Prayers of the Church, 8th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 12 – July 26, 2020
Let us lift our hearts, hands, and voices in prayer to God on behalf of all people.
A brief silence is kept.
Dear Father, thank you for giving to your Chosen People Israel the gorgeous pearl of your holy Word in Torah, Prophets, and Writings. Thank you for enfleshing your Word most perfectly in the great Pearl beyond all price, your dear son Jesus. Thank you for making us, through him, into your pearl your hidden treasure, your beloved people!
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Make the Church lovely with Jesus’ goodness. May it always treat your Word and Sacraments as precious, living treasures, not as dusty relics or as optional bric-a-brac. By the gracious power of your Spirit, draw many to faith in Jesus, so they may never be separated from your love.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
We pray for our persecuted sisters and brothers, who face “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword.” Make them more than conquerors through the Cross of Christ; and soften the hearts of those who torment them.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Keep this congregation in your care, knowing that nothing can separate us from your love for us in Christ Jesus. Use our words and deeds to share that love with those around us who need it most.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Bless your people the Jews. You chose them not because they were great but because you loved them; and from them you brought forth the pearl of great price, even Jesus Christ your dear Son. Enfold your people in your protective and loving embrace; and bring them and us into the fulness of joy you have prepared for those who love you.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Establish your justice among the nations, O Lord; and do not let the scepter of evil hold sway over us. Establish your justice among rulers of countries and captains of industry; among leaders in every field of inquiry and endeavor; and among your people everywhere. Turn our hearts from evildoing and crooked ways; and fix them firmly upon faith toward you and fervent love toward one another.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
We pray for justice, concord, and safety to flourish in this land. We pray for wrongdoers to be held accountable for their deeds, and to repent of them. We pray for wise words, not inflamed rhetoric, from our leaders. We pray for constructive decisions, not rash actions or empty gestures, from those entrusted with authority. We pray for those who risk their lives on behalf of others, that even in difficult circumstances they exhibit integrity and valor. We pray that in all circumstances, your will be done.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
We pray for the sick, injured, dying and bereaved; for the troubled, confused, lonely, or despairing; and for everyone who struggles with the tribulations of this life – especially {List}. Help us to show them, in word and deed, that though the world seems against them, you are for them; you love them; you justify them; and you shall indeed make them more than conquerors.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Most Holy Father, we remember before you our departed loved ones. Remember your faithfulness and loving-kindness to us, though we are in the thousandth generation of those whom you have named as your own. Teach us to eagerly seek and dearly treasure your Son, our Pearl of great price. Whatever trials we endure in this life, grant that blessed outcome promised to all who love you. In your great mercy, bring us into your Kingdom. There, with all the redeemed, may we rejoice in your love and delight in you forever.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Receive and graciously answer our prayer, heavenly Father, for the sake of your dear Son; and by the power of your Holy Spirit, give us the strength and will to accomplish whatever you call us to do. Amen.
