Prayer for Sunday, Christmas 1A

Lord, We just finished with Christmas day and now we come to the Sunday after. But we also are about to step into the New Year. Wow it seems like life is moving so fast. We thank you for the birth of your son, the promise of new life he brought for us all. Maybe we didn’t get all the gifts or exactly the gifts we wanted, but we got the best gift of all; your son, your love, your mercy and your grace. Lord as we enter this New Year we pray we take those gifts with us. We are aware as we read the whole Christmas story that all was not easy for the Holy family, just as we face many hardships so did they. There are still many homeless in this world, just as Jesus did not have a home to be born into. Many have become refugees looking for safety, security and food, just as the Holy family became refugees from Herod and danger so long ago. There are countries where tyrants still rule killing their own people, just as it was during the time the Holy family lived under the rule of the Romans. Many today are also crying for their children and refuse to be consoled, because they are no more. It was not a safe world that Jesus came into long ago, and so we pray that Jesus would come once again for those who live difficult lives in hard times. And now Lord as we step into the New Year we recall your gracious deeds and pray that you continue to be merciful to us. We remember your compassion toward us and ask that you keep showing us your care and consideration. We remember your extravagant love for all and pray that you go on lavishly loving us. We never let go of your claiming us as your children and pray that you never let go of us, your children. Amen

Prayer for Advent 2

God of Peace, On this weekend we lost a man who brought peace and healing to a land torn with anger, hatred and killing. We grieve Mandela’s death. We pray that we keep working for peace and healing in our homes, our cities, our countries and our worlds. We pray for the peace your son, the very Prince of Peace brings. We pray for the people in places like the Mideast, Central Africa Republic, Thailand, Afghanistan, Mexico, Peru, Syria, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Egypt, South Africa and Mexico where violence, civil war and unrest remain. We remember the date that drew our country into a terrible war so long ago and pray that we are not drawn into warring again. We pray for the healing and restoration for those who have been touched by disasters. We pray for healing for those affected by illnesses, tragedy or death. We pray for the day there is no more disease, no more tragedies, no more disasters, and no more death. We pray for the day where Your justice rules. We pray for the day of Your great reversal when The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; the calf and the young lion will feed together, and a little child will lead them. cross posted at revgalblogpals.org

Sunday Prayer

O God, have mercy on us, your children. We pray for our government to end this time of shutdown and stalemate. We pray for the workers who are being affected by this, the persons whose Loss of benefits will put them in jeopardy and the possible outcome of debt default. Lord, keep our eyes focused on you as our hope instead of cynicism. These days make it harder for us to believe, harder for us to put our trust in you. May we be encouragers of others who have become pessimistic and unsure. And Lord may we show gratitude for all you have done for us and will do.

Prayer for World Communion Sunday

God of all peoples everywhere, We celebrate that in you we are one We celebrate that in you we share in the one cup and one bread. We celebrate that in you our differences are beautiful. We celebrate our global community of faith. And yet we are aware that not everyone will have bite of bread to eat. We are aware that there are those who will not have a cup of fresh clean water to drink. We are aware that poverty has brought illnesses, homelessness, orphan hood and other desperate conditions to people’s lives. Wars, killings, and abuse still abound. Sex trafficking, slave trafficking, children trafficking is all around us. We as your body of Christ have the ability to address these issues. We have the resources. We have the heart. And we have the willingness. May we be the church that brings the changes to the world that people may know that you are the God of all peoples. Amen

Prayer for Proper 15C / Ordinary 20C / Pentecost +13

God, of all song and dance, You sung your creation into being long ago You sung songs of love to those who would listen. You have kept singing your heart song. Lord today sing your song today to those of us listening to you as we prepare to lead worship and preach your word. Sing your song to those who come to worship, Sing your song to those in their hospital rooms, their homes and nursing homes. Sing your songs to those on the streets looking for work some food and shelter. May your creation hear your song and dance to the tune. May your people hear your song and dance joyously to you. May hearts sing along, May hearts who forgot the song, begin to remember the words and music. May the ones who ears have been deaf to you hear your song and come alive. May your song stir a newness of life in us all. Sing once a gain your song of love …. cross posted at revgalblogpals

prayer for Proper 6C / Ordinary 11C / Pentecost +4

God of our fathers and of our mothers,

We pray to you today for our fathers; fathers who were present, fathers who were absent, fathers who showed us love, fathers who did not show us love, fathers who taught us well, fathers who didn’t teach at all, fathers who held us in their arms, fathers who abused us, fathers who tried hard to be good fathers, and fathers who didn't try at all. The list goes on of the different kinds of fathers we have all had and we have been ourselves.  Most of all, we are grateful that you are the father of us all, a father who loves, cares, is always present, who forgives us and holds us in your arms. We all need that kind of father.

