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Prayers led in the Partnership for Candlemas  1 February 2004

We pray to God the Father through Christ who is our light and our life.

A prayer for the church

Father God,

you sent our Lord Jesus to be acclaimed as the glory of Israel.

We are your people,

called to serve and worship you.

Look with mercy on your church,

guide your church in right paths

that we may know the tasks to which we are called,

and strengthen us,

for we know that it is only in your power

that we are able to fulfil your purposes.

 

As we pray for the church

we remember the mission of our own church

here at St Mark’s.

We give thanks for those who are generous

With prayer

With time,

With money

With consideration

With energy

With kind words

 

We give thanks all of those who have volunteered

to work with Story Box

and for all of the families

who have started attending the service.

We ask Lord Jesus

that you would bless this new service

and that many more people

would be drawn into the fellowship of your people.  

Leader:            Lord, in your mercy:

All:                   hear our prayer.

A prayer for ourselves

Simeon was filled with hope

when he recognised the presence of Jesus,

God had fulfilled his promise.

So dear Lord,

we pray that we too

would have lives open

to the awareness of your presence. 

 

Enable us to carry with us

through our daily lives

the light of your presence.

May we fear no perils or dangers,

knowing and trusting

that since you walk with us

there is nothing of which we need to be afraid.

Give us a willingness to speak out

against evil in all of its forms

and to be prepared

to stand alongside

those who have voices

which are not heard

above the clamour of self interest.

 

Enable our lives to be animated

by your love for us

that we would find it impossible

not to desire

to be used in your service.

May our care for the needs of others

be energetic,

generous

and considerate.  

Leader:            Lord, in your mercy:

All:                   hear our prayer.

A Prayer for all the people of our world

Lord Jesus Christ,

you are the light of the world,

you transform the darkness of human lives

with the light of your salvation.

So we pray that your transforming light

would drive out darkness and fear

and bring hope

to the lives of those

who do not know your presence with them.

 

We pray for places in our world

where there is anger

and bitterness,

where the demands of justice

are obscured by individual,

national

and racial selfishness.

for the Holy Land

disfigured by walls of division and bitterness,

for the people of Iraq

as try to they make progress

in rebuilding their fragmented country.

 

We ask Lord Christ

that your light would penetrate

those dark places

which cause people to hate

and transform fear into trust.

That the world would awake

from the darkness of winter

and come into the dawn of your presence.

Leader:            Lord, in your mercy:

All:                   hear our prayer.

A Prayer for those in need

Lord Jesus Christ,

For our sake you became poor,

You suffered

and endured pain in human flesh

Look with pity on those who suffer,

Be merciful to those who are in need.

We pray for the broken hearted

That you would bind up their sorrows

We pray for the sick,

that you would heal their infirmities.

We pray for the lonely,

that in you they would discover the perfect friend.

We pray for the bereaved

That in the midst of unfathomable loss

They would know the depths of your love.

We remember especially this day

1. Helen Maud Elsie Wood
2. Ciss Green
3. Violet Merryman (died 1.2.1998)

Jesus Christ is the light of the world,

a light which nor darkness can quench.

we light a candle

to symbolise the light of Christ,

which eternally shines and brings hope.

 

May the souls of all the faithful departed

by the mercy of God

rest in peace and rise in glory.

Leader:            Lord, in your mercy:

All:                   hear our prayer.

                        ending with

Leader:            Merciful Father,

All:                  Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,

                        our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

             Lord’s Prayer

            Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
            thy kingdom come; thy will be done;

            on earth as it is in heaven.
            Give us this day our daily bread.

            And forgive us our trespasses,
            as we forgive those who trespass against us.
            And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
            For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
            for ever and ever.  Amen.

 We share in saying together the collect for the morning

 Almighty and everlasting Father, we thank you that you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day.  Keep us from falling into sin or running into danger; order us in all our doings; and guide us to do always what is right in your eyes;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.