Month: August 2020

God, You are a God of compassion and love.

Daily, we experience your care and provision.

You answer our prayers and meet our needs— often in ways we could never have dreamed possible.

We praise You for Your faithful love toward us.

Because we have known Your love, we come to You with confidence, offering our prayers for the world that You love.

We see so much pain and suffering.

so much violence and poverty, despair and unrest.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the needs around us.

But we continue to bring our prayers to You in faith, because we know that nothing is impossible for You.

You are the God who rained down bread from heaven, and made water flow from a rock in the desert; the God who resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead, and who brings new life and hope to all who believe.

We pray for those suffering the effects of recent natural disasters including raging fires and Hurricane Laura.

We pray for people everywhere without food, without water, without shelter, without hope.

We pray for the regions of our world caught up in violence and threats of violence:

We pray for those crying out for justice, and those suffering amidst rioting.

We pray for those who live with serious illness, those with chronic pain, those without access to proper medical care, those for whom treatment is no longer an option, and all who are suffering due to covid.

We pray that God’s Spirit of peace and restoration be poured out.

Merciful God, You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to show us a different way to live— the way of deep humility and obedience.

You’ve called us to love one another, and to work together with one heart and mind, balancing our needs with the needs of those around us.

Give us courage to follow faithfully, and with integrity— with actions that bear witness to the words we speak, and worship that overflows into our daily tasks and relationships—so that our lives will bring glory and honour to You. Amen.

Gracious God, in love You created us, and in love You sustain us, day after day.

So it is with confidence that we bring our prayers to You, knowing that You hear us, and will respond.

We offer our prayers for the world you love.

We pray for those who find themselves in bondage: those oppressed by governments or economic systems, those enslaved by personal addictions.

We pray for those who struggle to raise their children in the midst of violence or poverty; those who can only stand by and watch as their sons or daughters die of starvation or malnutrition, of preventable disease, or from gang violence.

We pray for those who refuse to participate in violence or injustice, who courageously stand up for what they know is right, regardless of the personal consequences.

We also pray for those who oppress others, who are unable to break free from cycles of violence and anger, who are no longer able to empathize with their victims.

We pray for all who suffer this day, whether physically, emotionally, spiritually or relationally.

May Your presence surround and sustain each one, so that they may know your love and live.

We also pray for our Households of Faith.

We pray for all who are affected by covid, the sick, the grieving, front-line workers, and scientists racing to produce a vaccine.

Finally, God, we pray for ourselves—members of Your Body here on earth.

Break down the barriers that divide us from one another.

Unite us as one. Grant us compassion and humility in our relationships.

We pray earnestly, “God what do you want us to do?”

Forgive us when we focus on human stuff, and not on the desires of your heart.

Release the gifts You have given to each one, so that in us and through us Your kingdom might come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.