We pray today for all of us who are like the woman who crashed the Pharisee’s dinner party and anointed you. We break open our alabaster jar of sweet oil as we cry tears of joy, tears of sadness, tears of years of pain, and tears of sin poured out on your feet. Accept our offering of love and gratitude for your forgiving us, welcoming us and loving us.

We pray today for all of us who are like Simon the Pharisee, who are caught by religion, eyes of judgment, hearts of stone, and voices of criticism of ourselves and others. We pray father that you would set us free by your forgiveness, love and mercy.

We pray today for all of us who are like the women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources. We thank you that we get to be there with you, follow you and give out of our resources especially out of who we are.  We thank you that you have healed, cured us, set us free, forgiven us, welcome us and love us.

Prayer for Easter 4C

Lord,

You are our Shepherd,

Jesus said he was the Good Shepherd.

But God if you are the good Shepherd, why?

Why must we be so violent? Is it because we don’t trust you as our good shepherd?

Where are you if you are the good shepherd?

Its not just in Boston or New York that people are killed by bombs

Its everywhere God.

It doesn't much feel like green pastures or still waters.

But we need you to make us lie down in green pastures and to lead us beside the still waters.

We all need green pastures and still waters to sooth our souls.

Lord we walk through some dark valleys now with the violence in the world.

We walk through our own dark valleys of death, illnesses, crisis, hardships, and tough times.

We want to believe and to not fear evil, but God sometimes we do fear.

How can this world feel safe if you can even run in a race or

walk in a run/walk event anymore without worrying if there is a bomb planted at the finish line.

We aren't always sure you are there right beside us.

But Lord we all need you right there beside us, guiding us, protecting us and comforting us.

God, our Shepherd we need you to prepare a feast for all of us,

Especially all who are hungry.

We need you to anoint our heads with your oil.

We need goodness and mercy to follow us all our days instead of the hatred, badness, mistreatment,

Bullying, and harming one another.

We all need to live in the house of the LORD our whole life long for there we find peace, your peace that overcomes that which is mean, violent and hard in this world.

Wait a minute Lord,

 it’s us you need to bring the goodness and mercy,

 peace and reconciliation into this world.

It’s us that you need to work toward justice and nonviolence so that we can have shalom in this world.

It’s us that need to prepare the feast for all and homes for the homeless.

But God, we want to remain safe and secure.

We don’t want to go to help change the world.

We are afraid.

We don’t want to be the ones you called to go into all the world and make disciples.

Lord forgive us, encourage us, equip us, and yes, send us Lord to change our world.

And Lord go with us as the Good Shepherd of the world. Amen

Based on Psalm 23 

Cross posted at revgalblogpals

Sunday Prayer for Easter 2C

God,

We are your Easter people living in the hope of resurrection.

Yet, we live in a world that is increasingly more difficult to live in

Lord we need hope and we need to share that hope with others.

Lord we prayer for those whose world may still be covered in the darkness of grief

instead of the sunlight, lighten their load of grief.

We pray for those who are ill, in the hospitals, facing surgery, or going through treatments,

Sustain them with your loving care.

We pray for those who live with chronic illnesses, Surround them with your peace and faithfulness.

Lord may we be messengers of Easter hope to those in need by our word and deed.

May we be your Easter people bringing restoration and justice to this hurting world.

Amen

cross posted at revgalblogpals

Prayer for Lent 1C

Lord,

You are our fortress, our place of safety;
you are our God, and we trust you.”

We seek to live in your presence,

and stay in the shadow of the Almighty

Lord spread your wings over us like a mothering hen,

Protecting her babies.

We have nothing to fear living in your faithfulness.

Though circumstances become tough, illness strike us,

Death comes our way, whatever befalls us we have nothing to fear.

 We know this because you God, are our refuge.
and our sanctuary.

Though temptations come to lure us from small

Ones to big ones, though evil one looks like he is winning the day;

We can trust in you.

No matter what happens in life we can hold on to you Lord,

Because we know you are with us, caring for us, loving us, and delivering us.

Lord, we can call on you anytime and anywhere

And we can believe and trust that you will answer.

You alone are our refuge, our place of safety;
you are our God, and we trust you.

