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notre dame montreal

Church Prayers for Second Sunday after Easter

Easter 2

Prayers of Intercession May 1st. 2011
Family Worship with Baptisms at 9-30 am
(prayers 76.doc)
Readings:
1. Acts 2: 14a, 22-32. Peter proclaims a risen Christ to the crowd.
2. 1 Peter 1: 3-9 Peter writes to the Churches of Asia Minor.
3. .John 20: 19-31 Jesus appears to the Disciples.

After these prayers of intercession we shall say together the Lord’s prayer as printed on your Order of Service.
The bidding for our prayers will be ‘Lord in Your Mercy’
With the response ‘Hear our Prayer’

Almighty, Everlasting and Creator God –
We come before you in prayer basking in the joy of the Easter message, that Christ is indeed Risen and that our faith is in a living Saviour who brings the promise of salvation to us all.

So in that certain knowledge we pray for this your world and it’s peoples with all their needs, questions and longings.

Lord in Your mercy. - 'Hear our prayer’

We pray for your world-wide Christian Church, as found in all Continents and cultures, that its message of salvation through Christ is broadcast with courage and vigour. Especially we pray for those churches who meet together in difficult and often dangerous circumstances and we think especially of China where the arrest of Christians has been increasing in recent weeks. Let them know and feel your all abiding presence to both uphold their courage and strengthen their faith.

We pray for those who’s Christian faith is challenged in the workplace by attempts to ban simple symbols of faith; that in those emotive situations common-sense and tolerance will prevail.

We pray for our own church here at St. Mark’s and at Putnoe Heights. We bring before you all those who lead and inspire our worship, those who visit and pray for the sick and bereaved and those who reach out with new initiatives to the un-churched as well as those who carry out the daily routine tasks of busy centres.

We pray for our parent Anglican and Methodist traditions that you will continue to work through them in furthering co-operation and dialogue to the building of stronger communities of faith.

Lord in Your mercy. - 'Hear our prayer’

Lord, we know that peoples the world over often choose not to follow Your ways and that turmoil, conflicts and wars are the inevitable consequence. We therefore come to you with compassion to pray that in areas of conflict that hearts and minds can be turned towards those God given gifts of Justice, tolerance and Peace; peace in all its forms.

We remember the struggles against oppression in North Africa and the Middle East and pray that those in Authority and Power heed the cries of their people. We think also of Northern Ireland and the hatred that still smoulders in the hearts of a small minority. In all these situations we pray for your guiding hand in the lives of those who reach across the divisions to promote dialogue and understanding.

We pray for peoples caught up in natural disasters and their aftermath. We remember the victims of earthquakes in Japan, New Zealand and Haiti and of the Tornadoes recently wreaking their deadly havoc in the USA.

We remember our service personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan and over Libya and pray for their loved ones who are left at home to wait and worry. We pray for the work of the United Nations and all who work towards creating a world where insurgency, terrorism and conflict no longer have a meaning.

Lord in Your mercy. - 'Hear our prayer’

We pray for our own country and society, cheered up by the spectacle of a royal wedding with all the joy and hope that it brings but still a kingdom coming to terms with a harsh economic reality.
We pray and feel for those especially in the Public Sector who worry about their job security and their future pensions. And for all who face real hardship in the months to come.

We give thanks for the privilege and opportunity to vote in this week’s elections and pray that those elected will serve with honesty and integrity and work for the good of all.

We pray today especially for our children and young people faced with finding their place in a changing society where many of the traditions and certainties of old no longer apply. Help us, in whatever way we can, to maintain the work and witness of the church, especially among the young, that it be seen always as a rock of certainty, of God-given values and of hope amidst the shifting sands of our time.

And as we have welcomed Felicity Katy and Henry David into the church family so we pray that they may grow up to reaffirm the commitments made on their behalf this morning.
Lord in Your mercy. - 'Hear our prayer’

And so we think now of those in most need in our own community, the elderly, the housebound and those in care homes, hospital and hospice and those undergoing treatment. We pray for the work and devotion of Carers whose skill and compassion bring both material and spiritual comfort at times of need.

So now we share a moment of silence together as we bring before you those known only to ourselves and to you Lord who are in need at this time. Let them feel your presence in their lives as we name them in our hearts and commit them to your loving care.
(A short period of silence)

Lord in Your mercy. - 'Hear our prayer’

We also pray for those who feel the pain of grief at the loss of a loved one whether recent or as each anniversary passes. Help us to support all those who mourn both with our prayers, with words of comfort and with practical support both this day and in the days and weeks to come.

And so we pray with confidence that –

Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, a light which no darkness can quench. We remember before God those who have died and light a candle to symbolise the light of Christ which eternally shines and brings hope. Today we remember: -

Those we have known and loved but see no more.


For you turn our darkness into light; in your light shall we see light.

Lord in Your mercy. - 'Hear our prayer’

A final prayer for ourselves: -
As we recount the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection and the new-found boldness of the Disciples in proclaiming a Risen Lord so help us to be no less confident in our faith and in our witness to the world about us.

Amen.

Merciful Father, “Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen”.

(We say together the words that Jesus taught us)

THE LORD’S PRAYER (Trad. Form)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.