Prayers for the
15th Week of Pentecost


We read the watchword for the week together: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2



In the midst of this day we pause to place God at the center of all that we are.
We lay aside the menial tasks as well as the important decisions for just a moment as we focus our attention on God’s grace.
Holy God, hear us now,
Listen to us as we lift up the prayers and petitions of our hearts, and may you open our ears so that we might hear your voice speaking to us.




Psalm 138

1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything.
3 On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5 They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Let us humbly confess our sins.
Gracious Savior, we bow our heads before you and confess that too often we have forgotten that we are yours. Sometimes we so closely conform ourselves to the world around us that we begin to think that you are not aware of the choices that we make with our lives.

• We confess that too often our first thought is financial security rather than sacrifice for your kingdom.
• We confess that at times we hold being right as a higher virtue than being compassionate.
• We confess that too often we accept the notion that the immediate gratification of our needs and wants is more satisfying than seeing that your will is known and done.

For these things we ask your forgiveness and we also ask for your strength. Give us clear minds and open hearts so we may choose what is good and acceptable and perfect. Remind us to be who You would have us to be regardless of what we are doing or who we are with. Enfold us in your arms so that we might feel your love for us and for the world.

(Take a few moments to read over the prayer of confession again. Spend sometime pondering the places that most need God's healing. When you are ready continue reading the prayer as it continues below.)


My friends, the Biblical message is clear: Christ died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again that we might live in newness of life; new life both here and in the world yet to come. Let us give thanks to God.
Today we praise the God who created us, the God who is redeeming us, and the God who is sustaining us. Glory be to the triune God. Amen.


Reading of the Daily Texts

Continue with a time of intercessory prayer for the needs of the world. Given the theme of this week's psalm, spend some time praying for the witness that we each can share with the world, as well as the corporate witness that we can provide at either the local or denominational level.

O Lord, hear us now as we, sisters and brothers in Christ, pray together.

Our Father in heaven, praise be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

The Apostle Paul writes:
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.
Romans 12:1-5

As one body then let us together go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

You may freely use these prayers publicly as you feel led, I only ask that you acknowledge me as the author, let me know that you are using them, and that you use them as they are. I don't want to take either the credit or the blame for any adaptation that you might make. I do hope that you find the prayers helpful to your fellowship with God. Thanks!

Prayers for the
14th Week of Pentecost


The watchword for the week: Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Psalm 67:5

May the love of the Lord our God be upon us.
Christ, inspire the work of our hands;
May the mercy of the Lord our God be upon us.
Christ, strengthen the work of our hands.
May the grace of the Lord our God be upon us.
Christ, empower the work of our hands.

Psalm 67

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us,
2 that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. 7 May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.




Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.
Almighty and most merciful Father,like lost sheep we have strayed from your holy ways, we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts as we have disregarded your holy laws,we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.But you, O Lord, have mercy upon us,as we know that you forgive those who humbly confess their faults, and that you restore those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to humankind in Christ Jesus our Lord;Grant to us, O most merciful God, for his sake,that from this day forward we live a godly and righteous life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.
(Take a few moments to simply read over the prayer of confession. Spend sometime pondering places that most need God's healing. When you are ready continue reading the prayer as it continues below.)

The Almighty and merciful Lord grant us absolution and remission of all our sins, true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of his Holy Spirit. If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.


Reading of the Daily Texts for Today

Continue with a time of intercessory prayer for the needs of the world. Given the theme of this week's psalm, spend some time praying for the witness that we each can share with the world, as well as the corporate witness that we can provide at either the local or denominational level.
O Lord, hear us now as we, brothers and sisters in Christ, pray together.

Our Father in heaven, praise be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

Lord, keep our Church under your care;

And guide us in the way of justice and truth.

Let your way be known upon earth;Your saving health among all nations.

Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;

Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.

Shout for joy all people of God, rejoice all the earth! The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Blessed be the name of the Lord in whom we live, labor, and love. Amen.

Prayers for the
13th Week of Pentecost


The Watchword for the Week:

Jesus spoke to the disciples and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." Matthew 14:27

Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us give thanks to the One who is with us in the midst of the storms of life.
We can take comfort in knowing that the Spirit of God is upon us today.
Give us, O God, the grace to bring you the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart, which you will not despise.

Psalm 85:8-13

8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12 The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.

In truth and honesty, let us draw near to the throne of grace and confess our sins to God.

