Watchword for the week:
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at
the last he will stand upon the earth. Job 19:25
The Lord is in the holy temple; let all the earth keep silence.
Gracious Lord, we are your holy temples when we acknowledge your presence within us.
As we marvel at the beauty of the changing seasons, we give praise to your creative power.
May we open our hearts to that same creative power within us.
Psalm for the Week: Psalm 17:1-9
Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry;
give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.
From you let my vindication come;
let your eyes see the right.
If you try my heart, if you visit me by night,
if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress.
As for what others do, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me, hear my words.
Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries at your right hand.
Guard me as the apple of the eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
Who among us has clean hands and a pure heart? Who among us has not given in to vanity, or yielded to selfish desires?
If we say that we have no sin, we have deceived ourselves, and the truth in not in us.
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, and will forgive us. Indeed we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one, and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Loving God, we thankfully acknowledge that you have stamped your very image within each of us and therefore we are holy, just as you are holy. We confess, however, there are times when we forget who you are, and therefore we lose sight of who we are both as individuals and as communities of faith. We ask that you forgive us for the times when we forget that our bodies are your holy temples and do not care for them, or use them in ways which are unholy. We also confess that we do not always acknowledge your holy image pressed within the essence of those who are around us, both near and far. We are far more willing to divide ourselves by class, culture, race, ideology, and geography than to unite with one another under your banner of grace.
Hear us and renew us, gracious Lord and God.
The Lord says to each of us: “I will be merciful to your sins, and I will not remember them. Peace be unto you.” Let us therefore give praise to the triune 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.
Take time now to read and ponder the Daily Texts. Then pray for your needs, the needs of your community, and the needs of the world. Pray especially this week for the needs in Haiti. The recovery from the earth quake continues at a very slow rate, and this has been componded by the heavy rains of Hurrican Tomas.
After your prayer continue as follows:
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, hear us.
Creator of the heavens and earth, praise be to your holy name. We pray that the gracious ways of heaven may be made real in the world that we inhabit. We hunger for much more than food today, and we pray that you will satisfy us, and all who have need. We are awed by your forgiving nature, and pray that you would inspire us to forgive each other in like manner. While we know that you have created us to be holy, we ask that you keep us from the temptation of living a life which would tarnish your image within us. You have created a world that is holy, and your glory and power are displayed in many wonderful ways; may we give thanks for your blessings all the days our lives, even as we live into eternity. Amen.
And so my brothers and sisters build yourselves up on your most holy faith.
May we be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit to pray every day and so be drawn closer to our living Redeemer.
May we live a life that gives space for silence to ponder the mercy of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
and give praise for God’s miracle of the sacred within us and others.
Think about the following things: things that are true and honorable, just, and pure;
meditate on things that are lovely and of good report; ponder things that are of virtue and worthy of praise. These are things that are holy, and for them we give thanks.
And now unto the God who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you as holy before the throne of grace with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Prayers for the 23rd Week in Pentecost
The Watchword for the week together:
Jesus says, "For the Son of Man came to seek
and to save the lost." Luke 19:10
The Lord is in the holy temple; let all the earth keep silence.
Gracious Lord, we are your temples; we acknowledge your presence within us.
As we marvel at the beauty of the changing seasons, we give praise to your creative power.
May we open our hearts to that same creative power within us.
Psalm for the Week: Psalm 32:1-7
Happy are those whose transgression
is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Happy are those to whom God imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand
was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up
as by the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to God,"
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let all who are faithful
offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters
shall not reach them.
You are a hiding-place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, and will forgive us. Indeed we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one, and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Loving God, forgive us for wandering. We have followed paths of self-centered desires that have taken us far from you. Rather than seeking to bring our communities together we have divided ourselves according to race, creed, and class. We have lost our way, and confess our need for your guidance. Bring us back to you.
The Lord says to each of us: “I will be merciful to your sins, and I will not remember them. Peace be unto you. Let us therefore give praise to the triune 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.
