Prayers for the 17th Week After Pentecost

The Watchword for the Week:

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes. Psalm 19:8

From the busyness that fills our daily lives,
We gather to fix our attention on God’s way.
From the distractions that re-order our life’s priorities,
We gather to fix our attention on God’s way.
From the slumber into which our faith can sometimes fall,
We gather to fix our attention on God’s way.

Psalm 19: 7-14

The law of God is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of God are sure,
making wise the simple;

the precepts of God are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of God is clear,
enlightening the eyes;

the fear of God is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of God are true
and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.

Keep back your servant also
from the insolent;
do not let them have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you,
O God, my rock and my redeemer.

Let us humbly confess our sins.
Gracious God, we affirm that your way is perfect. The Biblical witness and the life of Jesus Christ give us the pattern by which we should live out our faith, but we have chosen to walk on our own path. We confess that we have found it all too easy to follow the way of our culture and have made keeping your commandments an option, rather than an expectation for our lives.
So we humbly ask that you create in us a clean heart, O God, and place within us that understanding that will help us to see your way and to observe it with our whole heart.
Lord have mercy on us.

The Lord says to us: I will forgive your iniquity and remember your sin no more. Peace be with you.
With grateful hearts we say: 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 for today or read one of this week's assigned Scripture lessons from the Lectionary. Don't rush over this as if it were a task to complete, instead anticipate that in some way God is gifting you with words of wisdom for use in your daily life. This week's lessons are as follows: Numbers 11:4-6,10-16,24-29; Psalm 19:7-14James 5:13-20; Mark 9:38-50.

After reading the Texts for today, pray for yourself, those you love, and for the needs of a hurtig world. Pray for peace in those parts of the world that are currently in the midst of war. Remember that people on both sides of a conflict lose loved ones.

Use the following prayer to complete your time of intersession:

Creator of us all, we praise your name because you have lovingly made each one of us. May your intended purpose be made real here on earth, even as it is already done in heaven. Feed us today with those things that we truly need, and may we share our abundance with others. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have done wrong to us. In times of temptation, may we know of your life giving strength, and keep us from all evil. Gracious God, this is your kingdom, and we acknowledge your power and glory, both now and forever more. AMEN.

Just as God created an Eden in which all was made to work together,

God has created a pattern of life which is intended to bring us to wholeness.

That wholeness was shown to us as Jesus brought the law of God into human form.

Jesus showed us a way of grace and forgiveness even though life was made difficult for him by the sin of the world.

We pray that God might awaken in us the desire to follow his path more closely amidst the temptations and difficulties of our lives.

Come, Holy Spirit, show us the way, the truth, and the life.

Whatever we do, therefore, whether in word or deed, let us do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayers for the 13th Week after Pentecost

The Watchword for the week:

Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. James 1:19

Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us give thanks to the One who hears our prayers and is quick to forgive.
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 15

O God, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?

Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, who speak the truth from their heart,

and do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends,

nor take up a reproach against their neighbors; in whose eyes the wicked are despised,

but who honor those who fear God; who stand by their oath even to their hurt;

who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.

A Prayer of Confession:

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.

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.


Take time now to read the Daily Texts. When you have finished with the prayer for the day, continue in a period of silence. Reflect on words and phrases from the readings, ponder those things which seem to linger in your soul. Take time also to prayer for the issues and persons that are not only close to your heart, but those things which impact the world. When you are finished, continue with the prayer as follows:


O Lord, hear us now as we, brothers and sisters in Christ, 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 continue our journey in 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 seek to listen more intently, speak more carefully, and anger less often,
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 in Pentecost

The Watchword for this Week:

Jesus says, "The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." John 6:63

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 34:15-22

The eyes of God are on the righteous, and God's ears are open to their cry.
The face of God is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, God hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.
God is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but God rescues them from them all.
God keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
God redeems the life of those who serve God; none of those who take refuge in God will be condemned.

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

God of spirit and life 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 who 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 spirit and life, 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.


Take time now to read the Daily Texts for today. Don't rush to get the reading done, pause at words that happen to catch your spirit today. Ponder them, meditate on them, and pray.

When you have finished the prayer, continue as follows:

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

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 with spirit and life.
Lord, hear our prayer,
And let our cry come to You.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God! Amen.