Prayers for Ordinary 13
Prayers for Sunday 5 July 2009 by Mrs Margaret Appleton
The bidding today is LORD IN YOUR MERCY and the response is HEAR OUR PRAYER
Gathered together in the love and fellowship of God, let us pray to our heavenly Father, bringing before him our cares and our needs.
As we meet together this morning we pray for your church throughout the world, remembering Christians everywhere whether they are meeting in small groups, in churches or in the great cathedrals. Grant that we and all your people may be built up in our faith and show in our lives the love we see in Jesus.
Lord God, we give you thanks for our church here at St Marks and at Putnoe Heights and for the ministry of Charlie and Sam. We pray for all ministers and preachers who enlarge and enrich our understanding of God and help us to respond to his love.
We pray that you will give courage to those who find it hard to follow you - to those who are finding it difficult to have faith because of tragedy or personal hardship - to those who are made to suffer because of their faith
May your Holy Spirit support them and may they, and we, know the certainty of your abiding presence which transforms and rebuilds
Lord in your mercy
Hear our Prayer
Lord God, we pray for Christians working in places of power and influence who make decisions which affect the lives of so many people. We ask you to bless those who work in politics, in the media, in advertising and in the financial markets. May they all know what to say and how to act for the benefit of all people in order to be true to you.
We give you thanks for those people who have dedicated their lives to serving you - we pray for the work of missionaries throughout the world that when their work is difficult and tiring you will make them strong when they are lonely and missing home remind them that you are always with them and when they are uncertain what to do we pray that you will guide their way.
We thank you for Christians working to improve the plight of the homeless and the badly housed
-for those working in Social Services among disaffected families
- for the young people sharing their learning and energy through voluntary service at home and abroad
-for those in the many organisations who work tirelessly to relieve suffering and distress in stricken lands
-and for all those who freely offer their time and energy to bring comfort, hope and help to those in need.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord God, we pray for our world, a world which struggles to live justly and in peace.
We pray for the leaders of the world’s nations,
- for all those who influence the minds of others
- and for those who set the standards for our society.
- May they always be aware of the real needs of those they serve and be effective in providing for them.
We pray that you will bless those countries where there is war, random violence or only a fragile peace and ask that you will give to those who are trying to make peace an inner certainty of their calling and constant patience in their negotiations. We continue to pray for the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan and for members of our armed forces as they work towards a lasting peace.
May hearts which have been darkened by violence discover a light and a better way and we pray that the ways of diplomacy and the ways of forgiveness will coincide at the conference table.
We remember today, and pray for those who are forced to search for daily food or walk long distances for clean water – things we take so much for granted. We remember with sadness those whose lives are cut short by disease or violence and those who have fled their homes in fear. We ask for your blessing on those who meet persecution and torture with courage and dignity. May your love be a real source of comfort.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our Prayer
Lord God, we pray for those whom we love – the special people you have given to us wherever they may be – with all their varying hopes, fears, problems and needs. We thank you for each one of them and for what they give and mean to us.
Keep us alert to each other’s needs and quick in serving and encouraging one another. May our gentleness with each other reflect your gentleness with us.
Bless our homes with holiness and hospitality, with cheerfulness and kindness, with generosity and goodness and always make us welcoming and friendly.
We pray for those who have no home and no one to call a friend
- the world weary
- the heavily burdened, the desperate and the broken
- the unemployed and those facing an uncertain future.
We hold them in our hearts, knowing that you Lord, hold them in yours.
We pray for those who are ill at home or in hospital, for those who are experiencing extreme pain. We pray for those awaiting a diagnosis or an operation, As we name in our hearts in a moment of silence those whom we know who are in the grip of suffering, help us so to pray and act that they may know your comfort and healing both now and in the days ahead
Lord in you mercy Hear our prayer
Lord God, into your caring hands we commit those who have died and We pray for all those who are mourning the loss of loved ones . Jesus Christ is the light of the world, a light which no darkness can quench. We remember before God all those who have died and light a candle to symbolise the light of Christ, which eternally shines and brings hope. This morning we pray for and remember…………………………
May your light shine on them and may they live in your joy and peace forever.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
With great joy in our hearts we offer you our thanks and praise for all the blessings and gifts you lavish on us.
Keep us in the joy, the simplicity and the compassionate love of the gospel and may our faith reflect the depth of that of Jairus and the woman at the lake.
We ask that you will bless us all today and in the future and may we always be ready and alert to your call.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your son, Our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us conclude our prayers by saying together the prayer which Jesus taught us:………………………………….