Prayers of the People/Intercession on Routines
Risen Lord, Loving Father … and Ever-Present Spirit: Thank You for reaching into our doubts, giving us the faith we lack. Thank You for Your gracious condescension reaching from the glories of heaven into the everyday routines of our lives where things distract us in daytime and keep us awake at night.
Knowing You care: We offer prayers of thanks and rejoicing for new marriages, for births, for the beginnings of new pastoral ministries, for good news of college acceptances and job offers, for provision that came at just the right time and for a phone call or visit from a friend just when we needed it. Thank You, Lord.
Knowing You care: We pray for the injured or sick, hospitalized or homebound, who need Your healing touch. Lift them in body, soul and spirit. Restore them. Give them strength and hope in You.
Knowing You care: We pray for those touched by grief and shaken to the core by loss–the loss of a loved one or friend, loss of a job, the loss of hope or of health, the loss of a relationship in disagreement or misunderstanding. Comfort those who mourn.
Give each one Your peace. Open a path in the wilderness. If it be your will, restore now what was lost that the latter times may be even greater than the former; or restore it in heaven forever. Knowing You care: We pray for the world.
Where there’s war–bring peace, not just cease-fire but new relationships of well-being and understanding. Where there’s poverty–give hope & provide a way out. Where there’s hunger–provide food, and sustain it. Where nations flounder–raise up godly and capable leaders; and so we pray for our own leaders, may they know Your ways and courageously lead us in them.
And where there’s no witness of the gospel of Jesus–send a light, raise up a witness, and bring missionary ambassadors of Your kingdom. All this we pray in your name, Jesus. Amen.
Lord Jesus—the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, who’s constantly doing “a new thing” that makes us sit up and take notice.
We admit, we’d be more comfortable with a predictable, controllable, less imaginative deity—but we’d also be less filled with wonder, delight and praise; and You’d be less worthy of our trust, obedience and worship. But You are worthy!–-which is why we come to You as we are.
We come asking You to change us—before we ask you to change anyone else or to change our circumstances. We come to present our friends and loved ones in need of comfort in the loss of dear ones.
Be a companion in loneliness, bringing hope in despair, light in the darkness, and peace at all times. Guide them into the new “normal” of the next part of their journey, and give those who walk with them special strength and grace.
We also bring to you the sick, the injured, and those recuperating from surgery: Heal them. Give them confidence in Your presence as their Savior and Healer by replacing their anxiety and pain with trust and peace.
Make them well—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually; and encourage their caregivers. But there are other needs we can’t meet, but You can: such as a need for …Reconciliation in families between husbands and wives, children and parents; and Reconciliation in nations between ethnic groups or political factions. Keep your people faithful in witness, truthful in living and speaking, and compassionate, gracious, and loving at all times.
We pray for nations and leaders of nations–for our own and those who call other lands their home: help us look to the interests of those who have no voice, who often are the poor, the oppressed, the abused, and disenfranchised…and guide us to look to the greater interests of Your kingdom. And we pray for your church—for this church. Make us a faithful people, a courageous people, a gracious people, a creative people and a loving people…so that others may see You through us and encounter You in us. All this we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. AMEN