Prayers of the People/Intercession on Unity
O God, who through your Son has taught us that a house divided against itself must fall: Save us, we beg you, from the danger of a divided allegiance; unite our hearts to fear your name; and grant that in all our course of life our eye may be single and our purpose one; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Henry Alford, Language Adapted for Modern Worship by Stuart Strachan Jr.
The love of Christ has gathered us as one.
Let us rejoice and be glad in him.
Let us fear and love the living God
And in purity of heart let us love one another.
Where charity and love are, there is God.
When therefore we are gathered together
Let us not be divided in spirit.
Let bitter strife and discord cease between us;
Let Christ our God be present in our midst.
Where charity and love are, there is God.
With all the blessed may we see for ever
Your face in glory, Jesus Christ our God.
Joy that is infinite and undefiled
For all the ages of eternity.
Where charity and love are, there is God. Amen.
Hymn: Ubi Caritas, from The Western Rite
God of grace and God of glory on your people pour your power…Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the facing of this hour. Lord—we need You…today, tomorrow and forever. We need you to heal those we love—we can’t do it. We need you to restore the injured and cure the ill, to lift the depressed, to strengthen care-givers and give hope to all.
We need you to comfort the grieving. We need you to be a shoulder to lean on and arms that hold, to be ears that listen and eyes that cry with, and to be the one whose resurrection brings hope and solace.
Lord, may your church be that ‘Body of Christ.’ Lord—We need you to act. We need you to revive your church and heal our land—we can’t do it. We need to move, even to force, your people out of our safe enclaves and out into the world.
Make us more like you—the friend of sinners, who came to seek and save the lost; going to them with love and grace, forgiveness and the good news of the Kingdom of God. We need your help to do the same; and we need you to heal our land—divided between red and blue, rich and poor, native and immigrant, old and young, conservative and progressive.
Bring us together not just in tragedy but unite us in righteousness, holiness and justice in answer to the prophet’s prayer to:“Let justice roll on like a river and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”(Amos 5:24). Lord—We need you to act.
We need you to redeem and relieve our pain—we can’t do it. There are those here today whose relationships dangle by a thread: with a distracted spouse, with a wayward child or distant siblings: bring honest and healthy reconciliation, Lord. And lots of us are wrapped up in fear: fear from losing a job, fear of financial ruin in hard economic times; fear of test results and the fear of being found out.
Our fears are eating us alive. Lord—we need you to act. We can’t do it by ourselves. And Lord—we need to hear your voice. We need to hear and believe the Gospel that changes us; and we need to hear your Word and do your will. We need you, Lord … in these and all things. This is our desire. This is our prayer. Offered in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN
God of our hearts, Lord of nations and Creator of worlds; Father, Son and Holy Spirit: When You redeemed us and called us each by name, You made us a family—united by your love and grace. Across towns and counties, states, nations, and continents…whether worshiping in a brick sanctuary in the US, or in a cement block building in Mexico, under an acacia tree in Sudan or a tin roof in Kenya, or in a home in China, a Cathedral in France, or hidden in a basement or back room in parts of the Middle East: We are one people who are all Yours; and what causes our sisters to rejoice brings us joy, what makes our brothers weep brings tears to our eyes, too.
So, today we pray for Christians in other places, asking that .You strengthen them–and us–in times of trial; that . You provide for them–and us–in times of need and scarcity; that. You guide them–and us–in times of uncertainty and confusion; that .You give them–and us–courage in the face of opposition, integrity when challenged to do the right, and love at all times for all people. May we all shine like bright lights in a dark sky pointing people to Jesus as the Pole Star who leads us all home. For the sick–we ask for Your healing. For the grieving–we seek Your comfort and hope. For the homeless–we ask You to supply shelter, and to the hungry, food. For those facing tough decisions–we plead for a wisdom and boldness borne of Your Spirit. For those seeking You–may they find You and be found by You. And for all of us, as Your beloved children: may we give You glory, know Your joy, and reflect Your love to all we meet. Bless the preaching of Your Word today–and bless our preacher. Bless the receiving of the sacrament today–in this place and wherever You are worshiped as Lord, Savior and God. This we pray, joining our voices with those of believers of all times and all places, in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Lord of all—Lord of all the universe, Lord of all the world, Lord of all nations, peoples and tongues, Lord of all the Church—Father, Son and Holy Spirit: We come to You who alone are adequate in all things, at all times, in all places.
You know the needs of all who are sick or wounded, injured, or in recuperation – be their hope and their healer, and the gracious sustainer to all who care for them. You know the profound emptiness that comes to those experiencing loss, mourning, and grief – be to them a companion and a source of solace, hope, and peace.
You know our continued national anxiety over the pandemic and related fallout,You know our complicity in political divisiveness, and You know the shame of our disunity between brothers and sisters in Christ–between Protestants and Catholics, liberals and conservatives, evangelicals and progressives–disunity that destroys our witness to the Gospel.
To say we don’t do unity very well is an understatement. Help us, Lord. Heal our unholy bent toward outrage and discord. For we ask it in the name of the Prince of Peace, who breaks down dividing walls of hostility, and restores peace and unity. In Jesus’ name, AMEN
God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit–You know what it’s like to be many and one at the same time. In You, we too are many … yet one. You’ve made us one body—a single family unified for one purpose; with one baptism—giving us a single identity. You’ve given us one Spirit—Your Spirit; and one hope—in the same future. And, with one faith we trust You for our salvation, our one Lord, Jesus Christ.
