Prayers of the People: Preparing the Way



Readings: Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51; Hebrews 5:1-10; John 12:20-33

In faith, let us pray to the Lord, saying….

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

O God of our salvation, your steadfast love and abundant mercy

Have given us the joy of your salvation.

Our iniquity and transgressions have been ever before us,

And we know full well the death that riddles our lives.

All praise and glory be to you, Lord Christ,

For you have washed us and delivered us from all our sin.

We will sing aloud of your righteousness.

You have opened our lips,

And our mouths shall declare your praises.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

You are the rightful Lord of the whole creation,

And you alone are worthy of the worship and service of all people.

May your kingdom come in the midst of unrest and war,

Set to rights our earth ridden with corruption and violence, brutality and suffering.

We commit into your care the plight of the world,

Asking that your life-giving Word would spread to every corner of the globe.

I invite you to pray for the world, remembering especially the people of Kenya, the Congo, Rwanda, Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Korea.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ,

You are our God, and we are your people.

How we long to follow you and serve you with our lives!

You have written your law on our hearts,

That the whole world might know of your great love.

Quicken our hearts to respond to you,

And make your church fruitful as we share in the power of your death and resurrection,

That your name would be glorified to the ends of the earth.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We ask that your will be done in our lives and in the world.

We humble ourselves before you, praying for all that weighs heavily on our hearts as we remember our own cares and the needs of others.

We pray for those who suffer because of injustice and human evil.

We remember victims of abuse, slaves, prisoners, orphans, widows, and those captive to addictions and despair.

We pray for the depressed, the lonely and forgotten, for those weighed down by anxiety and guilt, and for anyone whose spirit has been crushed and deeply wounded.

We remember the starving, the sick, the poor, the homeless, the terminally ill, and those crippled by pain and infirmity.

The groaning of the world is too much for us to bear.

Come quickly to us, Lord Jesus, you who took on flesh and understand all our pain.

Let us drink deeply of the peace of your presence.

I invite you to pray for the needs of others.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We ask that you would sustain us this week,

And we trust that you are present with us every day.

Give us a hunger for your word,

And help us to make space to listen to you.

We confess our need for you:

For your wisdom and guidance,

For your protection and provision,

For your help and comfort.

In every area of our lives we need you, Lord,

And we ask that you would be our daily portion.

I invite your prayers for the upcoming week..

Silence

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord, you know us through and through.

Look in the deep places of our beings, and create in us clean hearts.

Give us a right abhorrence for our own sins.

Help us to be alert and self-controlled,

That we may flee the snares of our enemy.

Reveal areas of unconfessed sin,

And give us godly sorrow that leads to repentance.

Show us where we have withheld forgiveness,

And, because of your great mercy, grant us grace to forgive others.

Deliver us from evil, Merciful Father,

And sustain us with your gracious and bountiful Spirit.

I invite your prayers for repentance and perseverance.

Silence

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We thank you for your church,

For all who have been given your grace in Christ Jesus.

How beautiful is the bride of Christ, stretching back throughout the ages and across the world, crossing boundaries of time and place!

We remember now those who have gone before us, those who have died in the faith, trusting that they are in your care.

I invite your thanksgivings to God for those who have died in the faith.

Silence

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Holy God, you dwell among your people,

And our hearts are full of gratitude for your closeness.

Who is like you, O Lord?

Your majesty astounds us,

Your holiness overwhelms us,

And yet, in your mercy you draw near to us.

Create in us clean hearts, O God,

And renew right spirits within us.

We long for the goodness of your presence

And depend on the work of your Holy Spirit.

Grant us the joy of your salvation,

And strengthen our willing spirits

That we might declare the glory of your ways with our words and lives

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

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