July 30: 9th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12)
Deuteronomy 7:6-9 (Israel chosen because of God’s love, not their deserving)
(ELW, 1 Kings 3:5-12, Solomon asks for wisdom)
Psalm 125 (God stands round his people like the hills surrounding Jerusalem)
(ELW, Psalm 119:129-136, Your words enlighten the simple; keep my steps steady
in your precepts)
Romans 8:28-39 (Nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus)
Matthew 13:44-52 (Parable of the pearl of great price)
(ELW, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, Mustard seed, yeast, pearl)
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 the pearl of your holy Word in the Hebrew Scriptures. Thank you for perfectly enfleshing your Word in the Pearl of great price, your dear son Jesus. Thank you for making us, through him, into your pearl, your hidden treasure, and 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. 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. From them you brought forth the pearl of great price, your dear Son Jesus. Keep them in your protective and loving embrace. Bring them and us into the fulness of joy you have prepared for all 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. Therefore we also pray for our dear ones, including: {List}. Help us to show them 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 beloved dead. Remember your faithfulness and loving-kindness to us, though we are in the thousandth generation of those whom you name as your own. Teach us to treasure your Son, our Pearl of great price. Whatever trials we endure in this life, grant the 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.
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.
