Prayers
For the Parish
Almighty and ever loving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless and restore the penitent. Grant us all that is 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.
Holy God, I hold before you this day these members of our parish family and entrust them to your never failing care and love, bless and guide them whoever they may be. Strengthen them when they stand, comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful; raise them up if they fall; and in their heart may your peace which passes understanding abide all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
Facing the Unknown
God of the present moment,
God who in Jesus stills the storm
and soothes the frantic heart;
bring peace and courage to all those facing the unknown.
Give them the knowledge that you will make them equal
to whatever lies ahead.
Bring them courage to endure what cannot be avoided,
and wisdom and stamina to complete the challenges before them
for it is in your grace that they face these challenges.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen
For your Enemies
Merciful and loving Father, we ask you with all our hearts to pour out upon our enemies, with bountiful hands, whatever you know will do them good. Chiefly, we ask you to grant them sound and uncorrupted minds so they may know you and love you in true charity and with their whole hearts, and love us, your children, for your sake. Do not let them do themselves harm by becoming angry at us. Let them see that we are doing for them the best we are able. Lord, we ask for their change of heart as well as for our own. Do not drive them away from us by punishing them. Rather, join and knit them to us through your mercy. And since we are all meant to join you in Heaven, let us begin to live together peaceably on earth, so that we may come to you one day in the love exemplified by your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen
A Prayer for Friends
Father, I ask you to bless my friends. I am asking You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence in Your ability to work through them. Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, patience, and strength as they learn submission to Your leading. Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your courage. Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its hold over my friend's life. Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it. I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name. Amen
For Our Birthdays
O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on your servants who celebrate their birthdays this month as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow in wisdom and grace, and daily strengthen their trust in your goodness all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
For the Mission of the Church
Everliving 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
A Prayer for Religious Communities
O Lord Jesus Christ, who saidst: Who so loseth his life for my sake shall find it: Bestow, we pray thee, thine abundant blessing on those who have left all that they may give themselves to this service, and grant that those whom thou dost call may hear and obey thy voice, and receive the manifold reward which thou hast promised in this time, and in the world to come eternal life. Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen
A Prayer for Students and Teachers
O Lord our God
When you wanted to tell us about your love and your truth you sent a special teacher to us: Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus as a student grew in wisdom.
As a teacher he was patient with slow learners; he taught by example, by modeling; he used many diverse methods, particularly stories.
But above all, his life and his teaching agreed with each other.
Help us as students and teachers to search passionately for truth; to study for love of learning not simply to pass exams; to do our best not just to please our teachers or superiors, but because we are serving you, Lord.
You have commissioned us to go into all the world and teach all you have commanded us. So help us to know your commands well, to practice them, and then to pass them on to others.
And so, when we meet you face to face, when we're given a grade for our life, may we hear your voice saing to us: "Well done, good and faithful student. Well done good and faitherful teacher, enter into the joy of your Lord."
And we pray as we dedicate ourselves afresh to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
The Choristers Prayer
Bless, O Lord, us thy servants, who minister in thy temple. Grant that what we sing with our lips, we may believe in our hearts, and what we believe in our hearts, we may show forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
A prayer for Missouri
Great God whose plough is weather and whose season is Time itself, we thank Thee for the earth Thou has fashioned in Missouri: smoothing great blades of ice; irrigating the land with burnished streams and bounding it with Ozark beauty. When Thou wast ready, Thy spirit stood by the Gate, inviting all humanity to the heart of Thy goodly continent. Bless us now as we seek to retrace the mighty sweep of Thy making. At every turn may we find the door, beyond learning to wisdom, beyond living to Life; beyond recieving to the happier joy of giving, And so, as river threads the praire may our hearts be open o Thy truth and blessed independence; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen [ The Very Rev. Francis B. Sayre, Jr. former dean of Washington National Cathedral ]
A Prayer for Rescue, Recovery, Rebuilding
O gracious God, we will never understand the sorrows of the world, but by your grace we will not turn away from them. Renew and sustain in us the spirit of love that crosses miles. Cheer and encourage those who labor to help the injured, the homeless, the hungry and those in despair. Bless and soften the hearts of those who would take advantage of tragedy for their own profit, that they may come to know where true joy is to be found. Unite us in prayer with all those who look for help, and use us to come speedily to them with the things that they need. We ask these things in your own most holy Name. Amen [ The Almost Daily eMo from GeraniumFarm.org Copyright © 2005 Rev. Barbara Crafton ]
A table of additional prayers may be found in the Book of Common Prayer on pages 810-813.
