Today is September 24.


The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.  
  
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”    
   
Today’s reading is from the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 4.  
  

      9 Two are better than one,  
         because they have a good return for their labor:  
      10 If either of them falls down,  
         one can help the other up.  
         But pity anyone who falls  
         and has no one to help them up.  
      11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  
         But how can one keep warm alone?  
      12 Though one may be overpowered,  
         two can defend themselves.  
         A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 
  

Welcome to prayer. Let’s begin by getting oriented to the Lord’s presence. HE is near to you, even now, wherever you find yourself. Invite Him to draw you further into awareness of His goodness.  
   
Our reading today is a well-known passage from Ecclesiastes, that speaks to the goodness of life in community. Two are better than one, the author says. But for so many in our world today, loneliness feels like more of a reality than community does. How do you come to prayer today? Do you feel ‘kept warm’ by community? Or do you feel alone? Talk to the Lord about this as we read the passage again. 
   
“Pity the one who falls and has no one to help them up…” do you know someone who is feeling particularly alone right now? Are you ever in a place to be present to someone who has ‘no one else to help them’? our world is full of lonely people. As we end our time of prayer today, ask God for eyes to see those who need a friend. And for those who feel lonely, invite the Lord into that as a conversation, and allow Him to minister His presence to you. 
 
Music: Dwell - Vineyard Columbus - YouTube