A prayer before doing the shopping

James Cathcart February 02, 2023 2 2

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Micah 6: 8 (NRSVA)

8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

There’s something satisfying about a paper shopping list. In my household it sits at the side of the fridge and can be added to when we run out of something. Since there are a few of us doing the shopping, a list also keeps us from too much duplication.

In general, I am shopping more attentively these days. Partly because of cost increases, partly to accommodate different dietary needs, partly out of an effort to choose things that are local and/or sustainable.

We’re often reminded in the church that prayer isn’t supposed to be a shopping list, full of our demands. But what if we flipped that on its head and prayed a shopping prayer, asking God to put on the list the things that God wants us to add into our lives.

PRAYER:

Generous God

My list is full, as usual, with all the things I need,

But I’m leaving some space today for you to fill

I’ve written down three headings:

Justice, kindness, humility

As I shop today, could you fill those columns as we go?

Maybe I can pay a little extra to make sure something is ethically sourced,

Or pop something into the foodbank basket,

Or put something back which I don’t really need.

Or maybe you want me to bite my tongue when the person in front of me takes the bargain I had my eye on,

Or to smile at the harassed parent whose toddler careens into me with her trolley

Or to share a word of encouragement with the bored teenager who serves me at the till.

Whatever my basket holds today, help me to focus on your list, not mine.

Amen