Prayers for our world
While the prayer was written for a specific Harvest Sunday, it might be used anytime during a Harvest Season.
There is an opportunity to light individual candles for specific prayer concerns or people.
In the richness of our faith we lift our prayers of intercession to God, sowing the seeds of our compassion, care and love.
Pray with me.
Eternal Creator, on this Harvest Sunday, [in this Harvest Season]
we pray for our world, created in peace and abundance.
We marvel at its splendour and wonder,
its resources and riches.
Indeed this creation is good.
Yet there are many things not so good in our world.
There are people and animals lacking the food they need.
Open the ears of those in power to hear the cries of the hungry,
and open their hearts to share from the abundance of their nations, including our own.
We lift up countries in conflict, praying for a harvest of peace.
May your kin-dom come on earth,
and the seeds of your peace and justice
be planted and grow in every land.
We lift up our schools, the students and teachers,
praying for a harvest of wisdom and opportunity.
We lift up our hospitals — nurses, doctors and patients,
praying for a harvest of care and healing of body and mind.
We lift up your church,
praying that it may continue to reap a harvest of faithfulness
and be a beacon of justice and peace in our world.
There might follow a time individuals are invited to light a candle as they lift a personal concern in prayer.
We pray for those known personally to us,
whom we name as we light these candles.
Grant them a harvest of your grace.
Light candles in silence or with music playing.
Closing:
God, thank you for hearing our prayers, spoken and unspoken.
Thank you for sharing your harvest with us
and empowering us to share it with others.
Amen.