Based on Psalm 91
Cross posted at revgalblogpals

Prayer for Christmas 1C

Holy one,

We thank you for coming into our world as a baby brining your love, and your joy into the world.
It seems like just a short time ago we were celebrating his birth
and now we are taking a peek into the New Year.
We have no idea what the New Year is to bring;
and at the same time some of us are setting goals and making resolutions.
Lord, we pray for a good year for all, we pray that we all may grow in your wisdom.
We pray that all grow in your grace with you and with each other.
Lord our world could use more people who are wise and have grace with you.

But often Lord we don’t know how to grow in wisdom and in grace with you
so we pray you would clothe us in your wisdom;
         with your love which brings perfect harmony to the disorder of our lives.
         with your compassion that brings calmness and soothes the anger in us.
         with your kindness that is a balm to our pain.
         with your humility that allows the ire of pride to settle down to join
         and collaborate with others.
        with your meekness that stops the wars and bleeding.
        with your patience that keeps us from impulsively giving into our urges.
       with the ability to bear with one another instead of turning our backs on each other.
       with your forgiveness that we can forgive others as you forgive us.
       in your peace so that we could live in peace with one another.
       in gratitude that we would praise you and thank you with grateful heart.

Lord,
We pray for comfort those who have had deaths during this season
or facing painful and sad memories and anniversaries of loved ones.
We pray for healing for those who are ill, struggling with failing health, and whose loved ones are sick.
We pray for restoration for those who have been affected by tornados, hurricanes
and other forms of natural disaster.
We pray that violence would end and that your peace, love and joy may reign.
Amen


cross posted at revgalblogpals

Prayer for Advent 3C and Newton, Conn.

Lord,

Today we lit the Advent candle of joy reminding us of the joy that the Christ child brought into this world.

And yet today Lord, it is difficult to feel any joy with death of 20 children and 7 adults just days ago in Newton, Connecticut.

We are stunned, silenced, saddened and angered that this tragedy could happen.

We think of our children and want to protect them, keep them safe and draw them close to us.

And we grieve for those who hearts are broken by empty hands, empty beds, and empty spaces in their lives.

We pray for the children and teachers who survived that they may heal from their traumatic memories, fears, grief and loss.

We pray for the First Responders and Policemen that their hearts and minds be healed also.

We pray for the parents, counselors, pastors who will help the children and teachers who survived that they will be good listeners and able to help in the healing process.

We pray for our country where it seems like violence has become too commonplace.

We pray for our world where often children are the ones who suffer most when there is war, hunger, poverty.

We pray for ourselves Lord that you would heal our broken hearts and help us to be healing agents in this broken world.

We pray for the day your son does come again bringing joy for everyone.

Come Lord Jesus come……..

 

cross posted at revgalblogpals

Prayer for Advent 2C

Oh God,

You invite us to take off the attire of pain and sorrow in our lives and to put on new clothes of hope and joy.

You dress us in your beauty and your glory.

You give us all this through the arrival of your son Jesus.

You give us new garments of mercy and justice.

Oh Lord, we all need these in our lives.

And we are reminded as we put on our new clothes that

There are many in this world that just need a good pair of shoes, a coat to keep them warm and outfits for their everyday wear.  

Lord, we are reminded that it is you we clothe when we clothe the needy.

 

Lord,

You have blessed us with your favor

By saving us, cleansing and refining us through your love.

You raised up your son to be the savior for the world and to show your mercy to all.

And Lord we all need your mercy and love.

And it reminds us that there are many in this world who have not been shown love and don’t know how to give love to others.

And yet that is what you son came to do was to show your love to all.

 

Lord,

You have given us a light in our world a light brighter than any Christmas tree light that is a beacon for all.

It fills our darkness, It guides and leads us

Along the rocky paths of life, through tense and troubled times to bring us to a time of peace.

And Lord we know that in many places in our world there is no peace and what little peace there seems to be is fragile.

There are homes where peace has no meaning.

There are friends of ours and sometimes ourselves who search for that peace within that only you can give.

Lord, your sent your son to be the Prince of Peace to bring a peace that the world cannot give.

Come Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace come.

Amen

cross posted at revgalblogpals

Prayer for Advent 1C

God of our future, our present and our past,

Your son told us that he would come again and so we wait.

But God we are most impatient because we live in time of instant gratification.

We are like a child who wants what we want and we want it now.

And so God we have a hard time waiting for his promised return.

And yet we wait not knowing when, uncertain of the day and time.

 

Lord we live in perilous times when it would a good time for your son’s return.

