A Prayer about Doing the Lowly Things

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

John 13:14

Lord Jesus,

You know not many of us in Western culture 

understand about washing feet. 

Most of us wear shoes and take showers regularly. 

Help us to see you 

performing the act of the lowliest servant, 

kneeling before your disciples, 

taking their dirty, dusty feet into your hands, 

and wiping them gently with a clean towel. 

Help us to understand the relief you gave them, 

the cleansing they felt. 

Help us to understand 

and obey your call to “wash one another’s feet.” 

May we not avoid the most undesirable tasks; 

may we instead seek to serve one another 

by doing the hard things, 

whether it’s changing out dirty diapers, 

handing out food to the homeless, 

or working out math problems with an angry teenager.

Show us today and every day

what it means to follow your command 

to serve this world wherever you call us. 

Read John 13:1-20.