Prayers of the Church, 17^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 21 – September 27, 2020

Let us approach the throne of grace on behalf of the Church, the world, and one another.

A brief silence is kept.

Most holy Father, thank you for making us your children. Thank you for your patience with us when we speak and act in ways that grieve and displease you. Thank you for your Son Jesus, who perfectly says and does your will. Make us to be like him, so we are your heart’s delight and your blessing to the world.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform the Church throughout the world to the mind of your dear Son. Conform its proclamation and teaching to his own. Conform its works to his self-sacrificing love. Fashion the Church into the image and likeness of Christ – into his very body; so that the light of his love shines into the world, and many turn to him and live.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Grant strength, perseverance, and charity to our brethren who experience bitter persecution throughout the world. Stir up our hearts to defend and assist them. Soften the hearts of their tormentors, so that repentance and true faith in you may grow.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Put the mind of Christ into this congregation. Let his humility and self-giving love shape and direct our words, worship, service, and fellowship. Give us such willing hearts that we gladly speak and act in obedience to your will, to your glory and for the building up of your people.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Bless all parents, step-parents, and foster parents. Give them your Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and fear of the Lord, and joy in your presence. Forgive their errors; relieve their fears; and grant them the joy of seeing their children grow into healthy, loving adults.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Make the world’s leaders – not only of nations, but also of local government, and of all useful fields of human endeavor – into your wise and willing offspring. Teach them your will for guiding those for whom they are responsible. Make all of us honest, wise, and kind. Help us to care for our neighbor; to work for opportunity and harmony in our neighborhood and nation; and to live at peace with each other.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Keep in your special care those in the military, and all who risk their lives for the sake of others. Inform their minds; strengthen their bodies; purify their hearts; shape their actions; and prosper all they do that is in accord with your will. Bring them home safely and soon; and shield their loved ones with your love.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Bring the joy of your saving help to everyone in distress, sorrow, danger or need – including: {List}. Lead them through the things that afflict and endanger them, into the light of your blessed presence; and into the joy of restored health, hope, and fellowship with those who love them.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Thank you, dear Father, for the lives of your faithful servants who have been gathered into your eternal Kingdom. Especially we bless you for our departed loved ones. Wipe away the tears of those whose grief is raw and deep. Give courage and compassion, wisdom and energy, faithfulness and hope, to each of us as we walk our pilgrim’s pathway through this life. And bring us safely into your spacious house, where you have made ample room for everyone whom you have redeemed through the obedient and loving sacrifice of your Son; and where we will delight in praising your goodness forever.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform our prayers to the heart of Jesus, hear them through the interceding of your Holy Spirit, and grant them in accordance with your gracious will. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Transferred – September 20, 2020

Let us approach the throne of grace on behalf of the Church, the world, and one another.

A brief silence is kept.

Heavenly Father, thank you for calling us, though like Matthew we are numbered among the tax collectors and sinners. Thank you for lifting us up when we fall away from your commands, and for restoring us to positions of trust and the task of proclaiming the Gospel when we have repented.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Fill your Church with faithful teachers and preachers of your Word. Kindle its worship to be a living flame of praise to you. Make it wise as serpents and innocent as doves as it bears witness to Jesus. Grant it grace to lavish the treasures of your Kingdom upon all who need them.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Grant such lovingkindness and faith to missionaries that, through their labors, many gladly receive your forgiveness and life. Help us pray for, defend, and assist your persecuted servants however we can. Give them grace to speak truth in love to their enemies, so that they repent and believe in you.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Give the people of this congregation ears to hear Jesus’ gracious call to discipleship. Help us to invite fellow sinners to feast on Jesus in Word and Sacrament. Make us wise and winsome, so that like Matthew, we share the Gospel in ways that lead others to faith in Jesus.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We pray for our young people, especially those considering a vocation to ministry and service in your Church. Give them delight in learning, and love for your people. Preserve them from the consequences of folly or malice. Use their energy to please you and to serve their neighbor.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Give wisdom and humility to our earthly leaders. Make them good stewards of power and authority. Remind them that they must give an account of their stewardship to you, their Master and King. Be the shield and defender all who risk their lives on behalf of others. Fill them with courage, integrity, and competence. Use their labors to accomplish your will in places of chaos and violence. Help us all to have a heart for the poor, and the will to assist them effectively and graciously.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Bless volunteers and workers, not only in the church, but throughout the world, who seek to serve you and neighbor. Multiply their gifts and talents, so that through their labors, many people receive mercy, comfort, and a clear sign of your providential care.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

