July 16: 7th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10)
Isaiah 55:10-13 (God’s Word does not return to him empty)
Psalm 65:1-13 (A song of praise for God’s bounty in nature)
(ELW, Psalm 65:1-13, Happy are they whom you choose to live in your courts;
thanksgiving for the bounty of creation)
Romans 8:12-17 (The Spirit bears witness to our adoption by God, so we cry Abba, Father)
(ELW, Romans 8:1-11, The mind set on the flesh cannot please God;
but you are in the Spirit, and the life of Christ dwells in you)
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (Parable of the good seed on different soils)
Let us lift our hearts, hands, and voices in prayer to God on behalf of all people.
A brief silence is kept.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the simple images of seeds and soil. Thank you for using what we’re familiar with to convey deep truths. Thank you that we don’t need a Ph.D. or a million Twitter followers to bear rich fruit. Let us always give you glory and nourish people hungry for your healing and love.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Fill the Church with the Holy Spirit. Make it beautiful with holiness and rich with wisdom. Let your Word take root in it and accomplish your purpose. Draw all people into its courts. Hear their prayers, forgive their sins, and accomplish their salvation.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Grant patience, courage, and faith to those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake. Do not let their witness to you return to you empty. Uproot the stones and weeds from the hearts of all who hate them, so they, too, bear the fruits of repentance and are saved.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Deal mercifully with this congregation. Make everything we say and do faithful and fruitful. Uproot the deep-rooted weeds and remove the stubborn stones of sin from the fields of our lives. Break down the hard-trodden paths of worldly customs. Make your Word grow richly in us, so that many are fed by it.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Thank you for favorable weather and fruitful earth; for the fields and orchards, flocks and herds, streams and seas, which nourish us all. Bless farmers and ranchers, fishers and shepherds, gardeners and all whose knowledge and effort helps to protect, preserve, and wisely use the gifts of creation. Help us to be generous stewards of your bounty, sharing with all who are in need.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
We pray for this nation, beset by troubles and strife, yet still our beloved country. Reform its laws, purify its speech, instruct its leaders, and soften every heart to see one another as your beloved children, created in your image and redeemed at great cost by your dear Son.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Help us to walk alongside just one other person who struggles with doubt, grief, or despair. Help us speak words that are clear, faithful, truthful, and loving. Help us to enrich their faith in you. Help us, and them, to bear much fruit, to your glory and for the sake of those still hungering for your goodness.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Bring healing and hope to everyone who is afflicted by sorrow, suffering and sin, including: {List}. Lead them out of their darkness into the brightness of your saving love. Grant peace to their hearts and joy to their loved ones. Give them clear reason to praise your awesome deeds of salvation.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Thank you, dear Father, for all who have died trusting in you. Lead and guide us, who still walk a road that is stony and desolate, overgrown with the thorns of sin and briers of violence. Refresh us in this wilderness. Give us nourishment for our bodies, hope for our hearts, and your Spirit to abide with us along life’s way. Crown our years with blessing. By the merits of your dear Son, gather us safely to yourself, where with all whom you have redeemed, we may sing with joy forever.
Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.
Hear our prayers, dear Father, as they touch your heart through the Spirit who searches our hearts. For the sake of your beloved Son, answer them as may be best for us and give you glory. Amen.
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