Prayers of the People/Intercession on Creation
Holy and Gracious God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We give you thanks for the gift of life, for the gift of Jesus our Savior, for the gift of the Holy Spirit, and for the gift of this sacrament that nourishes our souls. Like a potter at the wheel you created us, shaping us in secret in the hidden depths.
You read our inmost thoughts and desires and you keep your hand upon us always, reshaping us as seems good to you whenever we allow ourselves to become misshapen, pressed into the world’s mold. Lord, lead us through the trials, the suffering and sorrow, the challenges and struggles, the tired times and dark places. And use those experiences to make us more like Jesus.
Ever present God: Be with those who weep, with those who can’t sleep, with those who have no peace, with those who seek release. And reassure them of Your love. Comfort them. Sustain them. Free them. Good Father, we pray for your hand of blessing to be upon all who need you. We ask you to bless those we now name before you in the silence of our hearts…Lead us, good Lord, with grace, with love, with peace.
Fill us, by your Spirit, with hope, with patience, with stamina; making us the people you want us to be; helping us to follow in the way of Christ each day in all that we say and do. Creating and Renewing God: Transform us in your image, in your Son, in your Name. Transform us that we can be made whole …. And in that wholeness may we actively be the hands and heart of Jesus the Christ – who saves us, loves us; and leads us. AMEN
Almighty God,
in Jesus Christ you taught us to pray,
and to offer our petitions to you in his name.
Guide us by your Holy Spirit,
that our prayers for others may serve your will
and show your steadfast love;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for the world.
Silent prayer.
God our creator,
you made all things in your wisdom,
and in your love you save us.
We pray for the whole creation.
Overthrow evil powers, right what is wrong,
feed and satisfy those who thirst for justice,
so that all your children may freely enjoy the earth you have made,
and joyfully sing your praises;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Worshipbook: Services,The Westminster Press, 1970.
Creator of heaven and earth, you have studded the sky with stars and made it bright with lights, enriched the earth with fruits to satisfy our needs, given to humankind the clear light and the shining stars to enjoy, the earth’s produce to feed on.
We pray you, send us rain, abundant, plentiful, fertilizing; and make the earth yield fruit and to spare; for we know how you love us, we know your kindness. Hear our petitions and prayers and bless the whole earth, through Jesus Christ. May glory and power be yours, in the Holy Spirit, now and age after age. Amen.
Serapin of Thumis
God–Creator of the universe, Redeemer of humanity, Sustainer of your people, and our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.
You hold the galaxies in the palm of your hand–and yet You know each of us by name, is beyond our conceiving or understanding. You love all who You’ve made in Your image: and You love each of us individually. That’s why we praise You! That’s why we love You. That’s why we trust You.
We trust You to heal our friends and loved ones who are sick or injured, anticipating surgery or recuperating; and we ask You to give strength and grace to their care-givers. We trust You to comfort the grieving, be a companion to the lonely, encourage the disheartened, empower those whose strength is failing and free those imprisoned by addiction or depression.
We trust You to love those who feel like they’ve never been loved …and pour out Your love through us, though not only in words. Move us to action, push us to express Your love in deeds of kindness, in risky compassion and intervention, in giving our very selves to others and in meeting the needs they have for even food, shelter, clothing and protection. We trust You to bless the work of missionaries who openly live the Gospel each day, who boldly share the Gospel in word and action, and who persevere for the gospel in the face of opposition or indifference.
And we trust you to guide and direct us as a congregation–that we might please You in all we do. Make us a community, known by its love for you and one another, which causes the Gospel to be attractive to a watching world. Enable us to do the hard work of love with one another, that the world may know us as Yours, and that they may come to see You as Lord of all and their Lord. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God of the heavens and the earth, Giver of sun and showers, wind and calm:
We praise You for Your grace and power, Your beauty, grace and care. You sustain us daily, and encourage us constantly. Thank You that there’s no season of life when You’re not present with us: You’re there at our birth. You celebrate passages through baptism and commissioning, graduations, weddings, retirements and funerals.
We lean on you when we’re weak, weep with You when we’re heartbroken, and laugh with You when we’re joyful. All life is lived and experienced in Your presence. You care about each moment we live and each anxiety we feel. So, we can ask You, in Your grace, to…Heal those who are sick, injured and recuperating–heal hurt bodies, wounded souls and discouraged spirits.