You raise the poor from the dust and care for all who cry out to you. Therefore with confidence and hope, we remember before you all who are afflicted in body, mind, or spirit, including: {List}. Bring them out of darkness into your glorious light; and restore them to fellowship with all who love them.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Gracious Father, receive into your Kingdom all the faithful departed, especially those dearest to us. Keep us steadfast in faith; diligent in service; truthful in word and honest in deed. Bind us together in cords of compassion for one another. Bring us, with all whom you have redeemed, into the fullness of your presence. Give us hearts, minds, and voices, forever to adore and glorify you, in the blessed communion you share with your Son and the Holy Spirit.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform our prayers to the heart of Jesus, hear them through the interceding of your Holy Spirit, and grant them in accordance with your gracious will. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, Pentecost 16, Proper 20 – September 20, 2020

Let us approach the throne of grace on behalf of the Church, the world, and one another.

A brief silence is kept.

Thank you, Father, for calling us early, midday, and late in life, to be your disciples and workers in your Kingdom’s vineyard! Thank you for seeking us to do your work, even when nobody else thinks we’re good enough to amount to anything. Give us grace to hear your call, and strength to do your will. Thank you for the wages of everlasting life and salvation, and for your pleasure in us.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Make the Church that place where all may see the fair beauty of Jesus; find shelter in his widespread arms; grow in faith and joy; and labor fruitfully to his glory and for the benefit of others.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We pray for our persecuted sisters and brothers around the world, especially in North Korea, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, and Nigeria. Give them courage to honor Christ in their body; to speak and live the Gospel with boldness and joy; and to know that they are participating in the suffering of Jesus.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Help the people of this congregation to stand firm together, of one spirit, striving to proclaim the Gospel by words and deeds. Make us willing to work at whatever task pleases you and draws others closer to you. Make us glad when latecomers join us in our labors, knowing that your grace has drawn them to serve you, even as it drew us.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We pray for our young people, especially those considering a vocation to ministry and service in your Church. Give them delight in learning, and love for your people. Preserve them from the consequences of folly or malice. Use their energy to please you and to serve their neighbor.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Grant wisdom to our earthly leaders. Let them seek you while you may be found; call upon you while you are near; and govern in accordance with your holy will. Graciously grant patience, kindness, and humility to everyone, so that we may lead peaceable lives.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Be the light and salvation to those who stand in harm’s way to safeguard life and freedom. Amid warfare and violence, let them put their trust in you and not be afraid. Cause them to bear the fruits of justice and righteousness; and give them the fair wages of honor, health, and peace when their work is done.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Be the safe shelter and solid rock to everyone in times of trouble, and especially to: {List}. Lift them high above the things that assail them; and be the strength of their life. Give patience and compassion to all who care for them, especially those whose work is long, hard, and thankless. Restore them to the joy of fellowship with those who love them.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We thank you, Father, for those we love who have departed this life and are now with Christ. Though we grieve, we also rejoice; for we know that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Give us strength to labor cheerfully in the vineyards of goodness, kindness, forgiveness, and righteousness. Make us as generous to others with those things as Jesus is to us. Make us rejoice to see how many he has redeemed and welcomed into your blessed Kingdom; and when we see him face to face.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform our prayers to the heart of Jesus, hear them through the interceding of your Holy Spirit, and grant them in accordance with your gracious will. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, Feast of the Holy Cross (Transferred) – September 13, 2020

Let us approach the throne of grace on behalf of the Church, the world, and one another.

