Teach Us to Pray
Public Prayers for Services of Worship
Dennis Bratcher
Lord, teach us to pray. Some of us are not skilled in the art
of prayer. As we draw near to you in thought, our spirits long for
your Spirit, and reach out for you, longing to feel you near. We know
not how to express the deepest emotions that lie hidden in our hearts.
In these moments, we have no polished phrases with which to impress
one another, no finely molded, delicately turned clauses to present to
you. Nor would we be confined to conventional petitions and repeat our
prayers like the unwinding of a much-exposed film. We know, our Father,
that we are closest to you when we have left behind the things that have
held us captive so long
We would not be ignorant in prayer and, like children, make want
lists for you. Rather, we pray that you will give unto us only
what we really need. We would not make our prayers the importuning of
you, an omnipotent God, to do what we want you to do. Rather, give us
the vision, the courage, that shall enlarge our horizons and stretch our
faith to the adventure of seeking your loving will for our lives
We thank you that you are hearing us even now. We thank you for the
grace of prayer. We thank you for yourself. Amen.
-Peter Marshall
The Context of Communal Prayer
In most Protestant churches, especially those in the evangelical
tradition, prayer is usually considered a private and individual matter
between a person and God. Even public prayer has tended to have an
individual dimension to it, usually offered extemporaneously from
personal experience without much prior thought going into either the
form or content of the prayer, and even less into the theology expressed
in the prayer. Some of the most heretical beliefs I have ever heard
expressed by Christians have been in public prayer.
The positive dimension of this individualized aspect of prayer is that
prayer in those traditions has tended to have a deeply spiritual
dimension, an expression of the vital and authentic piety that is so
much a part of the evangelical Protestant tradition. Such prayer not
only reflects a person’s journey of faith, it can often be reflective of
a deeply embraced personal spirituality that breathes vitality and
passion into prayer both public and private. Some traditions that have
long used formal prayers have recognized this dimension and have
deliberately set out to incorporate this dynamic quality of
individualized and impromptu prayer into their own traditions.
The negative dimension of individualized prayer, especially when
expressed as public prayer, lies in its limited range and scope. It is
easy to allow prayer to center on a limited set of concerns that are of
immediate personal interest. Since it usually takes deliberate thought
and reflection to move beyond those personal concerns, much public
impromptu prayer tends to be one-dimensional.
It is also easy for prayer, especially public prayer in worship, to
degenerate into clichés. This is sometimes compounded by the fact that
many people are self-conscious about praying in public, and so tend to
repeat "safe" kinds of prayers rather than entering into prayer as a
dimension of worship. And the sad fact is that many people simply do not
know how to pray in public, a problem shared with Jesus’ disciples who
came and asked him, "Master, Teach us to pray." (Luke 11:1). And even
private prayer is difficult to express from the context of severe
crisis, the times when prayer most often is needed.
Creativity and forethought are not usually things that most Protestant
evangelicals associate with prayer. In some traditions there has been a
dominant model for prayer inherited from certain historical patterns.
The loud and sometimes raucous prayer that characterized frontier
revivalism or the unique style of public prayer that arose in some
Southern churches was part of a larger cultural context, and was learned
as part of that culture (see Low Church and
High Church).
Prayer public and private certainly has value as part of a cultural
religious heritage. And within that context these prayers were powerful
vehicles of spiritual expression. Yet, outside of that particular
cultural context, or in a later historical context, such prayers may
have less meaning for a worshipping community, and are far more
difficult to transmit as an expression of vital piety then they are in
that earlier and different context.
As a result, many Protestant churches,
especially those that are heirs of the revivalist or holiness movements
of the 19th century, are increasingly finding "traditional" modes of
public prayer inadequate for a more modern worshiping community.
Especially younger people today find nineteenth and early twentieth century
models of public prayer, or styles of prayer that arose from "Southern
Gospel" roots, less meaningful forms of communion with God or
expressions of public worship.
Discovering a New Vitality
Many Christians today remain torn between the inadequacy that they see
in many of the prayers they hear offered in church and the deeply felt
desire to be able to express both their commitment to God and the
struggles of their own journey of Faith and life in prayer. So, for many
today, young and old alike, the cry is still, "Teach us to pray!" And
yet for the most part a simple "how to" book on prayer, like the many
that line local Christian bookstores’ shelves, does not fill that need.
Most of those books remain focused on personal growth and individualized
piety apart from a worshipping community and prayer as a public
expression from and for that community. So, the need remains for a new
generation of Christians of all ages to learn to pray, especially as a
part of a worshipping community of Faith.
For this reason, and others, many Protestant Evangelicals are
rediscovering the value and power of written prayers. While some still
view written prayer with suspicion, there is a growing tendency to
incorporate written prayers into services of worship.
The Biblical Model
The fact that the
Bible itself contains a book of worship with written prayers, the
Book of Psalms, has reinforced and encouraged this rediscovery of
the tradition of prayers written for the gathered community to pray
together. A new awareness of the variety and diversity of biblical
prayers in the Psalter, their creativity in forms of expression, and
their poetic and musical aspects, as well as what they tell us about God
and our relationship with God, has brought a new way of thinking about
prayer as an act of worship (see Patterns for
Life: Structure, Genre, and Theology in Psalms). And this is turn
has led to a new understanding of the role and power of carefully and
deliberately crafted prayer in the life of the community.
The most compelling biblical insight into prayer for most people is
that biblical prayer is praise to God. But here we must abandon a common
misconception that praise is only a happy, hand-clapping, feel-good
approach to worship that is usually associated with music. In Scripture, especially in the prayers of the
Psalms, praise expressed a faith in God from the whole range of human
circumstances, from hurt to joy, from tragedy to happiness, from death
to life, from pain to deliverance. Praise was simply a mode of coming to
God from any human condition, and acknowledging God as God. Prayer was
the vehicle of that praise, whether petition or thanksgiving, contrition
for sin or celebration for deliverance, confession or doxology.
Israel's Prayer Book, the Book of Psalms, is titled "Praises" in Hebrew,
even though almost half of the prayers are prayers offered from the
negative circumstances of life. Many of the prayers in the Psalter begin
or are primarily negative expressions of the realities of life (see
Patterns for Life: Lament Psalms).
Biblically, "praise" can be either positive or negative, depending on
the life circumstances of the person, or community, praying. As such
prayer it is the heart's cry to God that expresses a relationship,
within which all the realities of life, both positive and negative, can
be brought before God. Certainly, public prayer should usually include
both positive praise, thanksgiving, and doxology. However, a major failure of
much public prayer is that it provides little room for the
negative dimensions of life. Most of the lament psalms/prayers in
Scripture provide a movement within the prayer from expressing the
circumstances and realities of life toward affirming faith in God from
the midst of those circumstances.
It is that movement, as one writer
said "from hurt to joy," that is a crucial part of public worship. It is
meeting people where they are in the struggle of life, acknowledging and
expressing that struggle, and then moving to express a faith that
transcends circumstances. Biblically, that suggests that public prayer,
and therefore the Prayers of the People, might more
honestly begin with petition and confession then end with
positive praise, rather than beginning with it.
