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.