Take time now to read today's Daily Texts. Don't rush, instead take time to ponder and reflect on words and phrases that catch your spirit today. This may be where the Spirit of God is seeking to speak to you. Next, take time to pray for your needs, the needs of your congregation, and the needs of the wider world. When you are ready, continue with the prayer as follows:
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, hear us.
Creator of the heavens and earth, praise be to your holy name. We pray that the gracious ways of heaven may be made real in the world that we inhabit. We hunger for much more than food today, and we pray that you will satisfy us, and all who have need. We are awed by your forgiving nature, and pray that you would inspire us to forgive each other in like manner. While we know that you have created us to be holy, we ask that you keep us from the temptation of living a life which would tarnish your image within us. You have created a world that his holy, and your glory and power are displayed in many wonderful ways; may we give thanks for all of your blessings everyday of our lives, even as we live into eternity. Amen.
And so my brothers and sisters build yourselves up on your most holy faith.
May we be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit to pray every day and so draw us closer to holiness.
May we live a life that gives space for silence to ponder the mercy of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
and gives praise for God’s miracle of the sacred within us and others.
Think about the following things: things that are true and honorable, just, and pure; meditate on things that are lovely and of good report; ponder things that are of virtue and worthy of praise.
These are things that are holy, and for them we give thanks.
And now unto the God who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you as holy before the throne of grace with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Jesus says, "For the Son of Man came to seek
and to save the lost." Luke 19:10
The Lord is in the holy temple; let all the earth keep silence.
Gracious Lord, we are your temples; we acknowledge your presence within us.
As we marvel at the beauty of the changing seasons, we give praise to your creative power.
May we open our hearts to that same creative power within us.
Psalm for the Week: Psalm 32:1-7
Happy are those whose transgression
is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Happy are those to whom God imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand
was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up
as by the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to God,"
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let all who are faithful
offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters
shall not reach them.
You are a hiding-place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, and will forgive us. Indeed we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one, and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Loving God, forgive us for wandering. We have followed paths of self-centered desires that have taken us far from you. Rather than seeking to bring our communities together we have divided ourselves according to race, creed, and class. We have lost our way, and confess our need for your guidance. Bring us back to you.
The Lord says to each of us: “I will be merciful to your sins, and I will not remember them. Peace be unto you. Let us therefore give praise to the triune 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.
Take time now to read today's Daily Texts. Don't rush, instead take time to ponder and reflect on words and phrases that catch your spirit today. This may be where the Spirit of God is seeking to speak to you. Next, take time to pray for your needs, the needs of your congregation, and the needs of the wider world. When you are ready, continue with the prayer as follows:
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, hear us.
Creator of the heavens and earth, praise be to your holy name. We pray that the gracious ways of heaven may be made real in the world that we inhabit. We hunger for much more than food today, and we pray that you will satisfy us, and all who have need. We are awed by your forgiving nature, and pray that you would inspire us to forgive each other in like manner. While we know that you have created us to be holy, we ask that you keep us from the temptation of living a life which would tarnish your image within us. You have created a world that his holy, and your glory and power are displayed in many wonderful ways; may we give thanks for all of your blessings everyday of our lives, even as we live into eternity. Amen.
And so my brothers and sisters build yourselves up on your most holy faith.
May we be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit to pray every day and so draw us closer to holiness.
May we live a life that gives space for silence to ponder the mercy of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
and gives praise for God’s miracle of the sacred within us and others.
Think about the following things: things that are true and honorable, just, and pure; meditate on things that are lovely and of good report; ponder things that are of virtue and worthy of praise.
These are things that are holy, and for them we give thanks.
And now unto the God who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you as holy before the throne of grace with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Prayers for the 21st Week in Pentecost
Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.
2 Timothy 4:2
Gracious God,
In the midst of a busy day
We pause to build our lives around you.
In the midst of a busy life
We pause to build our lives around you.
In the midst of the pain that we carry in our hearts,
We pause to build our lives around you.
