6.26.22 Prayers of Church & Community - Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena

God of grace and God of glory,

on your people pour your pow’r;

crown your ancient Church’s story,

bring its bud to glorious flow’r.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage

for the facing of this hour,

for the facing of this hour.

Eternal God, creator of the heavens and the earth, give us, we pray, the deeps of faith, the heights of hope, the strength of love … that we might carry the cross of Christ, the burden of care.

Eternal God, give us this day our daily bread … courage for the facing of this hour … a hour of tumult and strife, a world of war and a bundle of lies … families divided, friend against friend … a religious landscape blighted by false promises and abuse … too much greed, too much power, too little conscience, and not enough love.

These are the times, O God, and we are the people … we wish things were different, dear God, but we’re willing to face this hour, even as Christ had to face his time. Every generation, O God, has to choose, in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side.

You have called us to follow Christ, and you have made it possible … your Holy Spirit creates within us, day-by-day, a readiness to serve, a willingness to say Yes … the desire to make a difference. 

You have called and created Westminster Presbyterian Church, a tower of truth, a beacon of hope, a place of safety, a fountain of love, to refresh a weary world.

With gratitude, O God, we pray for our family and friends … 

We pray for our communities and neighbors …

We pray for our churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques.

Wherever faith is proclaimed.

Wherever questions are asked.

Wherever love is practiced.

All of this, in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ who taught us to pray, saying:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.