The prayers of the psalms were used by the Israelites in the context of
worship to provide a structure in which they could bring their praises,
thanks, hurts and grief honestly and openly before God. They are
the prayers and praises of God's people preserved by the community of
faith. As such, they have become authoritative for us: a guide for
worship, an example of honesty before God, and a demonstration of the
importance of prayer and meditation.
Using Written Prayers Today
Following the biblical model, many church traditions have developed a
book of worship that provides more modern examples and guides for
communal and public prayer. Following the Reformation, many of the
Protestants traditions tended to react against such "high church"
practices as written prayers for use in services of worship. The idea
was that written prayers inhibited the work of the Holy Spirit,
reflected too much human manipulation of the experience of worship, or
taught faulty theology. This misgiving still remains today in many
areas. Yet, as noted above, many Protestant churches, following the
biblical model, have begun to recover the practice of written prayers as
authentic expression of communal worship.
Written prayers can allow focus on a wider range of topics and can
bring a wider variety of language and manner of expression into worship.
They have the advantage of allowing people to come together to focus on
a common topic, as well as allowing a greater number of people to lead
public prayer. Of course, written prayers in any context can become
formalized. But if incorporated as part of a well-constructed and
prayerful considered service of worship, they can also be powerful
vehicles for encounter with the presence of God, a means of grace.
Here is collected a range of prayers used in public services of worship
or for in other contexts such as special days or even private devotions.
The prayers offered here are not intended to be used in all of the
suggested contexts just as they are written. They are offered as models
of how prayers can be constructed as part of a service of worship and as
a means of grace.
Most of these prayers come from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer,
as well as notable prayers from some of the Church Fathers, other books
of worship, or from others who have written prayers for various
occasions. They are organized by topic as outlined below. The
prayers basically
follow the headings of the Book of Common Prayer,
although obviously many can be used on a variety of occasions with only
slight modifications. Some prayers may be listed in more than one place.
Unless otherwise
attributed, prayers are from The Book of Common Prayer.
For Joy in God’s Creation
O heavenly Father, who has filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes
to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your
whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of
him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For All Sorts and Conditions of Men
O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech you
for all sorts and conditions of men; that you would be pleased to make
your ways known unto them, your saving health unto all nations. More
especially we pray for your holy Church universal; that it may be so
guided and governed by your good Spirit, that all who profess and call
themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the
faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of
life. Finally, we commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in
any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; [especially
those for whom our prayers are desired]; that it may please you to
comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving
them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their
afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
For the Human Family
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your
Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the
arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that
separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle
and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good
time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your
heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Peace
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword
of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So
mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered
under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to
whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
For Peace Among the Nations
Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into
the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which
is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
For World Peace
We pray for our troubled world, wandering in the excruciating twilight of
an uncertain peace. In our hearts we know that this is no true peace –
rather suspicion and fear, animosity and greed. We ask that Your Spirit will
strive mightily with the leaders of the nations as they seek a formula by
which the peoples of the earth can live at peace with one another.
Impress upon their minds and hearts
that until we are at peace with You, we can be at peace with no one else;
that freedom can exist nowhere unless it exists everywhere;
that the strength of this nation does not lie in armies or navies, but in
the integrity of her people;
that peace is born out of righteousness – and nothing else;
that the trouble with our world is still – people; that peace is not
possible until people's hearts – our hearts – and the direction of our wills
are changed.
Make us willing to be changed, whatever the cost to our self-sufficiency,
whatever the price to our insistence on having our own way. Will You reveal
Your will for [America], that she may now realize her destiny and place in
Your plan for the world?
O Our Father, grant that the promised day may soon come when culture and
learning, education and compassion, shall again light all lamps that wars
have extinguished; when all wanderers can return to their homes and their
little gardens; when "men to men the world o’er shall brothers be for a’
that"; when all of us may be united in the high adventure of building a
better world. In Your name, who are the Father of us all, we make this
prayer.
Amen. -Peter Marshall
For our Enemies
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies:
Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from
hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to
stand reconciled before you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Church
Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church. Fill it with
all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it;
where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform
it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for
it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your
Son our Savior. Amen.
For the Mission of the Church
Ever-living God, whose will it is that all should come to you through
your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the
power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
For Clergy and People
Almighty and everlasting God, from whom comes every good and perfect
gift: Send down upon our bishops, and other clergy, and upon the
congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of your
grace; and , that they may truly please you, pour upon them the
continual dew of your blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honor of our
Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
For Pastors
O God, our heavenly Father, who raised up your faithful servant Pastor
___________, to be a pastor in your church and to feed your flock; Give
abundantly to him/her and to all pastors the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that
they may minister in your household as true servants of Christ and stewards
of your divine mysteries; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
-Monte Nabors
For Missionaries/Special Ministries
Almighty God, we thank you for your servant _____________, whom you
called to proclaim the Gospel to the people of ____________. Raise up in
this and every land/place evangelists and leaders of your Kingdom, that
your Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus
Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and for ever.
Amen. -Monte Nabors
For Professors/Theologians Serving the Church
O God, by your Holy Spirit you give to some the word of wisdom, to
others the word of knowledge, and to others the word of Faith. We praise
your name for the gifts of grace manifested in your servant
________________ who teaches ministerial students at _________________.
We pray that that he may instill into the minds and lives of students
truths that will some day feed our souls and those of our children. May
your church never be destitute of such gifts; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen. -Monte Nabors
For Church School Teachers
Almighty God, you gave _____________ special gifts of grace to
understand and teach the truth as it is in Christ Jesus; grant that by
this teachings we may know you the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom
you sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for
ever and ever. Amen. -Monte Nabors
For the District/Presbytery/Diocese
O God, by your grace you have called us in the [District] to a goodly
fellowship of faith. Bless our [District Superintendent] and other
clergy, and all our people. Grant that your Word may be truly preached
and truly heard, your Sacraments faithfully administered and faithfully
received. By your Spirit, fashion our lives according to the example of
your Son, and grant that we may show the power of your love to all among
whom we live; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Parish/Local Church
Almighty and ever-living God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth,
hear our prayers for this parish/church family. Strengthen the faithful,
arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things
necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and
mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For a Church Convention or Meeting
Almighty and ever-living God, source of all wisdom and understanding,
be present with those who take counsel [in _____________ ] for the
renewal and mission of your Church. Teach us in all things to seek first
your honor and glory. Guide us to perceive what is right, and grant us
both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Election of a Minister
Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church,
and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a shepherd for this
church, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your
people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For the Unity of the Church Amid Conflicts
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince
of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we
are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and
whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there
is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one
Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of
one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace,
of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you;
though Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For those about to be Baptized or to renew their
Baptismal Covenant
O God, you prepared your disciples for the coming of the Spirit through
the teaching of your Son Jesus Christ: Make the hearts and minds of your
servants ready to receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit, that they may
be filled with the strength of his presence; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
For Church Musicians and Artists
O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever
present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the
praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to them even now
glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it
unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For our Country
Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage: We
humbly entreat you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful
of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable
industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence,
discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil
way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the
multitudes brought here out of many kindred and tongues. Empower with
the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority
of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that,
through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the
nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with
thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, do not allow our trust in you
to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for America
Our Father, we pray for this land. We need Your help in this time of
testing and uncertainty, when men who could fight together on the field of
battle seem strangely unable to work together around conference tables for
peace.