In the midst of our joyful celebration of the gift of life,
We pause to build our lives around you.
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.
Psalm for the Week: Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
My help comes from God,
who made heaven and earth.
God will not let your foot be moved;
God who keeps you will not slumber.
God who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
God is your keeper;
God is your shade at your side.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
God will keep you from all evil;
God will keep your life.
God will keep your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
Let us confess our sins to our loving God:
(Adapted from the Liturgy of Christian Unity in the Moravian Book of Worship, page 125. Used by permission)
Gracious Lord and God we know that we will remain less that the whole persons you have called us to be in Christ Jesus until we acknowledge our sins to you, so we bow before you and pray: We confess that we have tried to run away and hide from you. We constantly deceive ourselves into thinking that we can live without you. We have made idols of our own achievements. We have treated other persons as though they did not bear your image. We have failed to enfold and include all persons within the outstretched and open arms of Jesus Christ, our Savior. And we have left undone those deeds of loving kindness and godly justice that you want us to pursue in your name. Bring your Spirit upon us in a gracious, healing way. Make us agents of reconciliation as we live within your holy presence. Amen.
Hear the comforting words of our Lord: Your sins are forgiven. Go and sin no more.
Thanks be to God.
Take time now to read the Daily Texts for today. Don't rush over words, but pause where words or phrases catch your attention. Relect and pray on those words. Then pray for your needs, the needs of your community of faith, and the needs of the world.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, hear us.
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. 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.
God of all creation we thank you for the great things you have done for us.
Help us to make you the cornerstone upon which we build our lives.
We thank you for the way that you have gifted each of us in unique and wonderful ways,
So that we may live gracefully as a reflection of what you have given us.
Savior of the world guide us to build our lives on you,
Fan the flames of our faith so that we may passionately share your love with those with whom we live, and work, and play.
May the love of God, the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
Be with us throughout the living of this day we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
2 Timothy 4:2
Gracious God,
In the midst of a busy day
We pause to build our lives around you.
In the midst of a busy life
We pause to build our lives around you.
In the midst of the pain that we carry in our hearts,
We pause to build our lives around you.
In the midst of our joyful celebration of the gift of life,
We pause to build our lives around you.
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.
Psalm for the Week: Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
from where will my help come?
My help comes from God,
who made heaven and earth.
God will not let your foot be moved;
God who keeps you will not slumber.
God who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
God is your keeper;
God is your shade at your side.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
God will keep you from all evil;
God will keep your life.
God will keep your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.
Let us confess our sins to our loving God:
(Adapted from the Liturgy of Christian Unity in the Moravian Book of Worship, page 125. Used by permission)
Gracious Lord and God we know that we will remain less that the whole persons you have called us to be in Christ Jesus until we acknowledge our sins to you, so we bow before you and pray: We confess that we have tried to run away and hide from you. We constantly deceive ourselves into thinking that we can live without you. We have made idols of our own achievements. We have treated other persons as though they did not bear your image. We have failed to enfold and include all persons within the outstretched and open arms of Jesus Christ, our Savior. And we have left undone those deeds of loving kindness and godly justice that you want us to pursue in your name. Bring your Spirit upon us in a gracious, healing way. Make us agents of reconciliation as we live within your holy presence. Amen.
Hear the comforting words of our Lord: Your sins are forgiven. Go and sin no more.
Thanks be to God.
Take time now to read the Daily Texts for today. Don't rush over words, but pause where words or phrases catch your attention. Relect and pray on those words. Then pray for your needs, the needs of your community of faith, and the needs of the world.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, hear us.
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. 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.
God of all creation we thank you for the great things you have done for us.
Help us to make you the cornerstone upon which we build our lives.
We thank you for the way that you have gifted each of us in unique and wonderful ways,
So that we may live gracefully as a reflection of what you have given us.
Savior of the world guide us to build our lives on you,
Fan the flames of our faith so that we may passionately share your love with those with whom we live, and work, and play.
May the love of God, the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
Be with us throughout the living of this day we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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