Prayers of the People/Intercession on Wonder
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
God of Wonder and Majesty–You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End… our past, present and future. You’ve come in the past …You’re here with us now …and You’ll come again in power and glory. Because You are faithful and true in all times and places we pray confidently knowing You hear us. We pray with thanks for new lives, new families and new marriages–and for all the ways You bring new people and new experiences into our lives.
We ask for faith to embrace Your new gifts, and wisdom to know what to do with them for Your glory and our joy. We pray with love for those we love who are ill or injured, recovering from or awaiting surgery–heal them, encourage them, give them patience and courage.
Move other nations, including our own, to act with justice and genuine concern rather than mere self-interest. We pray with concern for young men and women serving in our country’s military–who are far from home at a time of year when hearts turn to home and family.
Protect them; encourage their loved ones; and bring them home safely. We pray with care for Your glory as it shines through the gospel lived and proclaimed by missionaries in Hong Kong, India and Egypt, in Kenya, Mexico, on college campuses, in hospitals and military units.
Keep your servants faithful to the Truth and persistent in Christian love for those whose lives they touch. While the newspaper circulars and TV ads feed our greed, move us to give of ourselves and our substance to You, to those in need and to the work of Your kingdom. Make us faithful stewards of all You’ve given us–our stuff, our relationships, and especially of Your gospel that saves. This is our prayer–which we offer to You in Jesus’ Name. AMEN