May we begin to see that all true Americanism begins in being Christian;
that it can have no other foundation, as it has no other roots. To Your
glory was this Republic established. For the advancement of the Christian
faith did the Founding Fathers give their life’s heritage, passed down to
us.
We would pray that all over this land there may be a return to the faith of
those men and women who trusted in God as they faced the perils and dangers
of the frontier, not alone in crossing the continent, in building their
cabins, in rearing their families, in eking out a livelihood, but in raising
a standard of Faith to which men have been willing to repair down through
the years.
You blessed their efforts. You blessed America. You made her rich. Will You
also make her good? Make us, the citizens of this land, want to do the right
things. Make us long to have right attitudes. Help us to be Christian in our
attitudes. Let all that we do and say spring out of understanding hearts.
Make us willing to seek moral objectives together, that in united action
this nation may be as resolute for righteousness and peace as she has been
for war.
Bless those who bear responsibility. May they be led by You to do that
which is right rather than that which is expedient or politically wise. Save
us from politicians who seek only their own selfish interests. Illumine the
minds of management as well as labor, that there may be an end to
selfishness and greed, to the stupidity of men who are unable to find in
reasonable agreement solutions to the problems that plague us.
Bless this land that we love so much, our Father, and help her to deposit
her trust, not in armies and navies, in wealth and material resources, or in
achievements of the human mind, but in that righteousness which alone exalts
any nation, and by which alone peace can finally come to us. This we ask in
that name that is above every name, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.
Amen. -Peter Marshall
Confession for America
Our Father, bring to the remembrance of Your people Your ancient and
time-honored promise: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall
humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked
ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will
heal their land." We – this company of Your people assembled – would begin
now to meet the conditions that will enable You to fulfill Your promise.
May all of America come to understand that right-living alone exalts a
nation, that only in Your will can peace and joy be found. But, Lord, this
land cannot be righteous unless her people are righteous, and we, here
gathered, are part of America. We know that the world cannot be changed
until the hearts of men are changed. Our hearts need to be changed.
We therefore confess to You that:
Wrong ideas and sinful living have cut us off from You.
We have been greedy.
We have sought to hide behind barricades of selfishness; shackles have
imprisoned the great heart of America.
We have tried to isolate ourselves from the bleeding wounds of a
blundering world.
In our self-sufficiency we have sought not Your help.
We have held conferences and ignored You completely.
We have disguised selfishness as patriotism; our arrogance has
masqueraded as pride.
We have frittered away time and opportunities while the world bled.
Our ambitions have blinded us to opportunities.
We have bickered in factory and business, and sought to solve our
differences only through self-interest.
Lord God of Hosts, forgive us! O God, by Your guidance and Your power may
our beloved land once again become God’s own country, a nation contrite in
heart, confessing her sins; a nation keenly sensitive to all the unresolved
injustice and wrong still in our midst.
Hear this our prayer and grant that we may confidently expect to see it
answered in our time, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. -Peter
Marshall
For the President [of the United States] and all
in Civil Authority
O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this
nation to your merciful care, that, being guided by your Providence, we
may dwell secure in your peace. Grant to [the President of the United
States], the Governor of this State [or Commonwealth], and to all in
authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do your will. Fill them
with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of
their calling to serve this people in your fear; through Jesus Christ
our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
world without end. Amen.
For the President of the United States
We pray, Lord Jesus, for our President. We are deeply concerned that he may
know the will of God, and that he may have the spiritual courage and grace
to follow it.
Deliver him, we pray, from all selfish considerations. Lift him above the
claims of politics. Fill him with the Spirit of God that shall make him
fearless to seek, to know, to do the right. Save him from the friends who,
in the name of politics or even friendship, would persuade him from that
holy path.
Strengthen and empower his advisers. Bring them, too, to their knees in
prayer. May their example and their influence spread, that we, in these
United States, may yet have a government of people who know You, the
Almighty God, as their Friend, and who place Your will first in their lives
as well as in their prayers.
Hear and answer, we pray You, forgiving us all our unworthiness; cleansing
us from every ignoble thought and unworthy ambition that we may be renewed
in spirit and mind and heart, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. -Peter
Marshall
For Congress or a State Legislature
O God, the fountain of wisdom, whose will is good and gracious, and
whose law is truth: We beseech you so to guide and bless our [Senators
and Representatives in Congress] assembled [or in the Legislature of
this State, or Commonwealth], that they may enact such laws as shall
please you, to the glory of your Name and the welfare of this people;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Leaders of the Nation
Our Father, bless, we pray You, the leaders of this nation. Strengthen the
courage of the representatives in Congress assembled – sincere men and women
who want to do the right, if only they can be sure what is right. Make it
plain to them, O Lord. And then will You start them out on the right way,
for You know that we are hard to turn.
Forgive them for the blunders they have committed, the compromises they
have made. Give to them the courage to admit mistakes. Take away from us as
a nation and as individuals that stubborn pride which, followed by conceit,
imagines itself to be above and beyond criticism.
Save our leaders, O God, from themselves and from their friends – even as
You have saved them from their enemies. Let no personal ambition blind them
to their opportunities. Help them to give battle to hypocrisy wherever they
find it. Give them divine common sense and a selflessness that shall make
them think of service and not of gain.
May they have the courage to lead the people of this Republic, considering
unworthy the expediency of following the people. Save them from the folly of
man-made schemes and plans. Give to them the faith and the courage together
to seek God’s inspired plan and, finding it, to propose it, knowing that
when it is God-inspired, You will open the way for it through all obstacles.
As You have made and preserved us a nation, so now mold us into a people
more worthy of a great heritage. In Your strong name we make these prayers.
Amen. -Peter Marshall
For Courts of Justice
Almighty God, who sits in the throne judging right: We humbly beseech
you to bless the courts of justice and the magistrates in all this land;
and give unto them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, that they may
discern the truth, and impartially administer the law in the fear of you
alone; through him who shall come to be our Judge, your Son our Savior
Jesus Christ. Amen.
For Sound Government
O Lord our Governor, bless the leaders of our land, that we may be a
people at peace among ourselves and a blessing to other nations of the
earth.
Lord, keep this nation under your care.
To the
President and members of the Cabinet, to Governors of States, Mayors of
Cities, and to all in administrative authority, grant wisdom and grace
in exercise of their duties.
Give grace to your servants, O Lord.
To Senators and Representatives, and those who make our laws in States,
Cities, and Towns, give courage, wisdom, and foresight to provide for
the needs of all our people, and to fulfill our obligations in the
community of nations.
Give grace to your servants, O Lord.