We are waiting for the government to work together to fix things

before we fall off this fiscal cliff we as a nation are facing.

We are waiting for this recession to end so people will be working again; will once again be able to afford adequate housing, food to feed themselves and their children,  and other necessities of life.

We keep waiting for this long war in Afghanistan to be over

because we have lost so many of our young people over there.

We wait for there to be a cure for cancer, aids, m.s.,

and all the other chronic and life threatening diseases.

 

Lord we celebrate your first coming into the world having hope that you will come again.

In the meantime Lord, we pray for one another and our needs.

We give thanks for one another and for the blessings you send our way.

We try to show the world your love through our service, our action and our words.

We care for one another and those who have no one to care for them.

Lord we await your return with anticipation, of your promise fulfilled.

And in the meantime we look for your presence in our lives every day;

As you keep showing us glimpses of your kingdom.  Amen

 

cross posted at revgalblogpals

Christ the King Sunday Prayer

O Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come,

We live in a world that is constantly in change and flux.

It is hard for us to go through all of life’s many changes.

We look for someone who is constant, for something that is secure.

It is comforting that you are that one sure thing.

And so we put our trust in you to guide us and to walk beside us.

For some the changes in our neighborhoods and cities are cause for distress.

Some hate the aging process for what it does to our bodies and minds.

Some struggle with work related layoffs, job losses, higher demand on the ones left working.

Some are lost with divorces, losses, breakdown in communications in their relationships.

Some such as those in the Mideast are in shock over the civil unrest, terrorism, wars.

And we have all be effected by climate change whether its drought, flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, fires.

In all this we look to you for our rock, our place we can go to for sanctuary and peace.

And in your love and grace we find that which we look for the peace we need.

Oh Lord God, you are the one who is and who was and who is to come.

In you we put our faith in trust to hear and answer our prayers and the cry of the needy.

Amen

cross posted at revgalblogpals

Prayer for Proper 23B/Ordinary 28B/Pentecost 20

Merciful Lord,


You are so gracious to us

And we thank you for that.

Strengthen us as we live

Out our lives as your disciples.

Empower this your church to

Embody your love in our

witness and in our missions.

Build up your compassion in us

For those we know in need

and those we do not know in need.

Hear and answer the cry of the needy, Lord

And do not turn away from them.

Lead and guide those who govern the nations

With wisdom and justice.

Help us to heed your call to help the needy,

Those who are ill, in distress and grief.

In your mercy and love

Hear our prayers.


crossposted at revgalblogpals

Prayer for Proper 14B/Ordinary 19B/Pentecost 11

God,

You sent your son to be bread for the world.

To feed the hungry.

Feed their minds with your word.

Feed their hearts with your love.

Feed their souls with everlasting life.

Lord,

We too are hungry today for the bread of life that your son is.

There are so many hungry people  in the world, in our very own communities,

 that it is overwhelming to even think about it.

It is especially painful for us when we realize that it is mainly the children being affected.

But Lord what can one person do?

Teach us how to bring the bread of life to the physically hungry in this world.

Our minds are hungry for your word. There are so many words being said, written and spoken, that sometimes it seems our brains circuitry is overloaded with all the words. So Lord teach us how to quieten ourselves to be fed by your word.

Our hearts are hungry for your love, your grace, your joy, your peace.  Hearts are broken. Hearts are heavy . Hearts have had heartattacks. Hearts are lonely. Hearts are anxious.

Lord heal our hearts and teach us how to feed the bread of life to others in need.

Lord our souls long for everlasting life.

Our souls long to partake of the bread of life. Others in the world are hungry for your everlasting life.

Lord may we pass the bread of life onto those whose souls need feeling.

cross posted at revgalblogpals.

Prayer for Proper 13B/Ordinary 18B/Pentecost 10

Lord,

We are hungry for something greater than ourselves.

Rain down your bread for us.

We seek to care about those who are starving.

Rain down your bread for them.

The children in all parts of the world who live with much less to eat than you and I.

Rain down your bread for them.

Lord, there are those of us who hunger for the comfort you give.

Pour your comfort on  us.

There are being who don’t know what your comfort and care look like.

Pour your comfort on them.

There are those who need your comfort in the midst of their sorrow.

Pour your comfort down on them.

There are those who are seeking to know you in their lives.

Use us as your hands and feet to go tell the good news.

There are those who live in hopelessness and despair

Use us as your hands and feet to bring the good news of the hope your offer.

There are those living lonely isolated lives.

Use us to be your hands and feet to bring the good news.

Amen

cross posted at revgalblogpals