Church Prayers and Intercessions

Prayers for Ordinary 9

Creator God, you call us to love and serve you with body, mind, and spirit through loving your creation and our sisters and brothers. Open our hearts in compassion and receive these petitions on behalf of the needs of the church and the world.

O God, living Lord, you are the author of faith. Engrave on our hearts the gospel revealed in Jesus Christ and brought near to us by your Holy Spirit, that we may attest to this faith in lives that are pleasing to you that others might be drawn close to your loving presence. Lord God you moved in the lives of Elijah and Elisha and we ask that you would move also in our lives. May we listen for your voice, and speak your prophetic word in our world. Empowered by your Spirit, grant us the courage we need to trust, listen, speak, and accept your commission to be your faithful servant people. Amen.

Lord in your mercy - Hear our Prayer

We read this morning of the faith of a Roman soldier and the actions of jesus to healp him by healing his servant. Lord Jesus help us to serve and minister to all people, just as your mission of love and mercy extended to all. May we not only seek out those we love, or those who also love us, or those who are like us, or those who show us their appreciation. Help us to go to those we dislike and fear, those who attack or fear us, those who are different, those who seem to just take and give nothing back. And may our service join with that of others so that we might help change our world into a better place where your children live in peace.

Lord in your mercy - Hear our Prayer

We are mindful of conflicts between people of different faith, persecution and the contnual murder of our fellow Christians in places across the world such as Egypt, Nigeria and Pakistan. May your wisdom teach our minds, open our hearts and challenge our apathy to find solutions to the conflicts and self-created threats in our world. May your love release our energies, ignite our abilities and inspire our action to heal those who carry the scars of abuse, war and disease, to comfort those who grieve the loss of loved ones or opportunities, to restore the ones who have failed or fallen, to nurture the life that breaks out in every person and every part of our planet.

We offer our prayers ahead of the EU Referendum

God of truth, give us grace to debate the issues in this referendum with honesty and openness. Give generosity to those who seek to form opinion and discernment to those who vote, that our nation may prosper and that with all the peoples of Europe we may work for peace and the common good; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers as dear to us as our own needs. Loving our neighbors as ourselves, we offer petitions on behalf of those in need. Your Son Jesus has untied our burdens and healed our spirits. We lift up the prayers of our hearts for those still burdened, those seeking healing, those in need within the church and the world.

We remember those who live in loss of a loved one and those for whom bereavement is a recent event. We remember especially the family of George Woods and light a candle to symbolise the light of Christ which eternally shones and brings peace. May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace and rise in glory.

God of mercy and healing, you who hear the cries of those in need, receive these petitions of your people that all who are troubled may know peace, comfort, and courage.

Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ

We will now sing together the Lord’s Prayer