Prayers of the People/Intercession on Known by God
Lord—You’re the God who notices. You notice a desperate woman who touches Your garments in a crowd. You notice a lonely, little tax-collector in a tree. You notice a blind man on the roadside, a widow mourning her son in a small town funeral, and the fear in Your disciples eyes when caught in a storm.
And You notice us, too; we do not escape Your gracious and caring gaze. So, because You see and care even before we ask, we come to You confident You hear us when we pray. We pray for those who are sick or injured—asking You to please heal them, physically, emotionally, socially, mentally and spiritually.
Restore them by curing cancers and defeating infections, by repairing broken bones, mending hearts and minds, and by defeating pain. We pray for those who grieve today: that Your resurrection will give them hope, Your presence bring them peace, Your Word give them comfort, and Your people give them encouragement and help.
We pray also for Your world, our world. It’s so big. We overlook so much, noticing only what affects us directly, but You know and notice it all: the child in the slums of Khartoum, Sudan who went to bed hungry last night…again; the families in California sleeping in makeshift shelters wondering if they’ll have a home once the fires are over; communities in New Orleans cleaning up and rebuilding, just trying to make it through another week.
In grace—meet their needs, Lord. Empower Your people with love, courage and strength to reach out. Help us to notice, to see beyond ourselves, and to step-out in compassion, living the truth and speaking the truth…in love. This is our prayer—prayed in the name of Jesus,Your Son and our Savior. AMEN
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
Lord—You are coming in power someday—and You are already here, near at-hand. You know us entirely—you know our wants and needs, our dreams and hopes, our disappointments and griefs–and yet You are not ashamed to call us your own, to enter our world and walk the trash-strewn streets of our lives. You know the sick and injured—the anxiety, worry, and weakness that come with recuperation.
And You know the tireless efforts of caregivers, so we’re asking You to heal bodies, spirits, and attitudes of those we love, Lord. Please do it, for the sake of Your glory and their joy. You know what it’s like to grieve and mourn when a loved one dies: in your compassion, comfort those who grieve, give them hope and strength for each new day and companions in the grief journey. You know the violence of war in our world, the desperation that comes with natural disasters, the isolation that comes with fear and violence, and the anxiety that comes with financial insecurity.
You are our all-sufficient and gracious Savior—the Prince of Peace and Lord of Hope, our solid Rock and secure Fortress. We trust You in uncertain times, knowing that You are Lord of all! You know our halting steps and inconsistent affirmations—yet, You embrace us as Your own, as ones for whom You died and rose, and You value our discipleship as we try to follow in your footsteps and walk in your ways.
Thank you. And, please, Lord: continually equip us by your Spirit and Word for active service in Your kingdom, and prepare us for conflict with the sin in us and with the evil in the world. This is our prayer—offered in the name of Jesus our Lord. AMEN
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.
Gracious and faithful God–our Creator, Redeemer and Comforter:
When we don’t know the way–You show us the way; and when we can’t find a way–You make a way. Thank you!
Thank you for Your gift of a Savior–not a savior who stays distant and aloof, but one who enters the warp and woof of our existence as Emmanuel–God with us; and who then sanctifies every place and time in which we live.
Therefore, we come to You confident You care about whatever concerns us. For those who are infirmed, ill or injured, for those who are recuperating from or anticipating surgery–we ask for your healing, in a word of grace, a touch of compassion, an act from skill or training.
Make those we care for whole physically, emotionally and spiritually. For those who grieve–we ask for your comfort, in the companionship of your Holy Spirit, the encouragement of Your Word, and the warm presence of a friend.
Take them through the way of grieving to a place of peace and hope. When families gather around trees and tables this week, may You birth in them renew joy in your love and life which is ours in the cradle, the cross and the empty tomb. For marriages stressed and stretched by conflict, for relationships broken by hurt or conflict, for families torn apart by everything from pride to envy, selfishness to greed:
Come to rule as the prince of peace to restore, reconcile and renew. Break hard and proud hearts so that “I’m sorry” “You’re forgiven” and “I love you” are uttered afresh. For those uncertain about what lies beyond the New Year–give them the peace that comes from knowing You are in charge–and You are good and You are strong.
For the hungry of our world–provide food and nourishment for the body and the soul; for the homeless–give them a place and a people to call “home”; to the unemployed or underemployed–give them worthwhile work by which they can serve You, and meet the needs of a family; and to nations, including our nation–give leaders wisdom and mercy, and the courage to do what is good, right and just in Your eyes for the people.
For your church–may we be a light on the hill in a dark world, showing the way home to Your kingdom. May those we send out and support in mission be given strength to remain faithful to You and loyal to the gospel. All this … and more … we pray in the name of Jesus, our precious Lord and Savior. Amen.
God, our Creative Father, Living Lord, and Holy Spirit:
You call us by name and make us Your own–but you don’t leave us alone. You put us in relationships, families, and churches for our encouragement and support, and to advance Your Kingdom in our world. So, as one people, we pray.
We pray for the ill or injured, the recovering and recuperating. Heal them, Lord, and restore them by Your saving power. We pray for those who mourn: comfort them, especially…[enter names here]
We pray for parents and grandparents, for step-parents and single parents: Give them the necessary strength, patience, wisdom and love to shape lives entrusted to their care after Your image and in Your truth. And we pray for children to value them as mentors, guides, and protectors.
We pray for our nation: Guide us in good and right ways; lead us to reflect your kingdom’s values in all we are and do. And we pray for our world, with all its difficulties: May poverty be overcome by generosity; Hunger by compassion; Disease by caring; and War by peace. We pray for your church: to be a colony of heaven on earth, that brings You honor and not shame by what we do and say. All this, and more, we pray in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. AMEN