Breath of Life, hear our prayer: intercessions (Lent 5 Year A)

Prayers of Intercession arising from 

Ezekiel 37:1–14  Valley of dry bones

John 11:1-45        Resurrection of Lazarus

Click here for a ready-to-print Word document:  Breath of Life – Prayers of Intercession, Lent 5 Year A

Join me in a moment of silence to reflect on those things in your life that feel lifeless.

Share them with God and imagine your dreams and your hopes starting to breathe, like the bones Ezekiel describes.

Imagine your dreams and hopes starting to breathe and coming to life as possibilities.

Consider what might you need to do?

Then take a moment to consider how you can breathe life into the hopes of those around you.

Silence

Breath of Life, hear our prayer.

God, our hope is in you.

Breathe on us and our world, as you blew your breath into those bones of old.

Bring life into our weariness, and joy into our despair.

Breath of Life, hear our prayer.

We pray for those living with only the bare bones of resources…

for those with no fresh water, for those who have lost their land and their livelihood.

We pray for those who feel that the life has gone out of their relationships…

for those feeling friendless, for those who have lost loved ones, especially the families of victims of violence.

Breath of Life, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who feel entombed by their circumstances…

women and children kept and controlled by others, those who live with depression.

We pray for those who feel let down by others…

for the children of alcoholics and drug addicts, for our young people unable to find meaningful employment.

Breath of Life, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who are tempted to despair…

For the people of lands in strife, for the refugee, for the hungry.

Breath of Life, hear our prayer.

God of hope, draw close to them.

Bless them with the promise of hope that no despair can overcome.

Raise them from the tombs of their past mistakes into the light of new possibilities.

Breathe life into their weakness and bless them with fresh strength.

Breath of Life, hear our prayer.

God of life, breathe on us now, confirming your presence within us,

empowering us to go forth as your people, spreading your hope into our world.

Use us to help others, and bring them, and us all, to a place of hope in the fullness of life.

Breath of Life, hear our prayer.  Amen.

Inspired by a resource from ROOTS, UK

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