Individual candles may be distributed to be used at the close of the prayer. Hope of all hopes, God of new life, of resurrection, we come before you this Easter season, our hearts rejoicing in you. And yet, despite our joy and hope, we feel the darkness around us. God, may we know your healing […]
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Gracious spirit of love and peace, we bring to you our prayers for the world and ourselves. May they help to prepare your way in our lives and in the lives of those whom we pray. Spirit of love, we trust in you. We give thanks for the work of charities, local and global. Thank […]
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Merciful God, your love embraces all creation. Your realm knows nothing of the borders we draw between nations. You have taught us that every adult and child is our neighbour. You have commanded us to love, love, love, without thought of our own security, or glory, or gain. Remind us that you have pronounced your […]
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Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession Any modelling material might work: modelling clay, plasticene, playdough or sensory dough Distribute modelling material before the start of the prayer. Let participants know that there will not be an ‘art show’ following the service; the exercise is for themselves during the prayer, and that they will be guided to […]
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Gracious God, giver of peace, planter of justice, spirit of love, we lift up to you our world – giving thanks for its beauty and majesty, for its many creatures and peoples, for its bounty and flourishing. In our thanksgiving, we also remember those who struggle day in and day out simply to survive, those […]
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Luke 9:51 – 62 Easily adapted for use relating to any country or people. Loving God, thank you for your welcoming embrace. Your acceptance of our imperfection is ever an example for us to strive for. Forgive us when we fall short – when we are quick to reject and quick to condemn. Inspire us […]
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As the atrocities and genocide continue in Palestine… We shall remember them. We shall not lose heart. Minute of Silence… for the victims of all the recent atrocities in _______ We pray for our suffering world, for the end of enmity and strife between nations, for the end of inequality and poverty affecting people of […]
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Today’s lament What’s this pit in my stomach, God? Where has my equilibrium gone? Why does my trust waver? Events, some which have not yet transpired, fill me with fear. The writing – bold crude graffiti – seems to be on the walls Surrounding my thoughts Love, break through Hope, shine relentlessly into this darkness […]
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Dearest Friend, Gentle Spirit, Breath of live, Source of our being, From the peacefulness of silence, the silence that preceded Creation, your Word entered the void and said, ‘Let there be light.’ We gather now mindful that we are kin and covenanted to that Word and to your light. We are grateful to you, source […]
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Spirit of Gentleness, breath of live, source of our being, we are mindful that we are both kin and covenanted to you and one another. Even as we are bold to come before you with our prayers of petition for peace, we are mindful of our shortcomings. Not wanting to take advantage of your gracefulness […]
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A responsive prayer of intercession for our world Within our darkest night, Let your light shine. God of all creation, you hold the depths of the earth in your hands. You are closer to us than the air we breathe. Fill our souls with your wonderful love and light. Give us strength and courage to […]
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Mis-hear How can they choose to treat faith As an excuse to live lives filled with hate? How can they still promote war As though that’s what your peace fights on for? How can they dare define love As a word meant for them to shun us? How can they collect their wealth And keep […]
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Let us invite the Divine Spirit to blow through our lives and our world, as we lift our needs in prayer. Divine Spirit, we pray for all who have lost faith in themselves, in others and especially in you. May Spirit renew and inspire them again. We pray, Divine Spirit, for all who have lost […]
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Note: before using the ‘Digital Manifesto’ in full, consider the congregation. What are local concerns and worries about digital usage? Perhaps a selection from the Manifesto might suffice. Perhaps there are other concerns to be added or inserted. May this act of faith be meaningful. Worship offers us space in which to reflect on our […]
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Words from around the world… What words can be uttered when our thoughts and imaginations are shattered? What words do we say aloud when we gather to worship? What words bring sense to violent senselessness? Perhaps the silence between the words will offer the needed time for sighs and tears. These prayers were originally written […]
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The word ‘angel’ is not always popular, or sometimes over-popular. How can this ancient term denoting those who proclaim God’s messages be used thoughtfully in modern worship? How is the angels’ message, ‘Do not be afraid’ relevant for us today? This prayer was written for a worship service marking the opening of a week-long Angel […]
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Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. (Isaiah 40:1) Holy God, ever present, our hearts are once again heavy as we watch this disaster unfold. We pray comfort for those who have lost loved ones and remember those who have lost their lives, commending their souls to your care. In the midst of this […]
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Originally written for Reign of Christ Sunday*, the last Sunday of the Church Year. God of love: hear our prayer. This morning we think about those who hold positions of power. We ask that you bless them with wisdom, convict them with conscience and afflict them with compassion for all those who are affected by […]
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Adapted from a prayer written by Terri Hord Owens God of Love, our hearts break at the violence in our world, the loss of life, the dishonouring of children of God, the vile insults hurled and the wounds of history reopened. We pray for the families of those who have died and all the wounded. […]
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We are called to pay attention: a responsive reading Many: This morning/afternoon/evening and all mornings/afternoons/evenings, we are called to pay attention. One: We are called to pay attention to our individual lives, to our delights and pains. We are called to understand and cherish ourselves, to take good care of ourselves, to know ourselves as […]
