THE PRAYERS,
18th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 20, Cycle B (September 23, 2018)
Trusting, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in the goodness of our heavenly Father, let us pray in Jesus’ name for the Church, the world, and one another.
A brief silence
Most holy God, conform your Church to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and not to the world. Use it to model his self-giving love, forgiveness, and purity to those who deny or have forgotten such things even exist. And through its words and deeds, lead many to the foot of the Cross, there to receive life and salvation.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Help those of us who are comfortable in our Christianity to serve, defend, and provide for your persecuted and suffering Church. Let us never, by scandalous words or selfish deeds, cheapen or debase their faithful witness to their Savior – and ours.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We ask your blessing upon this congregation and all its ministries. Help us to take delight in glorifying your name through self-giving service to one another and to our communities.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
Jesus exalts servanthood as an example of his loving obedience to his Father. It’s easy for us to overlook, ignore, or belittle those who actually are servants in everyday life. Bless them and adorn their labors with the loveliness of Christ’s own labors on our behalf. Help all of us to notice, honor, and compensate all servants, laborers, hired hands, and others who do the work we’d rather not.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Rulers and leaders, celebrities and authorities are used to lording it over others. Give them instead a teachable spirit and humble heart, always ready to use their riches of intellect, authority and station in service of the people entrusted to their care. And give each of us the grace, wisdom, and kindness to be true friends, neighbors, and servants to those around us.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
First responders, those in the military, and many others are servants of their community and nation. Fill them with wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, so that they might defend life and liberty, establish safety, and bring a measure of justice and peace to people whose lives are threatened by chaos and violence.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Thank you for doctors, nurses, therapists, EMT’s, orderlies, and all whose service helps people in deep distress. Give them a double portion of your Spirit. Use their skills and our support and prayers to bring healing and comfort the abused, imprisoned, sick, wounded, lonely, confused, grieving, or dying. Especially we plead on behalf of: {List}.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed Father, we thank you for the lives of all your good and faithful servants, especially those we love and whose deaths we mourn. Keep us steadfast in faith, firm in hope, constant in love, generous in service, and abundant in joy as we continue our earthly pilgrimage. Lead us “with the Cross of Jesus going on before,” safely through the trials and temptations of this world. And bring us, through his good work, into the blessed Kingdom where we find our eternal life and joy in friendship with you and with all whom you have redeemed.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Incline your ear to our prayers, dear Lord; and answer them according to your most gracious and holy will, for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