A brief silence is kept.

When we survey the wondrous Cross on which the Prince of Glory died, our richest gains we count as loss, and pour contempt on all our pride. Forbid it, Lord, that we should boast, save in the death of Christ our God. All the vain things that charm us most, we sacrifice them to his blood.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Father, conform your Church to the Cross of your Son, lifted up for the sake of the world. Through its preaching, teaching, and acts of charity, draw all people to him.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform your persecuted people into the Cross of your Son, a stumbling block to your enemies, but healing and comfort to all who repent of their evil ways.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform the people of this congregation into the Cross of your Son, so that all we do and say leads people to him.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform all seminarians, theologians, missionaries and ministers to the Cross of your Son. Grant that they preach Christ alone, and him crucified and risen, for the forgiveness of sin unto life everlasting.

Conform all Christian hospitals and hospices, social and relief agencies, chaplaincies, and other ministries of charity and healing, to the Cross of your Son. May all whom they serve look to him for the fulness of healing and abundance of life.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform our earthly leaders – in government, industry, research, education, public health and safety, and the military – to the Cross of your Son. Teach them to prefer nothing above accomplishing your will for the good of the people entrusted to their care.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform everyone seeking to be Jesus’ disciples to the Cross of your Son. Help them to rightly and wisely share your Son’s costly grace, even with people who are obnoxious, obstinate, or oblivious.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit to the Cross of your Son. Especially we plead on behalf of: {List}. Heal all their infirmities; and crown them with your mercy and loving-kindness.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Most holy Father, you show goodness and mercy toward those who die trusting in you. Thank you for redeeming their lives by the Holy Cross of Jesus. Lead us with his life-giving Cross; take away our sin; and teach us to forgive one another. Grant that whether we live or die, we know that we are yours. Raise us to that perfect and glorious life which you bestow upon all whom you have redeemed.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform our prayers to the heart of Jesus, hear them through the interceding of your Holy Spirit, and grant them in accordance with your gracious will. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, 15^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 19 – September 13, 2020

Let us approach the throne of grace on behalf of the Church, the world, and one another.

A brief silence is kept.

We are your debtors in so many ways, heavenly Father! We sometimes forget how even our trifling sins can, if unrepented and unforgiven, run up a soul-crushing “tab.” Thank you for being so willing to cancel our debt. Keep us ever mindful of the costly generosity of your beloved Son. Give us his grace and strength, to willingly forgive the debts of those who have wronged us.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Teach your Church how to be a school for forgiveness and an outpost of your “Mercy Hospital.” Give it leaders who explain and practice forgiving. Make its worship an encounter with your forgiveness. Equip its members to pray for and share the forgiveness you give through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

How difficult it must be for your people to forgive when they are being tortured simply for believing in Jesus, who prayed for his enemies even from the Cross! Give them a double portion of his Spirit, so that they may bless and not curse; forgive and not revile. Let persecutors repent from their evil and ask forgiveness from those they have wronged.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Make the people of this congregation rich in mercy, abounding in kindness, tireless in good works, and joyful in praising you, the source of all mercy.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Bless our schools, colleges, seminaries, and home schools as they embark on a strange and difficult journey this fall. We don’t know how COVID will affect students, teachers, and families. We do know that children need to be in school, but we want them to be safe. Guide and protect us all, and help us to make prudent decisions, even though sometimes we will make mistakes.

