Prayers for the
Eighth Week of Pentecost
In Commemoration of John Hus

Born July 6, 1369 and Martyred on July 6, 1415*

We read the watchword for the week together: The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 145:8

Gracious God, we seek only to give you praise
to lift our hearts to you so that we may learn of your never-ending love.
We are a distracted people.
Too often we follow the whims of our fantasies and the ways of our culture.
Call us back to you
so that we may know you more clearly and walk in the light of your path.

Psalm 145:8-14

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.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you.
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power,
12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

Let us confess our Sins:

God of all people, we know your love to be steadfast, gracious, and merciful. We know you to be one who is slow to anger, whose compassion is given to all of humanity, and one who is faithful in all your words and deeds. As we look at our lives and the failed attempts to be anything like you are, we confess that sometimes we want to give up. You are too wonderful for us and we don’t deserve your graciousness. We thank you that your love for each of us is based not on our ability to perfectly reflect your ways but rather on your steadfast love. Hear our confession, know our hearts, and bring us home to you.

Hear the gracious words of our Savior, “I do not condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” 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 Text here(If you are sharing this prayer in a group, this is a time to continue in intercessory prayer. If you are praying this in solitude, lift up to God those things that are on your heart or take time to contemplate the Daily Text readings for today by pondering what part of your life the texts are speaking to. You might want to journal some of the thoughts that come to you during this time. When you are ready you can proceed with the prayers that follow.)

We pray as Jesus taught his disciples to pray:

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.

This week we give thankful remembrance for a servant of Christ whose dedication to serving the Church was also steadfast.
We give thanks for the life, ministry, and sacrifice of John Hus.
We marvel at the tenacity of his faith and his willingness to remain steadfast in his convictions even to the point of death.
We are humbled by his compassion for the common people he served in the city of Prague and the Bethlehem Chapel.
He wanted those souls to be nourished by a living relationship with the Savior rather than the formality of church ritual.
To do this we are thankful that he brought the Word of God to the people in a language that they could understand, and by fully including them at the Lord’s table.
Empowering God, fill us with the zeal of John Hus to see the lives of those in our world transformed by a living relationship with you.
May we be part of the Church that brings people the good news of Jesus Christ in a manner that they can understand, and by fully welcoming all who come to the table.
May the words that we speak, the thoughts of our hearts, and the actions of our lives be pleasing to you, O Lord. May we serve this day in the name of the Creator, the Redeemer, and the one who Sustains us. AMEN.

*John Hus was a Roman Catholic priest who sought to reform the Church that he served. Most notably he wanted to read and proclaim the word of God in the Czech language that his parishioners could understand and respond to. He wanted to include all people in partaking both the bread and the cup during the celebration of Holy Communion. It was common in those days that the common people were only given the bread. He also wanted to end the practice of people needing to pay money to the Church for the forgiveness of sins. For his attempts at reformation his was condemned to death by the Church at the Council of Constance on July 6, 1415. It was his followers that later formed the Moravian Church in 1457. For more information about John Hus and the history of the Moravian Church please go to http://www.moravian.org/history/ .

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!