To the Judges and officers of our Courts give understanding and
integrity, that human rights may be safeguarded and justice served.
Give grace to your servants, O Lord.
And finally, teach our
people to rely on your strength and to accept their responsibilities to
their fellow citizens, that they may elect trustworthy leaders and make
wise decisions for the well-being of our society; that we may serve you
faithfully in our generation and honor your holy Name.
For yours
is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Amen.
For Local Government
Almighty God our heavenly Father, send upon those who hold office in
this State (Commonwealth, City, County, Town, __________ ) the spirit of
wisdom, charity, and justice; that with steadfast purpose they may
faithfully serve in their offices to promote the well-being of all
people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For an Election
Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and
privileges: Guide the people of [the United States] (or of this
community) in the election of officials and representatives; that by
faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be
protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For those in the Armed Forces of our Country
Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men
and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day
with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and
temptations; give them courage to face the perils which face them; and
grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For those who suffer for the sake of Conscience
O God our Father, whose son forgave his enemies while he was suffering
shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer for the sake of conscience;
when they are accused, save them from speaking in hate; when they are
rejected, save them from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save them
from despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their
witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be cleansed and
strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, our merciful and
righteous Judge. Amen.
For Social Justice
Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every
human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that
barriers that divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds
cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and
peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In Times of Conflict
O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the
midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another
without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual
forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Agriculture
Almighty God, we thank you for making the earth fruitful, so that it
might produce what is needed for life: Bless those who work in the
fields; give us seasonable weather; and grant that we may all share the
fruits of the earth, rejoicing in your goodness; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
For the Unemployed
Heavenly Father, we remember before you those who suffer want and
anxiety from lack of work. Guide the people of this land so to use our
public and private wealth that all may find suitable and fulfilling
employment, and receive just payment for their labor; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Schools and Colleges
O Eternal God, bless all schools, colleges, and universities [and
especially __________ ], that they may be lively centers for sound
learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those
who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all
truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For our Vocation in Daily Work
Almighty God our heavenly Father, you declare your glory and shoe forth
your handiwork in the heavens and in the earth: deliver us in our
various occupations from the service of self alone, that we may do the
work you give us to do in truth and beauty for the common good; for the
sake of him who came among us as one who serves, your Son Jesus Christ
our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen. -Monte
Nabors
For the Good Use of Leisure
O God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of refreshment
and peace; and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our
bodies and renew our minds, that our spirits may be opened to the
goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Cities
Heavenly Father, in your Word you have given us a vision of that holy
City to which the nations of the world bring their glory: Behold and
visit, we pray, the cities of the earth. Renew the ties of mutual regard
which form our civic life. Send us honest and able leaders. Enable us to
eliminate poverty, prejudice, and oppression, that peace may prevail
with righteousness, and justice with order, and that men and women from
different cultures and with differing talents may find with one another
the fulfillment of their humanity; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For Towns and Rural Areas
Lord Christ, when you came among us, you proclaimed the kingdom of God
in villages, towns, and lonely places: Grant that your presence and
power may be known throughout this land. Have mercy upon all of us who
live and work in rural areas [especially __________ ]; and grant that
all the people of our nation may give thanks to you for food and drink
and all other bodily necessities of life, respect those who labor to
produce them, and honor the land and the water from which these good
things come. All this we ask in your holy Name. Amen.
For the Poor and the Neglected
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and
neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless
and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care
for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to
turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your
Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Oppressed
Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who
live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant
companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to
these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing
equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant
that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this
land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Victims of Addiction
O blessed Lord, you ministered to all who came to you: Look with
compassion upon all who through addiction have lost their health and
freedom. Restore to them the assurance of your unfailing mercy; remove
from them the fears that beset them; strengthen them in the work of
their recovery; and to those who care for them, give patient
understanding and persevering love. Amen.
For Prisons and Correctional Institutions
Lord Jesus, for our sake you were condemned as a criminal: Visit our
jails and prisons with your pity and judgment. Remember all prisoners,
and bring the guilty to repentance and amendment of life according to
your will, and give them hope for their future. When any are held
unjustly, bring them release; forgive us, and teach us to improve our
justice. Remember those who work in these institutions; keep them humane
and compassionate; and save them from becoming brutal or callous. And
since what we do for those in prison, O Lord, we do for you, constrain
us to improve their lot. All this we ask for your mercy’s sake. Amen.
For the Right Use of God’s Gifts
Almighty God, whose loving hand has given us all that we possess: Grant
us grace that we may honor you with our substance, and, remembering the
account which we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your
bounty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For those who Influence Public Opinion
Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many voices:
Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where many listen and
write what many read; that they may do their part in making the heart of
this people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous; to the honor
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Knowledge of God’s Creation
Almighty and everlasting God, you made the universe with all its
marvelous order, its atoms, worlds, and galaxies, and the infinite
complexity of living creatures: Grant that, as we probe the mysteries of
your creation, we may come to know you more truly, and more surely
fulfill our role in your eternal purpose; in the name of Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
For the Conservation of Natural Resources
Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth, you made us
fellow workers in your creation: Give us wisdom and reverence so to use
the resources of nature, that no one may suffer from our abuse of them,
and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your
bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Harvest of Lands and Waters
O gracious Father, who opens his hand and fills all things living with
plenteousness: Bless the lands and waters, and multiply the harvests of
the world; let your Spirit go forth, that it may renew the face of the
earth; show your loving-kindness, that our land may give her increase;
and save us from selfish use of what you give, that men and women
everywhere may give you thanks; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Rain
O God, heavenly Father, who by your Son Jesus Christ has promised to
all those who seek your kingdom and its righteousness all things
necessary to sustain their life: Send us, we entreat you, in this time
of need, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits
of the earth, to our comfort and to your honor; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
For the Future of the Human Race
O God our heavenly Father, you have blessed us and given us dominion
over all the earth: Increase our reverence before the mystery of life;
and give is new insight into your purposes for the human race, and new
wisdom and determination in making provision for its future in
accordance with your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Families
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who sets the solitary in families:
We commend to your continual care the homes in which your people dwell.
Put far from them, we beseech you, every root of bitterness, the desire
of vainglory, and the pride of life. Fill them with faith, virtue,
knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness. Knit together in constant
affection those who, in holy wedlock, have been made one flesh. Turn the
hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to
the parents; and so enkindle fervent charity among us all, that we may
evermore be kindly affectioned one to another; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
For Our Family
Lord Jesus, we would thank you that you have blessed our home with the gift
of young life, for we know that through our children you will remind us of God.
We do resolve, by your help, to honor you in all our relationships – in our
home, so that it may be your temple; in our hearts, where you do love to swell;
in our place of business, that it may become an adventure in living our faith.
And now, Lord, we place every member of our family in your care and keeping.