We pray for all who are crushed beneath a load of debt. They can do foolish or dangerous things to seek relief. Help them to ask for help, forgiveness, and a wise solution. Help those to whom they are indebted to move beyond anger and self-interest, into the uncharted yet blessed waters of mercy. Remind them how indebted they are to you, for you forgive their debts of sin.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Be merciful to this poor broken world. Help our leaders to rule with justice tempered with mercy and compassion. Bestow on all of us a spirit of patience, forbearance, humility, and kindness. Teach us to outdo one another in showing mercy and righteousness.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We pray for everyone seeking to be Jesus’ disciples, especially as he teaches them the hard path of forgiveness and self-sacrifice. Fill them with your Spirit. Help them to rightly and wisely share your Son’s costly grace, even with people who are obnoxious, obstinate, or oblivious.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Renew the life and health of all who are afflicted in any way by the powers of sin, evil, sickness, or death. Especially we plead on behalf of: {List}. Heal all their infirmities, dear Lord; and crown them with your mercy and loving-kindness.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Most holy Father, you show goodness and mercy toward those who die trusting in you. Thank you for redeeming their lives from the grave. Make your ways known also to us; renew our strength; and take away our sin. Lead us in the pathways of your loving-kindness, and teach us to forgive rather than to pass judgment upon one another. Grant that whether we live or die, we know that we are yours. Raise us to that perfect and glorious life which you bestow upon all whom you have redeemed.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform our prayers to the heart of Jesus, hear them through the interceding of your Holy Spirit, and grant them in accordance with your gracious will. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, 14^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 18 – September 6, 2020

Let us approach the throne of grace on behalf of the Church, the world, and one another.

A brief silence is kept.

O dear Lord, why do we always get these hard readings on a holiday weekend? We want to take a break from talk of sin and reconciliation, discipline and hard conversations. Please help us to thank you for the guidance and promise your Son gives us, even in such awkward encounters. And fill us with your Spirit, so we are equipped to put into practice what Jesus has given us for such times.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Make your Church courageous in warning people of their sinfulness, and humble in confessing its own sin. Help it to graciously offer forgiveness to any who turn to you. Give it the lovely righteousness of your Son, and make it his dwelling-place, and an outpost of your Kingdom.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Hear the prayers of your faithful people who suffer persecution, torture and even death because of Christ. Do not let the waters of hatred overwhelm them; and grant them grace to persevere in faithfulness.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Bless this congregation with humility, gentleness, and wisdom. Help us to speak even hard truth with such love, that others seek the forgiveness, mercy, reconciliation and life that comes from Christ.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Lord, there are families, congregations, and communities in which people have hurt one another badly. They struggle with betrayal; anger; and hatred. They need encouragement to confess and repent when they have done wrong. They need courage to forgive when they have been wronged. They need help to relearn trust and concord. Refresh them with your Spirit; nourish them with your Word; and bestow on them such grace and mercy in Jesus Christ that they may accomplish those things that are needful, to your glory and for the sake of their fellowship.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

You have given great honor to those entrusted with worldly power and authority. Give them also the wisdom to know that they must give an account of their stewardship to you, the King and Lord of all nations. And give them the desire and the strength to accomplish your will for the good of all people entrusted to their care. Teach us how to settle differences peacefully; and to act honorably, speak respectfully, and live justly.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Sin can distort Paul’s words about how those who bear the sword carry out your wrath against wrongdoers. Guide, strengthen and bless those in the military and law enforcement, to be worthy instruments of your will. Help them to bring safety, freedom, and justice to those who suffer at the hands of evildoers. Heal their bodies, minds, and spirits when they are victims of evil. By their labors, lay the groundwork for peace to grow and flourish.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

There are so many people whose lives are shadowed by suffering! We lift their names before you, especially {List}. Grant them health, hope, guidance, and the joy of your presence in their lives. Fill all who care for them with compassion; and bestow your salvation upon them all.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your “little ones” who, though they have died to this world, live eternally in your embrace. Give us the grace to live as your little ones, too.  Help us to trust and obey you. Help us to aid, warn, and forgive each other. Give us your mercy, and for Jesus’ sake, lead us into your Kingdom. Grant us the joy of seeing your face and of worshipping you in the company of all you have redeemed.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform our prayers to the heart of Jesus, hear them through the interceding of your Holy Spirit, and grant them in accordance with your gracious will. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, 13^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 17 – August 30, 2020

Let us pray for the church, the world, and all people according to their need.

