so now, O Lord, for our best efforts can never alone bring to meaningful fruition any labor you have given us.

Our gifts, even those costly to us, would wither and shrivel on the vine if you do not coax their ripening, tread them in your press, and transform their bitterness into the sweet wine of your grace. Apart from you, O Christ, we can do nothing. Only you can bring to completion the works you have called us to. If you do not labor through us, all our offerings are in vain.

The impossible command you gave your disciples on the side of a mountain remains your call to us today. Facing overwhelming need—a crowd of thousands, ill-equipped and hungry—your followers urged you to send them away for food. But you told your frustrated friends: “You give them something to eat.” You said this, knowing they had little and could never afford enough to meet such need, yet you told them to feed the people. Despite their arguments—“Eight months’ wages wouldn’t buy enough for everyone!”—you were gently teaching them that your work can never be fulfilled apart from you.

“What do you have?” you asked. “Go and see.” They gathered what food they could—five small loaves and two small fish. Far from rebuking their meager offering, you said, “Bring them here to me.”

You took those gifts, gave thanks, broke the loaves and fish, and distributed them to your disciples to give to the people. All received, and all were satisfied on two fish and five loaves. You told them, “You give them something to eat,” and in the end, they did—by giving what they had first received from you.

What mystery that you chose to work through them! What mystery that you choose to work through us, your people. It is the same today as it was then: we never have enough. We give what we have, and you make it a feast, returning it to us to share with others. We never have enough, but you ask for what we possess, we lay it at your feet, and you multiply it for others’ good.  Amen.

A prayer entreating the Lord to bless these small offerings

By Douglas McKelvey

May we all be given grace to rest in His love and care.

Pastor Joe