INTERCESSIONS
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
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Father God,
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you sent our Lord Jesus to be acclaimed as the glory of Israel.
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We are your people,
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called to serve and worship you.
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Look with mercy on your church,
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guide your church in right paths
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that we may know the tasks to which we are called,
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and strengthen us,
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for we know that it is only in your power
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that we are able to fulfil your purposes.
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As we pray for the church
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we remember the mission of our own church
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here at St Mark’s.
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We give thanks for those who are generous
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With prayer
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With time,
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With money
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With consideration
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With energy
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With kind words
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We give thanks all of those who have volunteered
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to work with Story Box
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and for all of the families
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who have started attending the service.
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We ask Lord Jesus
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that you would bless this new service
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and that many more people
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would be drawn into the fellowship of your people.
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.
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Enable us to carry with us
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through our daily lives
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the light of your presence.
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May we fear no perils or dangers,
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knowing and trusting
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that since you walk with us
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there is nothing of which we need to be afraid.
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Give us a willingness to speak out
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against evil in all of its forms
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and to be prepared
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to stand alongside
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those who have voices
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which are not heard
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above the clamour of self interest.
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Enable our lives to be animated
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by your love for us
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that we would find it impossible
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not to desire
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to be used in your service.
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May our care for the needs of others
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be energetic,
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generous
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and considerate.
Leader: Lord, in your mercy:
All: hear our prayer.
A Prayer for all the people of our world
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Lord Jesus Christ,
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you are the light of the world,
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you transform the darkness of human lives
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with the light of your salvation.
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So we pray that your transforming light
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would drive out darkness and fear
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and bring hope
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to the lives of those
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who do not know your presence with them.
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We pray for places in our world
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where there is anger
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and bitterness,
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where the demands of justice
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are obscured by individual,
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national
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and racial selfishness.
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for the Holy Land
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disfigured by walls of division and bitterness,
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for the people of Iraq
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as try to they make progress
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in rebuilding their fragmented country.
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We ask Lord Christ
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that your light would penetrate
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those dark places
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which cause people to hate
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and transform fear into trust.
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That the world would awake
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from the darkness of winter
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and come into the dawn of your presence.
Leader: Lord, in your mercy:
All: hear our prayer.
A Prayer for those in need
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Lord Jesus Christ,
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For our sake you became poor,
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You suffered
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and endured pain in human flesh
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Look with pity on those who suffer,
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Be merciful to those who are in need.
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We pray for the broken hearted
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That you would bind up their sorrows
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We pray for the sick,
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that you would heal their infirmities.
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We pray for the lonely,
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that in you they would discover the perfect friend.
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We pray for the bereaved
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That in the midst of unfathomable loss
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They would know the depths of your love.
We remember especially this day
- Helen Maud Elsie Wood
- Ciss Green
- Violet Merryman (died 1.2.1998)
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Jesus Christ is the light of the world,
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a light which nor darkness can quench.
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we light a candle
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to symbolise the light of Christ,
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which eternally shines and brings hope.
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May the souls of all the faithful departed
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by the mercy of God
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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.