We think of ____________ and __________________ and _____________________. Bless
them every one. Be with us this day – in our work and in our play. In Jesus’
name. Amen. -Peter Marshall
For the Care of Children
Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and
care of children: Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring
them up, that we may teach them to love whatever is just and true and
good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
For Young Persons
God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and
confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways
of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after
selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their
worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their
faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Our Young People
Lord Jesus, we pray for youth in careless abandon, in love of liberty, and in
joy of life, especially those particular young people whom we name now before
you: [_____________]. Help them to find that discipline by which life can alone
be successfully lived, and character achieved. May they learn that just as steam
is effective when contained in the walls of a cylinder, so will youthful
energies be effective when controlled.
We ask you to:
Protect them physically; throw around them the golden aura of your
protecting presence;
Be their Teacher; be their Guide;
Send into their lives the specially chosen companions and friends you want
them to have;
Save them from any costly blunders that would haunt them down the years.
Give to them that joy and happiness that shall enable them to go out and meet
life, bearing with them those lasting satisfactions which only you can bestow.
We thank you, Lord. Amen. -Peter Marshall
For Those Who Live Alone
Almighty God, whose Son had nowhere to lay his head: Grant that those
who live alone may not be lonely in their solitude, but that, following
in his steps, they may find fulfillment in loving you and their
neighbors; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Aged
Look with mercy, O God our Father, on all whose increasing years bring
them weakness, distress, or isolation. Provide for them homes of dignity
and peace; give them understanding helpers, and the willingness to
accept help; and, as their strength diminishes, increase their faith and
their assurance of your love. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
For the Sick
Heavenly father, giver of life and health; comfort and relieve you
servants who are ill, and give your power of healing to those who
minister to their needs, that those for whom our prayers are offered may
be strengthened in their weakness and have confidence in your loving
care. [I pray this for _________________,] in Jesus’ name. Amen.
-Monte Nabors
For a Birthday
O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on your
servant __________ as he begins another year. Grant that he may grow in
wisdom and grace, and strengthen his trust in your goodness all the days
of his life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For a Birthday
Watch over your child, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and guide
him wherever he may be. Strengthen him when he stands; comfort him when
discouraged or sorrowful; raise him up if he falls; and in his heart may
your peace which passes understanding abide all the days of his life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Absent
O God, whose fatherly care reaches to the uttermost parts of the earth:
We humbly beseech you graciously to behold and bless those whom we love,
now absent from us. Defend them from all dangers of soul and body; and
grant that both they and we, drawing nearer to you, may be bound
together by your love in the communion of your Holy Spirit, and in the
fellowship of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Travelers
O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and
whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel [in
particular ______________ ]; surround them with your loving care;
protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their
journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For those we Love
Almighty God, we entrust all who are dear to us to your never-failing
care and love, for this life and the life to come, knowing that you are
doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For a Person in Trouble or Grief
O merciful Father, who has taught us in your holy Word that you do not
willingly afflict or grieve the children of men: Look with pity upon the
sorrows of your servant for whom our prayers are offered. Remember him,
O Lord, in mercy, nourish his soul with patience, comfort him with a
sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon him, and give him
peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Comfort in Grief
Father, eyes blinded by the symbols of sorrow cannot see the stars. Even so,
I at this moment, can see nothing beyond my own grief.
I have been face to face with misery and loneliness in these days; with the
strangeness of life and death that takes away a loved one and gives no
explanation; with the mystery of a Providence I have tried to understand and
cannot understand.
You, O Holy Spirit, You visitor in sorrow, You who are acquainted with human
tears and broken hearts, sorely I need your help now.
Because my heart is sore, I have shut the door of my heart to my fellows,
even to You. But I sense that withdrawal and the effort to dull my feelings is
not the way toward healing. Help me now to dare to open my being wise to the
balm of Your loving Spirit, unafraid of any depth or height or intensity of
overflowing emotion.
You have promised to wipe away all tears from our eyes. I ask You to fulfill
that promise now.
You have promised to bind up our wounded spirits. I ask You to fulfill that
promise now.
You have promised to give us peace, not as the world gives but in the midst
of our trouble. I ask You to fulfill that promise now.
You have promised to be with us always. I therefore thank You that You are
walking beside me every step of the way.
I put my hand in Yours, and walk on into the future, knowing that it will be
a good future because You are in it. Amen. -Peter
Marshall
The Estrangement of a Friend
Father, you know the misunderstanding that has arisen between my friend and
me. Harsh and thoughtless words have been spoken. I know that this rift grieves
you, that you would be far more impressed with a sacrifice of reconciliation on
my part than with any vows of loyalty or material gift I could make you.
I dare not make this a prayer for you to change ___________________ ; my
friend is your responsibility. I know that always I must begin with my
responsibility, myself and my own shortcomings.
In subtle ways I confess to you that I have used friendship to cushion and
make comfortable my own ego. All too often I have sought my friend for my own
pleasure and convenience; all to seldom have I thought of what pleasure I could
give.
You have asked me to love my neighbors and friends to the extent that I love
myself. That, Lord, would be a lot of loving!
Enable me to let all false pride go. Give me the grace of the outstretched
hand and the open heart. Give me the courage that will enable me to go to
______________________ and be the first to say, "I have been wrong here and
here. I am sorry. Forgive me."
Help me not to take myself too seriously. Grant to me objectivity and a quiet
mind and a sense of humor. Go ahead of me to fling out a bridge of good will, to
cast down all roadblocks of misunderstanding. And bless to your glory and the
happiness of all concerned this gesture of good will undertaken in your name.
Amen. -Peter Marshall
For Release from Resentment
Lord Jesus, you know me altogether. You know that I have steadily refused to
forgive this one who has wronged me, yet have had the audacity often to seek you
forgiveness for my own wrongdoing.
The acids of bitterness and a vengeful spirit have threatened to eat away my
peace. Yet I have stubbornly rationalized every unlovely motive. I have said, "I
am clearly in the right. It is only human to dislike a few people. This one
deserves no forgiveness." How well I know that neither have I ever deserved the
forgiveness which you have always freely granted me.
So, Lord Jesus, I ask you now for the grace to forgive this hurt. Even now, I
am divided about it, only partially willing to release it. But you can manage
even my reluctance, my loitering feet. Take now my divided will and make it of
one piece, wholly your will.
And Lord, I give to you this emotion of resentment which clings as if glued
to my heart. Wrest it from me. Cleanse every petty thought. Make me sweet again.
I dare to ask that you will not only forgive me to the extent that I have
forgiven ___________, but that you will bless _____________________ to the
degree that you have blessed me. For these great mercies I thank you, in your
name, who gave me the supreme example in forgiving even those who slew you.
Amen. -Peter Marshall
For Guidance
Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and
further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun,
continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally,
by your mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For Guidance
O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in
darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties,
the grace to ask what you would have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom
may save us from all false choices, and that in your light we may see
light, and in your straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
For Quiet Confidence
O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall
be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the
might of your Spirit lift us, we pray of you, to your presence, where we
may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For Humility in Success
Lord, forgive me that when life’s circumstances lift me to the crest of the
wave, I tend to forget you. Yet, like an errant child, I have blamed you with my
every failure, even as I credit myself with every success.
