Prayers of Church & Community, August 6, 2023
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Our world trembles, O LORD … climate change and political instability, war and rumors of war … bombs and bullets, and too little butter … news, 24/7, hammers away at us … pundits and politicians, saints and sinners, ghouls and goblins, the glib and the gullible, crooks and grifters, voices of fear and alarm … we are weary to the bone, O LORD … our hearts are heavy … we cry out for the truth, Dear God, we look for hope, for a way forward, a way to peace.
We give thanks for the church, O God … the message of faith, the love of Christ … all who have travelled this way long before we were here … and all who shall follow in our footsteps.
We pray for ourselves, like Solomon prayed - for a clear mind, good judgment, to know something of the truth, that we might govern our lives well, and set before our friends and family an example of wisdom and kindness.
Impress upon us, we pray, the gift of your forgiveness …because we’re not all put together … far from it …
Remind us, Dear God: there is room at this Table for each of us … just as we are … when we’re like Peter, slow to faith and quick to deny; when we’re like Judas, selling his soul for quick money. Remind us, O God, that we belong to you; you will never turn us away.
If the Evil One, O God, should whisper into our ear that we are unworthy, that we are not good enough, that our sins are too many, our failings too great, come Holy Spirit come quickly to our aid, to quiet the lies of Satan, to calm our fears … to assure us, there is a place for us at this Table, a place in your family, a place in your heart, for each of us.
Bless, we pray, the work and life of Westminster … bless our families and our friends … help us all along the way …
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment