Here’s a pastoral prayer based on 1 Kings 3:3-14 and Ephesians 5:15-20, two of the suggested scripture readings for Proper 15 B. It was written by Richard Einerson.
Prayers of the People
(inspired by I Kings 3:3-14, Ephesians 5:15-20)
Eternal God, we thank you today for your goodness. You have given us beautiful days. You bless us richly with goodness daily. We thank you and praise you.
We live in a time of considerable confusion. We ask today for your wisdom as Solomon asked for wisdom.
We are often fearful as was Solomon. We live in a time of peril, war, and world unrest. Different and competing interests strive for our attention and loyalty. Help us, O God, to pray for wise and discerning spirits.
• Give us wisdom to know good from evil.
• Give us wisdom to assess the clamoring voices and concerns with which we are daily bombarded.
• Give us wisdom so that we might learn to be accepting of all the diverse people you have created.
• Give us wisdom to be peacemakers and mediators of understanding where there is conflict.
• Give us wisdom when we are in conflict to make it possible both for us and for those with whom we differ to save face and win and move forward hand in hand.
• Give us wisdom not to violate any of your creatures by discriminating against them.
• Give us wisdom to discern what is of ultimate value for our souls and to make wise choices.
O God, give us wisdom.
• Give us wisdom to know good from evil.
• Give us wisdom to assess the clamoring voices and concerns with which we are daily bombarded.
• Give us wisdom so that we might learn to be accepting of all the diverse people you have created.
• Give us wisdom to be peacemakers and mediators of understanding where there is conflict.
• Give us wisdom when we are in conflict to make it possible both for us and for those with whom we differ to save face and win and move forward hand in hand.
• Give us wisdom not to violate any of your creatures by discriminating against them.
• Give us wisdom to discern what is of ultimate value for our souls and to make wise choices.
O God, give us wisdom.
O God, give us discernment.
O God, give us the will to be faithful.
O God, give us the power to love. Amen.
~ written by Richard Einerson, and posted on Richard J. Einerson: Prayers of the People. http://www.richardeinerson.com/