Comfort the mourning, as they feel the loss of being separated from loved ones or any other loss. Find the lost–those whose relationships are so broken that they’re estranged and distant, those who’ve wandered far from Your love and separate from Your Church–and bring them home … all of the lost.
Protect the innocent: the children, the unborn, the poor, the abandoned and the abused. Surround them with Your love and open the doors of Your kingdom and of Your church to them. Guide our nation’s leaders–giving wisdom, courage and grace to our president, vice-president, congressmen and senators.
Restore the soul of our land, humble our boastful pride,cleanse our sullied character and make us righteous, conformed to Your character and will. And we pray for Your church. Thwart personal and political agendas, and advance the cause of Your gospel. Make the church to be a light on a hill, a lamp shining in the darkness and salt,flavoring and preserving a community and a nation with Your truth, love and life. This we pray, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Gracious God–Giver of all good gifts: We praise You.
You give us the wonder of creation and You give us life.
We praise You, Father.
You give us forgiveness of our sins with salvation and eternal life.
We praise You, Jesus–God the Son.
You give us Your own living presence with gifts of power for life and spiritual gifts for service.
We praise You, Spirit of the Living God.
We celebrate the gifts of our children, Your expression of hope for our future.
We celebrate the gifts of families, into which you place us; and the gift of Your family, the church. We celebrate new life and we celebrate new families begun in marriages.
We celebrate your covenant faithfulness witnessed in baptism.
Time and time again, You’re faithful to us; which is why we thank you and praise you. It’s why we trust You with what weighs heavily on our hearts. We pray for those who need your protection and healing.
For all the hospitalized, ill, injured and recuperating–strengthen their bodies, encourage their souls, restore their health physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
We pray for all who mourn–for our friends and loved ones. We pray Your peace and comfort for them. Restore their hope and bring Your people alongside them to give a helping hand and a supporting shoulder.
We pray also for our world so filled with suspicion, hatred, isolation, envy, greed, and fear. Bring peace out of war. Replace prejudice with understanding, hunger with food, thirst with water, homelessness with shelter, rejection with acceptance and compassion. Give national leaders wisdom–enable them to be just and compassionate, courageous and honest.
May your kingdom come … soon. For the church–we pray. Make your people daring, faithful, and true; and enable us to love, really love–each other, our neighbors and the world so that all may know Your gospel is true because they can see Your gospel in action. Encourage our missionary friends, serving You in distant places and different cultures. All this, and more, we pray to Your glory. AMEN
Inspired by Psalm 8
LORD our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. You set Your glory above the heavens. We see your power in galaxies that spin in space, and see your care in the sparrows feeding in the snow. You are strong and You are good–therefore, we trust You, our heavenly Father.
Hear our prayers, Lord. Hear our prayers for the world:
For justice and freedom, protection and peace;
For refugees: to have a place called “home” to live safely and without fear;
To tsunami victims working to rebuild their lives give hope and help, persistence and grace.
For leaders of nations–for our own president, legislators and judges: wisdom and courage, hearts after truth and a commitment to justice.
For our own community: may we be even more committed to Your kingdom, loyal to its truth and demonstrating its ways, than we are to the local sports team.
Hear our prayers, Lord. Hear our prayers for those in need:
For the ill or injured, those recovering from surgery or preparing for it:
We pray for healing and restoration, a lack of fear and a lot of patience; esp. for … (names)
For those who mourn: we ask You to give them comfort and genuine peace in the resurrection. For those going through a dark valley of depression: hope–Your presence to encourage, Your word to assure.
Hear our prayers, Lord. Hear our prayers for Your church:
For Your global church: keep strong our brothers and sisters facing oppression and persecution. Encourage and protect missionaries declaring Your gospel.
Spread Your Good News to every tribe and nation, language and culture so that all may know! For this local church–make us light and salt,
Father, so that we will live and proclaim the Good News in a dark, dying and tasteless world. Strengthen our leadership and enable our followership.
