Here’s
a prayer of petition and intercession inspired by 1 Peter 2:2-10. It was
written by Rev. Dr. Derek Browning, and posted on the Starters for Sunday website from the Church of Scotland.
Prayer for Others
(inspired by 1 Peter
2:2-10)
God
of grace and light,
Found
within and out with the structures of humanity,
You
cannot be contained,
But
on occasion choose to dwell in hearts and homes.
Glance
lightly upon the hearts and homes dear to us,
The
people and places where we seek blessing.
Build
up our homes:
Where
the happy may find peace;
The
sad may find comfort;
The
hungry may find food;
The
weary may find rest.
Build
up the places where we work:
Where
the honest may find reward;
The
dedicated may find delight;
The
imaginative may find new horizons.
Build
up our community:
Where
the isolated may find friendship;
The
marginalised may find welcome;
The
unloved may find acceptance.
Build
up our nation, loving Lord,
And
bless those entrusted with the care of our society’s fabric.
May
they use their skills, their calling, their hard graft
To
fashion communities of grace and understanding,
Where
generosity of heart and mind and soul
May
be not only the gilding of our daily life
But
its very core.
Build
up the Church, redeeming Lord,
So
that all Your children may find their place,
Unique
and special,
Chosen
and essential to the living edifice of grace,
Where
by Your grace
Each
one might know their value in Your economy,
And
their significance in Your eyes.
Help
us all, this day, to be living stones, and not dead weights,
Dreaming
dreams, and living gloriously the joy and kindliness
Of
a faith that edifies everything that life should be.
In
the Name of our Saviour, our cornerstone, we pray. Amen
~
written by Rev Dr Derek Browning, and posted on the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website. http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/
