Prayers - July

JULY 5

            In peace, let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, hear our prayer.”

We pray for all who confess the name of Christ: fill us with the power of your Holy Spirit, encourage us to love you with our whole selves, and inspire us to serve you with a quiet and discerning heart.  Lord, hear our prayer.

            We pray for all in danger, for those who are far from home, for those protesting injustice, and for all victims of oppression. Give us the strength to see the suffering of the world and to respond with loving compassion.  Lord, hear our prayer.

            We ask traveling mercies for those who journey; for good judgement for those who are considering travel this summer. We ask your guidance in our travel considerations, and in welcoming visitors to our home town, that we may present the best of Christian love and charity. Lord, hear our prayer.

            We pray for good weather, producing abundant harvests, and for the safety and well-being of all those involved in our food delivery systems. We give thanks for those celebrating vacation and rest, and for those working long hours in this summer season; praying all may feel rejuvenated all. Lord, hear our prayer.

            We ask your comfort and mercy for all who are facing trials and difficulties, for those who are sick and their carers, for those who are dying and those who mourn. Support those who journey alongside all those in any distress. Lord, hear our prayer.

            We pray for one another: may we always be united in service and love. Help us to seek out those who need help, and be inspired to share of our gifts and skills that all may be comfortable. Lord, hear our prayer.

            We ask your help in establishing sustainable patterns of life, for ourselves and for your whole earth. Guide us to use our good fortune to lessen the suffering of others, that we may all live by the generosity of your grace.

Lord, hear our prayer. Amen.

 

JULY 12

Eternal and Almighty God, through Jesus you promised to hear us when we pray to you. And so we raise our voices, saying Lord, hear our prayer.

            We ask you to be a comfort and strength to Archbishop Ron as he prepares for his retirement; for Carl, Elliott, Katherine, and Sandra - our episcopal nominees; for Archdeacon Ian and Regional Dean Simon; and all your Church in the service of Christ, that all who follow you in faith may be united to you in truth, love, and mission.

Lord, hear our prayer.

            We ask you to be in the hearts of all who bear authority: Bless and guide Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Justin, Premier Stephen, and all in authority: grant them wisdom and confidence to lead us and every nation in the way of peace and justice, that we may honour one another, and seek the common good.

Lord, hear our prayer.

            Give grace to us, our families and friends, and to all our neighbours, that as we seek you in all people we may find opportunities to love and be loved. Help us to be ambassadors of your grace in this our hometown, as we strive to support one another in meaningful ways.

Lord, hear our prayer.

            Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit; support their caregivers; refresh the exhausted, uphold the weary. Grant all in trouble your courage and hope to endure, bringing us all the joy of your salvation.

Lord, hear our prayer.

            Open our eyes to the wonder of your creation: to the abundance of life and growth around us, the vibrancy of colour and the intricacy of ecosystems. Help us to see these as your masterpiece, and to embrace our role within the created order. May we limit our greed to allow the flourishing of all species.

Lord, hear our prayer.

            Hear us as we remember those who have died in the faith of Christ; help us to share your comfort with those who grieve and mourn; that all may seek solace in your promise of eternal rest in your heavenly kingdom.

Lord, hear our prayer.

            Help us to keep our hearts and minds turned to you, and thus to seek joy in this life. Inspire us to be kind, encourage us to be generous, empower us to be grateful. May all we do be a proclamation of your presence in our lives.

Lord, hear our prayer. Amen.

 

 

JULY 19

Holding before God and before ourselves the people we encounter in our daily lives:

We pray for those who have need, and those who have too much; in food, work, goods, and demands:

            help us to balance our needs and desires with each other and the world.

We pray for the victims of our societies, and for their oppressors; for systems that support the vulnerable in our midst and those that could improve:

            help us to realise our role in our community, our use of power, and our opportunity to serve.

We pray for the world: for places in peace and those in conflict; for areas of increasing fear and those moving towards justice:

            help us to learn from others, and from our pasts, that we may make informed and faithful decisions as we journey in love.

We pray for our church: for those who lead and those who follow; for those confident in their faith and those struggling to seek your face:

            help us to know you this day, despite our distance, as our cornerstone, our comforter, and the redeemer of us all.

We pray for our leaders: for those who listen to your guidance, and those who exercise free will for their own glory; for servants in every nation and time, and those under their care

            help us to love the leaders we support, and those whose policies we abhor; and to use our voices to promote peace and justice for all.

We pray for the sick: those we see are ailing in body, mind, or spirit, and those with unknown or invisible illness; and for the carers and workers both celebrated and unseen:

            help us to be wounded healers, humble in asking for your help in this life, and confident in the promise of eternal health for our souls.

We pray for those who have died: giving thanks for their place in our hearts, and

            help us to keep alive in our faith and steadfast in our actions, every day living to share your Good News.

We pray for the gifts of this life: giving thanks for the expressions of love and family that we share; for the opportunities to be patient and positive; aware of the blessings you lavish upon us.

            help us to reflect the love we receive as we maintain a spirit of gratitude.

For all that we have known, and all that the day will reveal, we raise our voices to God. Amen.

 

 

JULY 26

Bringing all our concerns and cares before Almighty God, we pray saying Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for your church: for the continuity of regular worship despite different location; thankful for the leadership of Archbishop Ron and asking your blessing as he retires this week; that you will continue to support our episcopal nominees and their families; that your presence will continue in the hearts of our Archdeacon Ian, our Regional Dean Simon, and all who lead. For the gift of the church;

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for all those in authority: the Queen and her family, our Canadian elected officials, and all in authority around the world. We ask that they would hear your truth in their hearts, and that your call to peace and justice may influence their governance; that the people they serve may live in faithful harmony.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for our hometown: for those who are working, and for the unemployed; for those who travel and those who stay close to home; for those who struggle and those in comfort. We hold up before you all those whose lives have been disrupted by recent law enforcement efforts in and around Bridgewater. May God calm our disquieted hearts and minds, open our eyes and ears to the opportunities to love, and be with us as we discern for ourselves our journey forward in these COVID times.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for the world: for those places with escalating disease; for those places recovering from nature's fury; for those places where human conflict is rampant; for those places stripped bare of sustaining resources; for those places in civil unrest; for those places where devastation is not recognised. Help us to see this world as your masterpiece, and to model our lives on your Garden, where there is enough for all.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are sick: those whose bodies are fighting diseases and infirmities; those whose minds are speaking cruelly against them; those whose Spirits are crippled. May your healing touch be upon them, that they may know your peace. We ask you to bless those who minister to them, in person and in the background: as their skills come from you and are returning for the good of us all, we pray:

Lord, hear our prayer.

We give thanks for the gifts of clean water, and of abundant crops which we skillfully tend for our food; for the beauty of our lands and the peace of our seas; for the communities we build and maintain and our shared life together. Mostly we give thanks for the gift of your Son, whose assurance of salvation supports us these days.

Lord, hear our prayer. Amen.