Prayer for Others: God's Provision

Here’s a prayer of thanksgiving and intercession inspired by the ways in which God cared for the Israelites while in the wilderness.

Prayer for Others

God,

like the Israelites in the wilderness,

we too have known Your love,

and experienced Your care and provision.

You invite us to extend that love to the world around us—

to care for others as deeply as we care for ourselves.

And so we bring the needs of our world before You now.

In Your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the many who do not have enough:

  enough food to eat, or shelter to keep warm;

  enough employment, or money to pay their bills;

  enough medicine or medical care.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

We also pray for those who have more than enough,

  but who still struggle to find meaning and purpose in life;

  who indulge in dangerous or self-serving activities

      to dull their pain or loneliness.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

God, Your grace reaches out to all of us.

You call us to live as citizens of heaven,

working together with one heart and mind.

Strengthen us to live in a manner worthy

of the Good News we have received,

offering our lives in service of Your kingdom,

where the last are first, and the first are last,

and there is grace enough for all.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, Amen.

~ Christine Longhurst, re:Worship

Prayer for Renewed Strength

Here’s a prayer from the Sacred Pauses website.

When Astonishment Turns to Singing: A Prayer

Holy Spirit:

With astonishment,

we see that you renew our strength

constantly.

Allow us not to forget

your presence,

Even in adversity.

And,

in our turn,

we will renew our gratefulness

and we will sing

for your love.

Amen

~ posted on the Sacred Pauses blog. http://www.sacredpauses.com/

Scriptural Call to Worship

Scriptural Call to Worship

Grace and peace to you from God our Father,

who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing

that comes from heaven: (Eph 1)

who knew you and chose you before the world began; (I Pet 1, Eph 1)

who loves you so much that he calls you his own children; (I Jn 3)

who has brought you from darkness into light

and filled you with his glorious power; (Col 1)

who has prepared an inheritance for you

that will never spoil or fade; (I Pet 1)

who encourages and strengthens you

in every good deed and word; (2 Thess 2)

who comforts you in your troubles

so that you can comfort others. (2 Cor 1)

This is our God,

the ultimate source of all things,

and the One for whom we live. (I Cor 8)

Let’s worship God together!

~ compiled by Christine Longhurst, re:Worship

Call to Worship: Isaiah 12: 3-6

Give thanks to the LORD!

Praise His name!

Tell the whole world what He has done—

His mighty acts on our behalf.

Sing to the LORD,

for He has done wonderful things for us!

Raise your hearts and voices!

shout and sing your praise!

For great is the Holy One who lives among us!

~ Christine Longhurst, re:Worship (from Isaiah 12:3-6)

Prayer Litany: God's Glory

If your worship this week includes a reading of Exodus 33:12-23 (where Moses asks God to show him His glory), here’s a prayer suggestion you might want to consider.  It comes from Carolyn Brown on her excellent Worshipping with Children website.

She writes: “To further explore the idea of God’s glory and do some worship education about a line in the Lord’s Prayer, create a litany naming attributes of the glorious God.  To each one the congregation responds, ‘Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.’”

Prayer

God, you are the Alpha and Omega. 

You were here before anything else existed

and you will be here when everything and everyone has come to an end.

Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Creating God, you spoke and the entire universe came into existence. 

You know the secrets of stars and dark holes and far flung galaxies. 

Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Lord of the Whole Creation,

you are aware of each tiny creature on each planet. 

You pay attention to insects and birds and even us.

Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

God of History, you call us to be your people.  

You appointed us to take care of this planet Earth. 

You gave us rules for living well together. 

You call us to great things.

Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Loving God you created each one of us. 

You know us by name and watch over us. 

You are with us when everything is wonderful. 

And, you walk with us through our worst days.

Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

God of Mercy, 

You know everything we do, the good and the bad. 

And, still you do not give up on us. 

When we mess up, you call us back to yourself

and you forgive us when we don’t deserve it.

Thine is the Kingdom and power and the glory forever.

You are greater than we can understand,

vaster than we can imagine,

more amazing than we can put into words. 

So with awe and deep gratitude we pray…

Our Father…

— Carolyn Brown, on her Worshipping with Children website. 

For more worship resources related to the scripture texts for October 16, 2011 (the eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost), click on Proper 24A in the list of “Labels” at the lower right side of the page.

For other prayers and prayer resources on this blog, see this Prayer index.  See also Offering in the list of “Labels” at the lower right.

 

 

Gratitude for Mothers

Here’s a recognition of our indebtedness to the mothers and mothering figures in our lives. It was written by Rev. Dr. Libby Grammer, Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church in Martinsville, VA.

A Prayer of Gratitude for a Physically-Distant Mother's Day

For all the mothers who are still with us,

and for those who have gone to be with Jesus,

we give thanks today.

For all those who mothered us,

some in addition to our own mothers,

some in place of absent mothers,

we recognize you, and give thanks for you.

For all women who have been figures of grace and love in our lives,

your example has been meaningful to us.

During this time of physical distance,

we wish we could be nearer to our mothers (and our children to us!).

We pray that this day brings phone calls and cards,

love and light, your way,

mothers and mothering women. We love you!

~ submitted by Rev. Dr. Libby Grammer, Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church in Martinsville, VA. https://fbcmartinsville.com

Prayer of Thanksgiving during a Pandemic

Here’s a thoughtful prayer of “praise and thanks for ordinary kindnesses” from Julie Perrin on her “Telling Words” website – a rich source of thoughtful liturgical writing. See the link to her website below for more prayers.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

during the Pandemic

Great God who calls us to belonging,
Who delights in curiosity, invention, ingenuity.
Praise be for minds that bend and flex despite restriction,
for bodies that signal love by staying apart.
Praise be for neighbours talking across fences,
calling from balconies, waving through windows,
for greetings that cross the space between us.
Praise be for strangers, careful on footpaths,
for children asking their questions,
for truth tellers who earn our trust and speak to our fear.
Praise be for friends who warn and chide and encourage,
for human warmth in time of distance.
Praise be.

~ written by Julie Perrin and posted on Telling Words. https://tellingwords.com.au/a-prayer-for-easter-day-in-the-time-of-covid-19/