A brief silence is kept.

Heavenly Father, thank you for Peter! Last week we thanked you for his witness. Today we thank you – not that he stumbled, but that even as Jesus rebuked Peter, he still loved and forgave him. Lord, we know you will rebuke us, sometimes sharply, when we are a stumbling block and unwitting agent of Satan. Give us grace to repent and humbly take up our cross again, following Jesus alone.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Grant that your Church never be a hindrance to your Son nor a stumbling-block to those whom he came to save. Center its life and proclamation in the Cross of Jesus. Cause it to follow wherever Jesus leads, even unto death. By its witness and example, draw many hearts to repentant faith in Christ, and to the desire to overcome the world’s evil with his good.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We pray for our sisters and brothers in Christ whose cross-bearing is no figure of speech but the reality of their lives. Let them not be overcome by evil; and keep them steadfast in their faith. Give us the desire and the opportunity to speak in their defense, pray on their behalf, and provide for their needs.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Help this congregation to live out the words of Saint Paul: Let our love be genuine. Make us abhor evil but hold fast to the good. Teach us to love and honor each other. Let us serve you fervently. Make us joyous in hope, patient in tribulation, and constant in prayer. Give us grace to be generous and hospitable, and to bless even our persecutors. Help us to rejoice with the joyful and to weep with the mourners. Teach us to live in harmony, and to not be wise in our own sight. Give us grace to repay no one evil for evil; to do what is honorable; and, so far as it depends on us, to live peaceably with all. And grant that we are not overcome by evil, but that in Christ, we overcome evil with good.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Keep in your dearest care all victims of violence and injustice, especially when evil has been done to them in the name of religion. Stir up all your true servants to give them aid, comfort and shelter; for you are glorified by deeds of goodness, mercy, hospitality, and peace, not by acts of cruelty, violence or hatred. And fulfill your promise to deliver them from the hands of the wicked.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Give integrity, wisdom, and humility to those entrusted with power and the authority over communities, corporations, and nations. Help them to do what is honorable, just, and generous. Help everyone to find honorable employment, and the means to support themselves and their loved ones. And help our society to provide just and timely assistance when people cannot work.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Strengthen and help the many entrepreneurs, employees, and businesses facing massive challenges to stay open, let alone flourish. So much rides on the goods and services, the wages and products, the stake in the wellbeing of communities, that they provide! Help us to value their contribution to our common welfare, and seek ways to help them to prosper justly and creatively, for the good of all.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Deal mercifully with all whose lives are shadowed by suffering, sorrow, or any kind of adversity. Especially we pray for: {List}. Have pity on them and redeem them; turn their sorrow into gladness, and their pain into shouts of thanksgiving. Give them gentle, wise, and compassionate caregivers, and reunite them with all who love them.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Father, receive our beloved dead into your never-failing embrace. Help us to love each other with true affection; to live peaceably and honorably; and above all, to cling to Jesus and his Cross. Lead us into your promised Kingdom which you have prepared for all whom you have delivered from the power of sin and death. And there let us bless you and live together in your peace forever.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Hear our prayer, O Father, and grant all that glorifies you and builds up your people. This we ask for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, 12^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 16 – August 23, 2020

Let us pray for the church, the world, and all people according to their need.

A brief silence is kept.