When my fears evaporate like the morning mist, then vainly I imagine that I
am sufficient unto myself, that material sources and human resources are enough.
I need you when the sun shines, lest I forget the storm and the dark. I need
you when I am popular, when my friends and those who work beside me approve and
compliment me. I need you more then, lest my head begin to swell.
O God, forgive me for my stupidity, my blindness in success, my lack of trust
in you. Be now my savior in success. Save me from conceit. Save me from
pettiness. Save me from myself! And take this success, I pray, and use it for
your glory. In your strength, I pray. Amen.
-Peter Marshall
For Liberation from Materialism
Forbid it, Lord, that our roots become too firmly attached to this earth,
that we should fall in love with things. Help us to understand that the
pilgrimage of this life is but an introduction, a preface, a training school for
what is to come.
Then shall we see all of life in its true perspective. Then shall we not fall
in love with the things of time, but come to love the things that endure. Then
shall we be saved from the tyranny of possessions which we have no leisure to
enjoy, of property whose care becomes a burden. Give us, we pray, the courage to
simplify our lives.
So may we be mature in our faith, childlike but never childish, humble but
never cringing, understanding but never conceited.
So help us, O God, to live and not merely to exist, that we may have joy in
our work. In your name, who alone can give us moderation and balance and zest
for living, we pray. Amen. -Peter Marshall
For More Faith
Forgive us, O God, for our small concept of the heart of
the Eternal, for the doubting suspicion with which we regard the heart of God.
Give to us more faith. We have so little…we say.
Yet we have faith in each other-in checks and banks, in trains and airplanes, in
cooks, and in strangers who drive us in cabs. Forgive us for our
stupidity, that we have faith in people whom we do not know, and are so
reluctant to have faith in you who knows us altogether
We are always striving to find a complicated way through
life when you have a plan, and we refuse to walk in it. So many of our
troubles we bring on ourselves. How silly we are…
Will you give to us that faith that we can deposit in the
bank of your love, so that we may receive the dividends and interest that you
are so willing to give us. We ask it all in the lovely name of Jesus
Christ our Savior. Amen. -Peter
Marshall
For Childlikeness
Forgive us, Lord, that as we grow to maturity, our faith is blighted with
doubts, withered with worry, tainted with sophistication. We pray that you will
make us like children again in faith, not childish, but childlike in the
simplicity of a faith that is willing to trust you even though we cannot see
what tomorrow will bring.
We ask you to give each of us that childlike faith, that simplicity of mind
which is willing to lay aside all egotism and conceit that recognizes vanity for
what it is, an empty show, which knows that we are incapable of thinking the
thoughts of God, and that is willing to be humble again.
Then may we feel once more as do our children who whisper their love to you,
who trace with chubby little fingers the pictures of Jesus in a picture book,
those pictures that portray you, Lord Jesus, with a hurt lamb in your arms or a
child on your knee. Help us, even now, to feel again like that, that we may be
as loving, as trusting, as innocent, as grateful, as affectionate.
And as we are willing to kneel again as children, then shall we discover for
ourselves the glory you have revealed, and find the wonder of it gripping our
hearts and preparing them for your peace. So shall we, along with our children,
enter into the Kingdom of God, and know it, and feel it, and rejoice in it. In
your name, who dared to come to earth as a little child, we pray. Amen. -Peter
Marshall
For Protection
Assist us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications and prayers,
and dispose the way of your servants towards the attainment of
everlasting salvation; that, among all the changes and chances of this
mortal life, they may ever be defended by your gracious and ready help;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
To Face the Future Without Fear
You know, Father, the things of which we are afraid, the terror by night, the
arrow by day that takes us unawares and often finds us without a vital, ready
faith.
We know that you have not promised to surround us with immunity from all the
ills to which flesh is heir. We only pray that when they come, if come they
must, they shall find us unafraid and with adequate resources to meet them. Give
us a constant faith and a steady courage, that we may neither whimper nor in
peevish petulance complain before you.
We thank you that you still rule over the world that you have made. Kings and
emperors come and depart. All the shouting and the tumult, the screaming
hurricanes of time have not deviated you from your path.
Help us to remember, O Christ, that you are victorious-Christus Victor-reigning
over all; that in due time, in your own good time, you will work all things
together for good to them that love you, who are called according to your
purpose.
May we find our refuge in that regnant faith, and so face the future without
fear. Give to us your peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. -Peter
Marshall
With Sorrow and True Repentance
Forgive me, Lord Jesus, for the things I have done that
make me feel uncomfortable in your presence. All the front that I polish
so carefully for men to see, does not deceive you.
For you know every thought that has left its shadow on my
memory. You have marked every motive that curdled something sweet within me.
I acknowledge, with sorrow and true repentance, that
I have desired that which I should not have;
I have toyed with what I knew was not for me;
I have been preoccupied with self-interest;
I have invited unclean thoughts into my mind and entertained them as honored
guests.
My ears have often been deaf to your whisper;
My eyes have been often blind to the signs of your guidance.
Make me willing to be changed, even though it requires
surgery of the soul and the therapy of discipline. Make my heart warm and soft,
that I may receive and accept now the blessing of your forgiveness, the
benediction of your “Depart in peace … and sin no more.” In Jesus’ name.
Amen. -Peter Marshall
For Trust in God
We confess, our Father, that we know in our hearts how much we need You, yet
our swelled heads and our stubborn wills keep us trying to do without You.
Forgive us for making so many mountains out of molehills and for exaggerating
both our own importance and the problems that confront us.
Make us willing to let You show us what a difference You could make in our
work, increasing our success and diminishing our failures. Give us the faith to
believe that as we give You a hearing You will give us the answers we cannot
find by ourselves. In Jesus’ name. Amen. -Peter Marshall
For Sins Against Others
Hear me, Father, as I make my confessions. I thank you that you receive me as
I am, not as I pretend to be. I am so tired of pretending.
Forgive me for the times I have succeeded in deceiving my friends and loved
ones, for I knew I did not deceive you. In sinning against others, I know that I
have sinned against you. For have you not said plainly that he who claims to
love God, and yet hates his brother, is a liar?
Father, I know that in my ignorance I have cast a shadow upon many. I have
stood in the way of their discovery of your way and your presence. O God,
forgive me.
I have thought often of myself and my own needs, seldom of my fellow human
beings and of their needs. O God, give me selflessness. I have been unwilling to
forgive others, yet have had the audacity to ask your forgiveness for me. I ask
you for an understanding heart.
I have criticized other people in order to inflate my own importance. I ask
you, O God, for a generous heart. I have tried by reason and the twisting of my
conscience to rationalize wrong into right. There have been times when I told
the truth only because I believed it was expedient to do so. O God, help me to
love truth and honesty for their own sakes, that I may do right simply because I
know it is right to do right.
I have sought the spotlight, yet am not big enough to stand in it. I want to
be renowned for great deeds, and all the while am notorious for small
performances. I know that love for others is a gift of yours. How much I desire
it! Yet I cannot manufacture it. Increase, I pray, your giving to me, that I may
have more love toward other people.
