Prayers

Pastoral Prayer: Your Kingdom Come

The Kingdom of God is at hand – You proclaimed it, Jesus;
But, it often feels like it’s a million miles away.
You demonstrated its grace and showed its power,
but the signs often appear faded or absent in our world.

We need Your Kingdom to come, O God,
in all its fullness, in all its glory;
This waiting, this “now and not yet” experience of Your reign
is hard and frustrating.

And so we pray for Your Kingdom to be revealed in our lives,
turning our sickness and sin, our brokenness and fear
into friendship and compassion, wholeness and joy.
May Your Kingdom come to us now.

We pray for Your Kingdom to be revealed in our neighbourhoods,
turning our division and suspicion, our judgement and our competition
into fellowship and care, compassion and service.
May Your Kingdom come to us now.

We pray for Your Kingdom to be revealed in our world,
turning our war and our disparities, our consumption and our self-interest
into peace and collaboration, stewardship and reverence.
May Your Kingdom come to us now.

Your Kingdom is here, and it is coming, O God.
Make us faithful heralds of its message
and tireless practitioners of its ways.
For Jesus sake.

Amen.

~ written by John van de Laar (copyright © 2008), and posted on Sacredise.com.
http://sacredise.com/

Prayer of Confession

Loving God, we remember that Jesus taught us to pray saying, "Our Father …"

You created us, you made this world, and you called your creation very good.
Yet often we forget that you are our loving Parent who continues to bless your world.

Jesus told us that you are "… in heaven …"

Yet we fail to live in awe of you.
We take you for granted,
and we don't see the awesome beauty of the world you have made.

We pray, "Hallowed be your name …"

We confess that our reverence for you does not always lead us
to care reverently for your earth, sky and sea. 

We pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven …"

We confess that we often put our own interests first—
exploiting your creation, and living for our own convenience and self-interest.

We pray, "Give us today our daily bread."

We confess that we consume more than our share of the world's resources,
while billions go hungry every day and your whole creation suffers. 

We pray, "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us."

We confess that we see these words only in spiritual terms,
while the Bible is filled with teachings about economic justice and creation care. 

We pray, "Save us from the time of trial."

Help us to resist the temptations of spending more,
using more, acquiring more, and wasting more. 

We pray, "Deliver us from evil…"

Free us from greed and self-centeredness that separate us from you and others. 

We pray, "For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever."

Help us to know that in caring for your wonderful world,
we are working for your kingdom,
being good stewards of your creative power, and giving you glory.

We pray, "Amen."

We end our prayers with "Amen," a word that means "let it be so."
We know we can be faithful disciples by your grace. Amen!

~written by Revs. Bruce and Carolyn Gillette, pastors at the Limestone Presbyterian Church.
http://www.limestonepresbyterian.org/

Prayer for Others

Into places of conflict
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of the terrorist
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of the soldier
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of the politician
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of one bereaved by war
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of one made hungry
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of one made homeless
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of one who is in despair
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of one who is ill
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of one who has been abused
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of one who is addicted
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of one who is faced with unpayable debt
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of the lonely
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of the fearful
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of the depressed
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of one we wish to pray for…
may Your Kingdom come.

Into the heart of our world.
may Your Kingdom come.

~ adapted from http://wellsprings.org.uk/ and posted on Third Space blog.
http://third-space.org.uk/blog

Prayer Litany

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Mystery beyond our knowing,
close to us as our breathing,
in humble awe we pray.

Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven
We pray for your vision of justice and mercy
to be made real in our world even now.

Give us today our daily bread.
We pray for your vision of enough;
enough sustenance, enough warmth,
enough healing for all of your children.

Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
We pray for the grace to let go of that which
is death dealing
as we embrace your vision for life,
that we might follow you safely through the
obstacle course.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are
yours.
Now and for ever.
Giving thanks for presence that defies
definition
in this life and beyond.

Amen.
Amen.

~ written by Katherine Hawker (2004), and posted on Liturgies Outside.
http://liturgyoutside.net/