Heavenly Father, thank you for Peter! Thank you that he was so very human, and yet you graced him with faith to confess Jesus as your Son and Messiah. As you used him, we ask that you would also use us, to do your work of forgiving, confessing, and proclaiming Jesus as Lord to a disbelieving world.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Establish the Church upon the solid rock of Christ, and on the faithful witness of your apostles. Make the Church truly the one body of Christ upon this earth; and do not let the gates of hell prevail against its faithful proclamation and teaching. By your Holy Spirit, make it wise, gracious and steadfast in your command to rightly forgive and retain sin; and use it to bring many to a saving faith in Jesus their Savior.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Keep safe your servants who are persecuted for naming Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. Visit them with your righteousness and draw near with your salvation. Grant that our words and deeds may never hinder or tarnish their witness. We also pray for missionaries, seminarians, and theologians entrusted with rightly proclaiming your word.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Conform the people and programs of this congregation to your good, acceptable, and perfect will. Help us to not think too highly of ourselves, but with sober judgment to use our talents according to the grace you have given each of us. Build up the body of your beloved Son among us through sound preaching, faithful teaching, generous giving, cheerful service, and loving kindness.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Bless all those who have instructed and shaped our faith – parents, grandparents, pastors, Sunday School teachers, and all those whose love for Jesus shines brightly through their lives and their example. Thank you for the saints whose confession of Jesus as Lord has been a blessing to others, and has formed the unseen foundation of our own faith. Use us to encourage, instruct and guide others in lives of discipleship and service, to your glory and for the building up of your people.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Teach the world’s rulers listen to you, the giver of justice and the author of salvation. Conform their decisions and deeds to your righteous will, so that they care for the lowly and give hope to all who cry out to you. Heal the divisions that fracture families, communities, and nations; and help us to live at peace with our neighbors.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Bless all who risk their lives to protect, defend and rescue others. Give them the gifts of valor, loyalty, wisdom, and competence; and help them to use those gifts according to your will and for the benefit of your people. Heal their wounds of body and mind; reunite them swiftly with their loved ones; and crown their labors with the blessing of your peace.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Graciously answer the prayers of everyone who calls upon you for help, including: {List}. Keep them safe in the midst of all that troubles them; increase their strength within them; and let them lift up their eyes and see the light of your salvation.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Most gracious Father, we praise and glorify you because your love endures forever. In your great mercy, draw near and make good your purpose for us. Keep us steadfast in faith, bold in witness, generous in sharing, cheerful in helping, gentle in exhorting, frequent in forgiving, and constant in thankfulness to you, our rock, and our salvation. Lead us into presence of Christ our Lord. Give to us, and to all whom he has redeemed, eternal joy and gladness; thanksgiving and the voice of song.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Hear our prayer, O Father, and grant all that glorifies you and builds up your people. This we ask for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, 11^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 15 – August 16, 2020

Let us pray for the church, the world, and all people according to their need.

A brief silence is kept.

Dear Father, we are so slow to see others as your beloved children! Thank you for all the Syrophoenician women, men, and children in our world. Soften our hearts to lead people different from ourselves into Jesus’ presence. Help us to discover that in his embrace, we truly become sisters and brothers to him, and to each other.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Fashion your Church into your holy house of prayer upon the earth. By your Holy Spirit, show it how to rightly welcome all people into its midst.  Through your Word and holy Sacraments, draw many close to your beloved Son: to hear, to pray for, and to receive his promised mercy, forgiveness, healing and salvation.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

There are many who refuse your mercy, reject your Son, and persecute your servants. Forgive them and soften their hearts. Strengthen Christians who suffer because of Jesus, to speak, act, and pray with humility, boldness, graciousness, and steadfast endurance.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Make this congregation a true house of prayer. Fashion us into people of prayer. Transform our ministries into expressions of prayer, offered to you on behalf of the world and our neighbors.  Help us to welcome them with humility and compassion, and make us willing to walk with them along your sometimes-hard road of repentance, forgiveness, obedience and service.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we pray for our elder brothers and sisters in the faith, your people Israel. Grant to the Jews lively faith in you, fervent love for others, and joyful obedience to your holy Law. Let us, together with them, see the consummation of your promised mercy, which was entrusted to Abraham, and was ratified in the death and resurrection of his offspring and yours, Jesus of Nazareth.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Forgive and heal the shameful divisions and warfare that make impossible even the most basic hospitality, justice, or safety for too many of your people. Teach our rulers to seek the health, safety and prospering of everyone entrusted into their care. Increase concord, cooperation, and kindness between those of different backgrounds or beliefs. And teach everyone upon this sad and sin-shadowed earth to look beyond those things which divide, and to cling to your holy and merciful will to heal, redeem and save all who will receive you.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Lord, as schools approach opening day in a world clouded by pandemic and upheaval, we pray for students and teachers, parents and aides. Keep them safe, and help them flourish. Bless our seminaries and Christian colleges and schools with faithfulness to Jesus and love of neighbor, of wisdom, and of virtue.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