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Intercessions arising from Psalm 51: 10 Silence: a diamond symbol (♦) indicates a short pause. One: God we call to mind the places where we live. All: May your people dwell in harmony. ♦ One: We call to mind the concerns of our neighbours. All: May your people dwell in harmony. ♦ One: We call […]
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‘Sea Sunday is when we have the opportunity to remember and pray for seafarers, their families and all who support them. It is a day of remembrance, prayer and celebration, and an opportunity to think about and thank those seafarers who work tirelessly throughout the year bringing us goods we often take for granted.’ — […]
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A responsive prayer of intercession, confession and blessing Silence: a diamond symbol (♦) indicates a short pause. One: God, we call to mind those that we love. All: May your people dwell in peace. ♦ One: We call to mind those that would call us enemies. All: May your people dwell in peace. ♦ One: […]
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A responsive prayer of intercession & confession Silence: a diamond symbol (♦) indicates a short pause. One: God, we call to mind those unfairly imprisoned. All: May your people dwell in justice. ♦ One: We call to mind those who need help but cannot get it. All: May your people dwell in justice. ♦ One: […]
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A responsive prayer of intercession & confession Silence: a diamond symbol (♦) indicates a short pause. One: God we call to mind situations of inequality and unfairness. All: May compassion break out amongst us. ♦ One: We call to mind those that live in fear of running out. All: May compassion break out amongst us. […]
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Loving God, We gather as your people Seeking your presence, your comfort and your love. In this Epiphany Season of light Shine your light upon us – Into the recesses of our spirits, Those places where we experience anxiety, depression, fear and despair. This morning, we lift up in particular all among us who are […]
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A responsive prayer of intercession & confession Inspired by Psalm 51 Silence: a diamond symbol (♦) indicates a short pause. One: God, we call to mind the fractured beauty of the world we live in. All: May we be people of reconciliation. ♦ One: We call to mind broken relationships. All: May we be people […]
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Where is the love? Prayer of confession and intercession When we treat our faith as nothing more than a self-help system and you, God, as simply a cure for whatever ails us, Where is the love? When we use the gifts our planet gives us with little care for our wastefulness and destruction, Where is […]
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Spring Prayer of Intercession – thinking of the southern hemisphere Related texts: Mark 4:20, Luke 8:15, Romans 7:4, Colossians 1:10 (Year C, Pentecost 5), Jeremiah 17:8 (Year C, Epiphany 6) Suggestion: everyone receives & hold a sunflower seed (or similarly large seed) throughout the prayer. Ready-to-print: WORD Spring Prayers of Intercession – Ana Gobledale PDF […]
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Home is where the heart is. We remember the bereaved. Home is where I lay my head at night. We remember those sleeping in the street. Home is the hotel midway between here and there. We remember the refugee. Home is the guestroom of friends. We remember the outcast. Home is the terrace house on […]
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God of choice and purpose, as we enter a period before the election, we pray you give us wisdom with this precious vote. Help us choose elected officials who will stand up for all that is good and right in our community and nation. May this election be about policy and not personality. May there […]
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Peace Your promise Our hope Peace in our communities… Unite us to raise our voices against violence in our homes in our churches in our schools in our work places Peace on our earth… Unite us to take a stand, to act to become eco-churches to go green in our homes and communities to demand powers […]
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This prayer comes from Christian Aid UK, written by Ramani Leathard, Christian Aid’s Head of Region for South East Asia and Afghanistan. It was originally written for the people of Afghanistan. O God of mercy and of peace, We hold your suffering people in prayer. Be living bread to those who are hungry each day. […]
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Prayers of the people, with response & song, including the lighting of 5 candles We pray for the countries and regions that have hosted refugees. Knowing that refugee camps can be overcrowded, we pray for the continued safety of the camps and offer our thanks to those who work toward providing the basics of shelter, […]
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We celebrate, Creator God this diverse world you have created— its lands and its peoples. We give thanks for your gift of trust in us to preserve, conserve, and take care of it and offer all the hospitality you have already given us. We lift up your co-workers serving in areas of need. We are […]
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Intercessory Prayer inspired by Psalm 107 Lent 4, Year B We bring our thanks to you, our God, for the faithful love that is always present with us. We look back at the times when we have been held by your love, gathered from isolation and disintegration, and brought into your reconciling grace. In the […]
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Inspired by Exodus 20.1-17 Third Sunday of Lent, Year B Our God, you are always creating. It is easy to see and to praise the wonders of nature, perhaps not so easy to see and praise the wonders of complicated human relationships. Help us to see your glory in the face of all people we […]
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Power of Wholeness, sweep through each nation on the face of this globe. Fill us with the will and conviction to work towards reconciliation. Unite us as indigenous and invader settled in a new home, As settled colonizers and more recent immigrants and refugees seeking a new home, As Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus — […]
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Loving God, we thank you for your ongoing love for us. As wheat ripens in the sun and the tiny mustard seed develops into the largest of trees we want to grow in your love. May we be encouraging and supportive to all we encounter and not stifling like the weeds of our parable. We […]
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When I lit a candle in Hereford Cathedral, I picked up a card that reads: The shrine of St Thomas of Hereford: a place where pilgrims have left their prayer for hundreds of years. Lighting a candle is a prayer When we have gone it stays alight — continuing our prayers of thanksgiving and intercession […]
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