Our church family was thankful on Sunday as our children worked with Ms. Missy and Mr. Perry to receive and present Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes before the Lord in worship. Our members brought their boxes filled with gifts for children around the world and placed them in wagons. During the singing of the hymn, All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name, the children pulled 144 boxes to the front of the Sanctuary after which three of our children, Allie, Cooper and Chance, lead the congregation in this prayer:
Prayer of Dedication for the Shoeboxes
Loving God, we pray for your blessing of these shoeboxes for the mission of Samaritan’s Purse “Operation Christmas Child.”
Loving God, we ask for your blessing.
We pray for the hurting children and their families whose lives will be impacted by these boxes and the contents we’ve packed with love.
Loving God, we pray for your touch of compassion.
We pray especially that through these gifts the hearts of the children and their families will be opened to your love and the message of your grace through Jesus Christ.
Loving God, we pray for your grace to be made known.
We pray for children and families who are suffering in the desperate circumstances of poverty, sickness or war, that you will meet their physical needs.
Providing God, we pray for your bounty.
We pray that these shoeboxes will be useful tools to open doors for the proclamation of the gospel.
Providing God, we pray for open doors.
We pray, also for all those who are participating in some way in the mission of Operation Christmas, and for the process of collecting, processing, transporting and delivering of the boxes to their destinations.
Providing God, we pray that you would open the way for these shoeboxes to be delivered to people who need to know of your love for them. To this end, in faith, we ask for your blessing. Amen.
(Prayer adapted by Andy Roby)