So may I go from this place to live my Christianity every day, in the things
I shall say to others, in the things I shall do for others, in the way I shall
live with others, that my own witness may be made to the love of Christ Jesus,
my Lord. Amen. -Peter Marshall
For the Grace of Brotherhood
We pray that You will teach us all how to live, that we may provide an
example to all the world. Yet we confess before You the bigotry and the
intolerance that plague us. We confess to You our disinclination to enjoy
brotherhood, for we have withheld the spirit of it from many around us. O God,
forgive us.
We remember that You did bid us "to do good, to love mercy, to walk humbly
with our God."
Give us such a vision of ministry that we can select for our philanthropy,
for the expression of our love, these who cannot possibly recompense us at all.
Then only shall we discover what love really is, what brotherhood actually
means. Show us what You would have us do today to make that discovery, we ask in
the name of the Author of Love, even Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. -Peter
Marshall
A Prayer of Self-Dedication
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our
minds, so full our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be
wholly yours, utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray of
you, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your
people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer of Submission
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us
sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there
is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to
understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are
born to eternal life. Amen. -St.
Francis of Assisi
For Christmas
O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the illumination
of the true Light. You have given us your only-begotten Son to take our
nature upon Him to reveal to us your glory and grace. As you have given
this gift in love, may we receive it with joy. Grant that we, being
regenerate and made your children by adoption and grace may daily be
renewed by your Holy Spirit. Grant us, we pray, that as we have known
the mystery of that Light upon earth, so may we also reflect that light
to a darkened world; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever. Amen. -Dennis Bratcher
For Christmas
We yearn, our Father, for the simple beauty of Christmas – for all the old
familiar melodies and words that remind us of that great miracle when He who had
made all things was one night to come as a babe, to lie in the crook of a
woman’s arm.
Before such mystery we kneel, as we follow the shepherds and Wise Men to
bring You the gift of our love – a love we confess has not always been as warm
or sincere or real as it should have been. But now, on this Christmas Day, we
pray that love would find its Beloved, and from You receive the grace to make it
pure again, warm and real.
We bring You our gratitude for every token of Your love, for all the ways You
have heaped blessings upon us during the years that have gone.
And we do pray, Lord Jesus, that as we celebrate Your birthday, we may do it
in a manner well pleasing to You. May all we do and say, every tribute of our
hearts, bring honor to Your name, that we, Your people, may remember Your birth
and feel Your presence among us even yet.
May the loving kindness of Christmas not only creep into our hearts, but
there abide, so that not even the return to earthly cares and responsibilities,
not all the festivities of our own devising may cause it to creep away weeping.
May the joy and spirit of Christmas stay with us now and forever.
In the name of Jesus, who came to save His people from their sins, even in
that lovely name we pray. Amen. -Peter
Marshall
For Epiphany
Father, we thank you for revealing
yourself to us in Jesus the Christ, we who once were not your people but whom
you chose to adopt as your people. As ancient Israel confessed long ago, we
realize that it was not because of our own righteousness, or our own superior
wisdom, or strength, or power, or numbers. It was simply because you loved us,
and chose to show us that love in Jesus.
As you have accepted us when we did not
deserve your love, will you help us to accept those whom we find it hard to
love? Forgive us, O Lord, for any attitude that we harbor that on any level sees
ourselves as better or more righteous than others. Will you help us to
remove the barriers of prejudice and to tear down the walls of bigotry,
religious or social? O Lord, help
us realize that the walls that we erect for others only form our own prisons!
Will you fill us so full of your love
that there is no more room for intolerance and hate? As you have forgiven us
much, will you enable us with your strength to forgive others even more? Will
you enable us through your abiding Presence among us, communally and
individually, to live our lives in a manner worthy of the Name we bear?
May we, through your guidance and our
faithful obedience, find new avenues in ways that we have not imagined of
holding the Light of your love so that it may be a Light of revelation for all
people. O Father, would you through
your strength help us not to lose the wonder of this season?
Help us live expectantly in the world as your people, so that everything
we do may be done in your name.
Lord, we
again confess that you are our God and that we are your people.
We thank you for your love, praise you for your Gift that we have so
recently celebrated, ask for your continued Presence with us, and bring these
petitions in the name of your Son, who has truly revealed your heart. Amen
-Dennis
Bratcher
Confession for the New Year
Our Father, grant that in the days of this new year we may feel Your love,
the love that surrounds us, the love that will not let us go but will ever bring
us back – back to Your side, back to Your will, back to Your way.
In that way we would walk, O Lord. For though all we like sheep have gone
astray, like sheep, we are tired – tired of missing Your path and stumbling
along paths of our own choosing. Like sheep, we would return to the fold.
We would come back to You, confessing that we are not proud of the mistakes
we have made, not too proud of our record as we look back over the last year. We
are conscious not of our triumphs and successes but of our failures. We are in
no boastful mood, O Lord, as we look into a new year. We seek now Your
forgiveness for our stupidity and our obstinacy, for the blindness of our
hearts, for the wrong choices that grieved You and subtracted from our own
happiness. Will You forgive us, Father?
Humbly and gratefully we open our hearts to receive that great miracle of
grace. We thank You for the fresh, strong wind of Your Spirit which comes to
bring us refreshment, cleansing, and perfect peace. Amen. -Peter
Marshall
Good Friday
As we look upon your Cross, O Christ, filled with wonder and with awe at the
love that brought You to it, humbly we confess that we have no offering meet for
such love, no gift fit for such a sacrifice.
You were willing to go to the Cross so that humanity might forever be haunted
by its sign, might return to the foot of that Cross to be melted and broken down
in the knowledge of Your love for us and all people everywhere.
When we see a love like that – the love of God yearning for the hearts of His
children, we know that only love can respond.
We acknowledge, O Lord, that there is so little in us that is lovable. So
often we are not lovely in our thoughts, in our words, or in our deeds. And yet
You love us still, with a love that neither ebbs nor flows, a love that does not
grow weary, but is constant – year after year, age after age.
O God, may our hearts be opened to that love today. With bright skies above
us, the fields and woods and gardens bursting with new life and beauty, how can
we fail to respond? With the clear notes of bird songs challenging us to praise,
with every lowly shrub and blooming tree catching new life and beauty, our
hearts indeed would proclaim You Lord, and we would invite You to reign over us
and make us truly Your own. May Your healing love invade our inmost hearts,
healing sorrow, pain, frustration, defeat, and despair.
May this day create within us a love for You of stronger stuff than vague
sentimentality – a love which seeks to know Your will and do it. So grant that
this day of hallowed remembrance may be the beginning of a new way of life for
each of us, a new kind of living that shall be the best answer to the confusion
and to the challenge of evil in our day. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
-Peter Marshall
In the Evening
O Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and
the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life
is over, and our work is done. Then in your mercy, grant us a safe
lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen.
Evening Prayer
Lord Jesus, we come to You for an evening blessing, to seal within our hearts
the inspirations and memories of this day. We ask You for the blessing of
Quietness for every troubled heart,
Rest for every weary soul,
New faith and courage for all who have faced exhausting tasks this day.
