Here’s a prayer of intercession based on the ancient Advent hymn, O Come, O Come Emmanuel. It was written by Rev Gilbert C Nisbet
and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website.
Prayer of the People: O Come, O Come Emmanuel
“O come, o come, Emmanuel!”
Come to our world with its cruelty and hatred;
its division and distrust;
its greed and its selfishness.
Come with your gentleness, to ease the pain of enmity.
Come with Your forgiveness, to dispel dissension and restore
harmony.
Come with Your
humility, to cure the error of pride and self-centredness.
Come with Your peace to transform the world into Your Kingdom.
“O come, o come, thou Lord of might!”
Come to those who act violently and quell their anger.
Come to those who oppress the weak and establish kindness.
Come to those who revel in their powerfulness
and remind them of the power of love.
Come with Your grace to establish Your Kingdom in the hearts of all.
“O come, thou Rod of Jesse!”
Come to our nation and bless us with peace and prosperity.
Come to the lost and the least and the lonely in our land
and let them know that they are valued and loved by you.
Come to those who have lost any sense of their worth
and surround them with your love.
Come to the homeless, the forsaken,
the poor in spirit and the disturbed in mind
bringing your peace.
“O come, thou Key of David!”
Come to the Church and show it how to serve you as you wish to be
served.
Come to local congregations and enable them to reach out to the
unchurched
with the hope which they need.
Come to the national church and bind it in unity to its Lord and
Master.
Come and make Your Gospel a living reality here, in our time and place.
“O come, thou Dayspring!”
Come to the sick and the suffering with the balm of your healing.
Come to the guilty and the grieving with the offer of your forgiveness
and hope.
Come to the distressed and the dying with the promise of your peace.
Come to all who are in need,
for You are sufficient for every need.
And now hear us as we share with You in a moment of silence
the personal and private prayers of our hearts,
for ourselves and for those known to us….
(time of silent prayer)
Almighty and Eternal God,
You are the God of all times and places, of all peoples and all
ages.
We thank you for all who have gone
before us in faith
and are now at rest with You,
especially those once known and loved by us here on earth.
Keep us close to them through our part in the Church of earth and heaven
and bring us at the last, by your grace, to be with them and You
in the glory of Your nearer presence;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You,
Father, and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever.
Amen.
~ written by Rev Gilbert C Nisbet, and posted on the Church of Scotland’s
Starters for Sunday website. http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/