In healing a Gentile woman’s daughter, Jesus showed that your mercy and salvation are for any who call upon your name. And so, we are bold to pray for all who are distressed by afflictions to body, mind, or spirit – especially: {List}. Be gracious to them, and bless them; and show them the light of your countenance. Draw them, and all who care for them, ever closer to your Son; and bestow upon them the joy of your saving help.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Thank you, dear Father, your fullest healing has been granted to all who died trusting in your promised mercy; and so we commend them into your care – especially those near and dear to us. Keep us united with them by our common faith in your Son. Keep us united with our fellow pilgrims by our Spirit-led love for one another. Grant us, with everyone redeemed by the merits of Jesus, the unmatched joy of life in your house – not as pet dogs under the table; nor as strangers or as guests; but as your children, at home with you forever.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Hear our prayer, O Father, and grant all that glorifies you and builds up your people. This we ask for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, 10^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 14 – August 9, 2020

Let us pray for the church, the world, and all people according to their need.

A brief silence is kept.

Holy Father, we bow in adoration before your majesty. We stand in awe of your wisdom, power, and goodness. And we thank you for your strong saving love, made real for us in your dear Son. Send us your Spirit, so we boldly obey his commands and humbly crave his mercy.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Send your Church into every corner of the world to preach the Gospel of salvation through Christ alone. By your Spirit, give it humility, faith, and courage to proclaim your holy Word with faithful clarity and winsome charity.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Give such endurance and faith to all who are persecuted for being Christians, that even their tormentors might repent, call upon your name, and be saved.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Protect this congregation from storms of contention, controversy, and confusion. Shelter us in your arms, and help us trust your guidance. Help us to say in word and deed, “I love you, O Lord my strength, O Lord my stronghold, my crag, and my haven. My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge; you are worthy of praise!”

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We pray for everyone who is overwhelmed by winds and waves of adversity, grief, and suffering. We know they sometimes feel abandoned by others – and even by you. Give us grace to encourage, strengthen, and aid them. Help us to take their hand and walk with them, even across their stormy seas, towards the nail-scarred hands of Jesus, who alone can lift them up and save them.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Shield us from natural disasters and manmade catastrophes. Storms, floods, tornadoes, droughts, and earthquakes threaten many lives; and human malice and stupidity destroy many more. Come down, O Lord, on the wings of wind; scatter our enemies and deliver us from our anguish! Speak your word of peace upon the troubled earth and every human heart; and reign undisturbed as King and Lord of all.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Clothe with righteousness and wisdom all your servants who risk their lives in defense of life and liberty. Be their stronghold, shield, and refuge. Make them models of justice, integrity, and service.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Lord, many people can say with the Psalmist, “The breakers of death rolled over me, and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.” We lift them before you – especially: {List}. Save them from every affliction that threatens to undo them. Lead them to a place of safety and shelter, healing, and hope. And bless everyone who is entrusted with caring for them in any way.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Thank you, dear Father, for your servants who now rest from their earthly labors – especially those whose death touches us most closely. Give to us, who still sail life’s stormy seas, faith to call upon you in confidence and hope. Give us love to encourage and help our neighbor in distress. And give us hope, that clinging to your Son for dear life, we come safely into your embrace. Grant that we, with all whom you have redeemed, may sing with joy and worship you forever.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Hear our prayer, O Father, and grant all that glorifies you and builds up your people. This we ask for Jesus’ sake. Amen.