We would rest now in You and find in this evening hour Your stillness and
Your peace to bring us into quiet harmony with Your will. We give You thanks for
Every challenge that this day has brought,
Every new vision of God that winged its way across our skies,
Every whisper of God that we have sensed in the beauty of Your world,
Every thought of God that came in quiet moments,
Every need of you that brought us back again to You in prayer.
And now, our Father, grant us Your benediction. Watch over us through the
hours of darkness. Refresh us in spirit as well as in body as we sleep. Help us
to face the tasks of tomorrow with steady faith and without fear, conscious of
Your presence and Your guidance, knowing that we are Yours, as we have placed
all our trust in You. We know that You are still able to keep that which we have
committed to You.
And now may the love of God the Father, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest upon us all and abide with us now and
forevermore. Amen. -Peter Marshall
Before Worship
O Almighty God, who pours out on all who desire it the spirit of grace
and of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to you, from coldness
of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and
kindled affections we may worship you in spirit and in truth; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Answering of Prayer
Almighty God, who has promised to hear the petitions of those who ask
in your Son’s Name: We beseech you mercifully to incline your ear to us
who have now made our prayers and supplications unto you; and grant that
those things which we have faithfully asked according to your will, may
effectually be obtained, to the relief of our necessity, and to the
setting forth of your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Before Receiving Communion
Be present, be present, O Jesus, our great High Priest, as you were
present with your disciples, and be known to us in the breaking of
bread; who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and
for ever. Amen.
After Receiving Communion
O Lord Jesus Christ, who in a wonderful Sacrament has left unto us a
memorial of your passion: Grant us, we beseech you, so to venerate the
sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive
within ourselves the fruit of your redemption; who lives and reigns with
the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
After Worship
Grant, we beseech you, Almighty God, that the words which we have heard
this day with our outward ears, may, through your grace, be so grafted
inwardly in our hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit of
good living, to the honor and praise of your Name; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
On Sunday
O God our King, by the resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ on the
first day of the week, you conquered sin, put death to flight, and gave
us the hope of everlasting life: Redeem all our days by this victory;
forgive our sins, banish our fears, make us bold to praise you and to do
your will; and steel us to wait for the consummation of your kingdom on
the last great Day; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Grace at Meals
Give us grateful hearts, our Father, for all your mercies, and make us
mindful of the needs of others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bless, O Lord, your gifts to our use and us to your service; for
Christ’s sake. Amen.
Blessed are you, O Lord God, King of the Universe, for you give us food
to sustain our lives and make our hearts glad; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
For these and all his mercies, God’s holy Name be blessed and praised;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A General Thanksgiving
Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for
us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty
of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love.
We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving
care which surrounds us on every side.
We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best efforts, and
for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy and delight us.
We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us
to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.
Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his
Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which
he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he overcame death;
and for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of
your kingdom.
Grant us the gist of your Spirit, that we may know him and make him
known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks
to you in all things. Amen.
A Litany of Thanksgiving
Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely
bestowed upon us.For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth
and sky and sea,
People: We thank you, Lord.
For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the
image of Christ,
People: We thank you, Lord.
For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our
friends,
People: We thank you, Lord.
For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
People: We thank you, Lord.
For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
People: We thank you, Lord.
For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and
faithful in adversity,
People: We thank you, Lord.
For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
People: We thank you, Lord.
For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
People: We thank you, Lord.
Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises
given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;To him be praise and glory, with
you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
All: Amen.
For the Mission of the Church
Almighty God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to
yourself: We praise and bless you for those whom you have sent in the
power of the Spirit to preach the Gospel to all nations. We thank you
that in all parts of the earth a community of love has been gathered
together by their prayers and labors, and that in every place your
servants call upon your Name; for the kingdom and the power and the
glory are yours for ever. Amen.
For the Saints and Faithful Departed
We give thanks to you, O Lord our God, for all your servants and
witnesses of time past: for Abraham, the father of believers, and Sarah
his wife; for Moses, the lawgiver, and Aaron, the priest; for Miriam and
Joshua, Deborah and Gideon, and Samuel with Hannah his mother; for
Isaiah and all the prophets; for Mary, the mother of our Lord; for Peter
and Paul and all the apostles; for Mary and Martha, and Mary Magdalene;
for Stephen, the first martyr, and all the martyrs and saints in every
age and in every land. In your mercy, O Lord our God, give us, as you
gave to them, the hope of salvation and the promise of eternal life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, the first-born of many from the dead.
Amen.
For the Nation
Almighty God, giver of all good things: We thank you for the natural
majesty and beauty of this land. They restore us, though we often
destroy them.
People: Heal us.
We thank you for the great resources of this nation. They make us
rich, though we often exploit them.
People: Forgive us. We thank you for the men
and women who have made this country strong. They are models for
us, though we often fall short of them..
People: Inspire us. We thank you for the torch of liberty which has been lit in this
land. It has drawn people from every nation, though we have often hidden
from its light.
People: Enlighten us. We thank you for the faith we have inherited in all its rich
variety. It sustains our life, though we have been faithless again and
again.
People: Renew us. Help us, O Lord, to finish the good work here begun. Strengthen our
efforts to blot out ignorance and prejudice, and to abolish poverty and
crime. And hasten the day when all our people, with many voices in one
united chorus, will glorify your holy Name. Amen.
For Heroic Service
O Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful hearts the
men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much
for the liberties we now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest until all the
people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept
its disciplines. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For the Diversity of Races and Cultures
O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you for the
wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world. Enrich our
lives by ever-widening circles of fellowship, and show us your presence
in those who differ most from us, until our knowledge of your love is
made perfect in our love for all your children; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
For the Beauty of the Earth
We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky
and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains, and rivers; for the
songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers. We praise you for these
good gifts, and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity. Grant
that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant
creation, to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.
For the Harvest
Most gracious God, by whose knowledge the depths are broken up and the
clouds drop down the dew: We yield you hearty thanks and praise for the
return of seedtime and harvest, for the increase of the ground and the
gathering in of its fruits, and for all the other blessings of your
merciful providence bestowed upon this nation and people. And, we
beseech you, give us a just sense of these great mercies, such as may
appear in our lives by a humble, holy, and obedient walking before you
all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the
holy Spirit be all glory and honor, world without end. Amen.
For the Gift of a Child
Heavenly Father, you sent your own Son into this world. We thank you
for the life of this child, _________, entrusted to our care. Help us to
remember that we are all your children, and so to love and nurture him,
that he may attain to that full stature intended for him in your eternal
kingdom; for the sake of your dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Restoration of Health
Almighty God and heavenly Father, we give you humble thanks because you
have been graciously pleased to deliver from his sickness your servant
___________, in whose behalf we bless and praise your Name. Grant, O
gracious Father, that he, through your help, may live in this world
according to your will, and also be partaker of everlasting glory in the
life to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
-Dennis Bratcher, Copyright ©
2018, Dennis
Bratcher - All Rights Reserved
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