Forgive us Lord when we have put our material possessions as gods in our lives.
Forgive us Lord for making idols of our accomplishments, and for placing others before you as primary in our lives.
Forgive us Lord when the words spoken from our lips have not brought honor to you or your kingdom.
Forgive us Lord when we have forgotten or refused to take our rest in you.
Forgive us Lord when we fail to respect those who have passed the faith on to us.
Forgive us Lord when we injure or damage the emotional lives of others.
Forgive us Lord when we fail to keep the promises made to even those most close to us.
Forgive us Lord when we hoard our wealth at the expense of others.
Forgive us Lord when we lie to conceal our own mistakes.
Forgive us Lord when we spend time and energy wanting things that we don’t need.
Forgive us Lord when we fail to do your will.

(Take a moment to quietly reflect on the Prayer of Confession. Which of these petitions stirs your soul? What are the things that most trouble you? What sins in particular need to be confessed? And which sins in particular need God's grace? When you are done, please continue by reading the assurance of pardon which now follows.)

The Lord your Redeemer says: Now your guilt is gone and your sins are forgiven. Let us give praise to God.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Please read the Daily Texts for Today

Prayers of the Community of Faith: If you are reading this in solitude now is a wonderful time to lift up those things which are most on your heart today. Take time also to be silent and rest in God's gracious arms. If you are reading this in a community share with each other your requests for prayer, and then pray for and with each other. Don't be afraid of silence, don't feel that somebody needs to be praying out loud at all times. Simply take this time to enjoy God's fellowship in your midst.

O Lord, hear us now as we join with sisters and brothers in Christ around the world and pray together:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

Lord, as we experience the ups and downs of life,
Help us to put our trust in you.
As we come to doubt our abilities,
Help us to know that you make us complete.
As we fear for the health and welfare of those that we love,
Help us to know that you are with both them and us.
As we come to doubt that we are making a difference in your Church,
Help us to know that this is your Church and we simply have to be faithful to your call to us.
As we come face to face with our own sinfulness and mortality,
Help us to know that your grace gives us new life both here, and in the world yet to come.

Shout for joy all people of God, rejoice all the earth! The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Blessed be the name of the Lord in whom we live, labor, and love. Amen.

Prayers for the
12th Week of Pentecost


We read the watchword for the week together: The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. Psalm 145:9

How wonderful are your ways, loving God.
We look at the wonderful world which you have created, and we are filled with awe.
While we marvel at the complexity of this creation we are even more amazed at the love that you have for all of it, including humanity.
Compassion and steadfast love is what sets you apart from all else in this world. How wonderful you are.



Psalm 145:8-9,14-21

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

In truth and honesty, let us drawn near to the throne of grace and confess our sins to God.

God of unending love we come to you with a humble heart and a contrite spirit asking for your grace to be showered upon us. As we consider the pattern of your spirit we feel inadequate to even approach you, but hear us as we ask your forgiveness. We confess that we have not always reflected your compassion to those around us. While we find it easy to be compassionate towards those whom we love, we find that it is harder to do that with those we consider to be our enemies. We find it easy to keep a score of those who have wronged us, while we ignore the pain that we have inflicted on others. Help us to look first at how we can best transform ourselves into a more faithful reflection of your love instead of how we can change those with whom we have conflicted feelings. We hunger for your grace and love, feed us this day. Amen.

The Lord your Redeemer says: Now your guilt is gone and your sins are forgiven. Let us give praise to God.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.


Read today's Daily Texts (If you are reading them in solitude, read them slowly at least three different times. As you do, pause at words or phrases that happen to catch you. In between each reading spend a moment or two in quiet reflection podering why those words have caught your attention today, and what God might be inviting you to do as a result).

Prayers of the Community of Faith (If you are praying these prayers in community today, take this time to share your needs for prayer with each other, and then spend sometime in prayer. If you are praying this in solitude, simply continue in the spirit of prayer and lift up to God those things that are upon your heart today. Take time also to simply rest in God's presence. Make this a time in which you should not feel the need to think about things to pray for, but simply a time to be with God.)

O Lord, hear us now as we pray:

Creator of all humanity, we call you Holy, and seek to worship you all the days of our lives. We pray that the ways of your heavenly kingdom may be made real in the world that surrounds us. May the bread that we need for today be made available for us and all who are hungry; and may you forgive us, just as we are able to forgive those who have sinned against us. In the time of moral testing, may we listen first for your voice calling to us, instead of the call of the world; take from us the self-centeredness of our society. This world, and all that is in it, always has been and always will be yours, help us to lose ourselves to you and your kingdom. Help us to find who we truly are as we walk in your light. Amen.


Lord, you now have set your servant free
to go in peace as you have promised;
for these eyes of mine have seen the Savior,
Whom you have prepared for all the world to see.
A Light to en-lighten the nations,
And the glory of your people Israel.
Send forth your Spirit, Lord,
Renew the face of the earth.
Creator Spirit, come and enable us to have compassion on others.
Feed our hungry hearts.
Lord, hear our prayer,
And let our cry come to You.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God! Amen.