Show us Your calling and equip us to carry it out. Give us one heart, one loyalty, one vision–as we give ourselves to You: our One God! Hear our prayers, Lord–these prayers and more, as we join our voices together. In Jesus’ Name. AMEN
God of nations and Lord of all creation: You were there at the beginning of time and at our beginning, and You will be there at the ending and when we finally come home. There is no time You are not there, no place you are not present and nothing You cannot do.
It’s because You are strong and You are loving that we can turn over to You what drags us down. We ask that You heal our friends and loved ones who are ill or injured, recuperating or rehabilitating from surgery or sickness… whether physical, emotional or mental.
We also hold up to You those families who grieve, whether the loss is recent or lingering, encourage them, comfort them, sustain them and keep them from despair by the hope of eternal life that comes through faith in You.
For those with loved ones serving overseas in the military–guard their loved ones who serve, protect them from anxiety and despair, comfort those who have lost loved ones in war, and bring the remainder home safely.
Where there is unrest, division and war–bring peace and justice. Where there is poverty and despair–give food and water, clothing and shelter; and restore dignity and hope. Where children are abused, neglected and mistreated–watch over them, give them hope and give them kind adults who will show Your love. Set the addicted free of the bondage that will otherwise destroy them … and their families. For our nation, its leaders and legislators, judges and officials–we ask not just for Your blessing, but that You will guide them, showing them what is good and right to do, and then give them the strength and courage to lead us in your ways.
For Your church–make us a colony of heaven, a body of people who make Your love, Your joy, Your hope and Your peace visible. Enable us to be both loving and truthful, gracious and holy, in such a way that others are drawn to You. All this, and more that we have not spoken aloud, we pray … in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Episcopalian Prayers of the People, Form I
Deacon or other leader
With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the
Lord, saying “Lord, have mercy.”
For the peace from above, for the loving-kindness of God,
and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the Holy Church
of God, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our Bishop, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray
to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our President, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in
authority, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this city (town, village, ), for every city and
community, and for those who live in them, let us pray to
the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For seasonable weather, and for an abundance of the fruits of
the earth, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the good earth which God has given us, and for the
wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who travel on land, on water, or in the air [or
through outer space], let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and
for the sick and the suffering, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For , let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the
destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who
remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for
all the departed, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and
degradation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the absolution and remission of our sins and offenses, let us
pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
That we may end our lives in faith and hope, without
suffering and without reproach, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Defend us, deliver us, and in thy compassion protect us, O
Lord, by thy grace.
Lord, have mercy.
In the communion of [ and of all the] saints, let
us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to
Christ our God.
To thee, O Lord our God.
Silence.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
Episcopalian Prayers of the People, Form VI
The Leader and People pray responsively
In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who
are alone.
For this community, the nation, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the
needy.
For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.
For [N. our Presiding Bishop, and N. (N.) our Bishop(s); and
for] all bishops and other ministers;
For all who serve God in his Church.
For the special needs and concerns of this congregation.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions
Hear us, Lord;
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence
The People may add their own thanksgivings
We will exalt you, O God our King;
And praise your Name for ever and ever.
We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in
your eternal kingdom.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions
Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.
Silence may be kept.
Leader and People
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father;
in your compassion forgive us our sins,
known and unknown,
things done and left undone;
and so uphold us by your Spirit
that we may live and serve you in newness of life,
to the honor and glory of your Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Celebrant concludes with an absolution or a suitable Collect.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
Prayer for Knowledge of God’s Creation
Almighty and everlasting God, you made the universe with all its marvelous order, its atoms, worlds, and galaxies, and the infinite complexity of living creatures: Grant that, as we probe the mysteries of your creation, we may come to know you more truly, and more surely fulfill our role in your eternal purpose; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
Prayer for the Conservation of Natural Resources
Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth, you made us fellow workers in your creation: Give us wisdom and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
Prayer for the Harvest of Lands and Waters
O gracious Father, who openest thine hand and fillest all things living with plenteousness: Bless the lands and waters, and multiply the harvests of the world; let thy Spirit go forth, that it may renew the face of the earth; show thy loving-kindness, that our land may give her increase; and save us from selfish use of what thou givest, that men and women everywhere may give thee thanks; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
Prayer for Joy in God’s Creation
O heavenly Father, who hast filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works; that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, we may learn to serve thee with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)