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Intercessions for Pentecost

Jesus declares:

'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
Because he has anointed me
To bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To let the oppressed go free,
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.'

 

Come Holy Spirit

Lord Jesus we remember that in your your life, you sided with the poor, the weak, the sick and those who felt unloved and unwanted. You gave hope where there was despair and you restored even those who had given up all hope of healing. You even proclaimed forgiveness to those who nailed you to a cross.

This Pentecost we pray that the Holy Spirit which was upon you, would dwell in us also. We long to know that same power of love, which transcends human weakness and which allows us to live in peace and unity, as children of the same heavenly Father.

Lord Jesus , we remember that the first disciples were frightened, yet at Pentecost you changed things dramatically. You gave your Holy Spirit to empower them. A frightened and discouraged community of believers suddenly received the power to live up to your calling for them.

May that same power enliven us today. May the fire of your Spirit warm our hearts and inspire us with fresh vision.

This Pentecost, we long for your Holy Spirit to empower us to work for your agenda of liberation. May forgiveness be proclaimed to those who are bound in guilt and fear. We pray that those whose lives are broken and hurting would be restored.

Forgive our inertia to help the poor the poor, the captive, the dispossessed, and the imprisoned. This Pentecost, we pray for your church to be  faithful in it's action and witness. Give us the will and supply to us the gifts we need to develop communities of good news in the midst of the despair and inequity, the injustice of global capitalism and military terror.

Lord Jesus, you seek for workers to send out into the harvest, send us. We ask this not because we have any strength or merit of our own, simply because we wish to be used in your service and we trust in your promise that you will supply our weakness with your strength .

Come Holy Spirit. Come as wind, to fan the embers of our faith. Empower us to speak and to act so that we will never be content until those in need have been satisfied.

 

Come Spirit of Unity

Lord Jesus we remember that the Apostle Paul was struck blind so that his sight could become clear. We confess that so often we, like Paul, lack clarity of spiritual vision. We see things from our own cultural perspective and imagine that things are from you, simply because we have grown up believing certain things become accustomed to them. We pray for your Holy Spirit to change us and remake us, in the ways that you would have us be. 

We remember the early disciples, who were empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak in the languages of those who came from many different countries. We ask Lord Jesus that this Pentecost our desire would be for a faith which reaches out to all people. May we respectfully share our love of you without discrimination.

Show us ways in which our faith could be converted into acts of generosity which would lead others to know of your great love for humankind.

We pray that the Gospel of forgiveness would know no boundaries, that young and old would hear good news and be drawn to find peace in you.

 

We remember those who are facing the future without the presence of a loved one and give you thanks Lord for the opportunities in the life of our church to offer support and comfort to those bereaved. We pray also for those who quietly minister to people in our community at these most vulnerable and questioning times.

We find comfort in the full and certain knowledge that: -

Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, a light which no darkness can quench. We remember before God those who have died and light a candle to symbolise the light of Christ which eternally shines and brings hope.
Today we remember: -



You turn our darkness into light; in your light shall we see light.


Lord in Your mercy. - 'Hear our prayer’

A final prayer for ourselves:

As, in the words of St. Peter, we are called to be a Royal Priesthood, a Holy people. Help us to fulfil all that you desire of us in Christ’s name.


Merciful Father, “Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen”.

Gathering our prayers and praises into one as we sing the Lord’s Prayer together.


THE LORD’S PRAYER

New & Sung Form

Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come, your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread, forgive us our sins.
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom the power and the glory are yours,
Now and forever. AMEN