So together, with one voice and a single heart, we hold varied anxieties and hope, concerns and commitments, and give them to You. For those we love who are ill or injured, anticipating surgery or recovering from it–we pray healing of body, peace of mind and trust in You.
For families who gather this week–we ask safety in travel, joy in shared times; and where reconciliation is needed to bring a marriage and family together, we ask You to give grace, humility, forgiveness and growth in love and trust. For those who can’t be together this week–we ask peace.
May Your grace give reason for thanks in shared memories. For our nation–so blessed by You over the years, we offer thanks: for freedom, for abundance of resources, for the ability to worship You unafraid. Yet, we’ve also grown proud of our power, our wealth and our technologies. Forgive us for turning to other gods to lead and protect us; and for when we’ve trusted ourselves too much and You too little.
For our world, so splintered by national interest and suspicion, by prejudice and hatred: we pray for understanding and empathy, justice and compassion between peoples. Strengthen Your missionaries, keep them faithful in serving You as they declare and live Your gospel as lights throughout a dark world. For Your Church, for this church–we thank You. Thank You for Your people who love us as we are, who care for us when we hurt, who lift us up when we fall, who are there when we are in need. Thank You for a church that’s faithful to proclaim and demonstrate Your truth with grace and compassion. Thank You for ministries that quietly change lives, for leaders who faithfully serve and for all who sacrificially give of themselves. So, with thanksgiving in our hearts, we pray all this, in Jesus’ Name. AMEN
Episcopalian Prayers of the People, Form IV
Deacon or other leader
Let us pray for the Church and for the world.
Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may
be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal
your glory in the world.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the
ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another
and serve the common good.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation,
that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others
and to your honor and glory.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant
that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he
loves us.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or
spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and
bring them the joy of your salvation.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We commend to your mercy all who have died, that your will
for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share
with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
Episcopalian Prayers of the People, Form V
Deacon or other leader
In peace, let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy”
(or “Kyrie eleison”).
For the holy Church of God, that it may be filled with truth
and love, and be found without fault at the day of your
coming, we pray to you, O Lord.
Here and after every petition the People respond
Kyrie eleison. or Lord, have mercy.
For N. our Presiding Bishop, for N. (N.) our own Bishop(s),
for all bishops and other ministers, and for all the holy people
of God, we pray to you, O Lord.
For all who fear God and believe in you, Lord Christ, that our
divisions may cease, and that all may be one as you and the
Father are one, we pray to you, O Lord.
For the mission of the Church, that in faithful witness it may
preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, we pray to you, O
Lord.
For those who do not yet believe, and for those who have lost
their faith, that they may receive the light of the Gospel, we
pray to you, O Lord.
For the peace of the world, that a spirit of respect and
forbearance may grow among nations and peoples, we pray
to you, O Lord.
For those in positions of public trust [especially ],
that they may serve justice, and promote the dignity and
freedom of every person, we pray to you, O Lord.
For all who live and work in this community [especially
____________], we pray to you, O Lord.]]
For a blessing upon all human labor, and for the right use
of the riches of creation, that the world may be freed from
poverty, famine, and disaster, we pray to you, O Lord.
For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for
refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger; that they may
be relieved and protected, we pray to you, O Lord.
For this congregation [for those who are present, and for
those who are absent], that we may be delivered from
hardness of heart, and show forth your glory in all that we
do, we pray to you, O Lord.
For our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all
whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, O Lord.
For ourselves; for the forgiveness of our sins, and for the
grace of the Holy Spirit to amend our lives, we pray to you, O
Lord.
For all who have commended themselves to our prayers; for
our families, friends, and neighbors; that being freed from
anxiety, they may live in joy, peace, and health, we pray to
you, O Lord.
For ___________, we pray to you, O Lord.
For all who have died in the communion of your Church, and
those whose faith is known to you alone, that, with all the
saints, they may have rest in that place where there is no pain
or grief, but life eternal, we pray to you, O Lord.
Rejoicing in the fellowship of [the ever-blessed Virgin Mary,
(blessed N.) and] all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another,
and all our life to Christ our God.
To you, O Lord our God.
Silence
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect, or the following Doxology
For yours is the majesty, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, now and
for ever. Amen.
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 the Unity of the Church
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
Prayer for Social Justice
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the people of this land], that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
Prayer for Times of Conflict
O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
For the Human Family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
For the Human Family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
Prayer for the Unity of the Church
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979)
Anointed for Peacemaking, a Prayer for Unity
How good is your unity, O Lord
How rich, how abundant, how merciful
Flowing down over our heads
as blessing and balm, wholeness and hope
Flowing down over our faces
eyes, ears, lips anointed for truth and justice
For making peace together
Flowing down over our bodies
our shoulders bearing one another’s burdens
Our strength now pulling together
bearing crosses, not weapons
Flowing down over our hands
instruments of hate no more
grabbing and oppressing no more
now open in welcome, holding all things sacred
Open in sharing, collaborating, risking together
Flowing down over our hearts
a holy ordering, ordaining our desires for the common good
Flowing down over our souls, protecting, inspiring
You alone on the throne, blessed Savior
Our Deliverer, our Reconciler, the One who makes all one
How very good is your unity, O Lord
How great and glorious your peace
Fulfill your perfect will in us and in this place
As we live the prayer you taught us …
Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer
Anointed for Peacemaking, a Prayer for Unity © 2017, updated 2023 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia,
www.revlisad.com.