Village Shepherd

Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

All-knowing God, I often feel I have nothing to offer. I'm not talented or clever or amusing or good company. Sometimes I think awful thoughts. Sometimes I feel jealous or angry or just plain nasty. If you were a Victorian father figure you'd have to reject me, for I'm not much use to anyone and society is no better because of me. But all-knowing God, you love even me! And somehow you can see my potential, even though I can't see it myself.

Help me to so trust in you, that when you ask me to do something which terrifies me, I may walk in faith and allow you to work through me as you worked through Mary and Joseph all those years ago.

All-knowing God, your Church has to tread a fine line between being set apart and yet within this world. When choosing church officers, give your Church the wisdom to follow your selection criteria rather than the selection criteria practised by the world, and save the Church from rejecting those people who fail to measure up to the world's ideals. Remove all prejudice, hidden agendas and judgmentalism from your Church, and enable your Church to shine within the world as a true beacon of your love for all human beings.

With Christians world-wide, we pray especially today for the Church of Ireland in the province of Dublin, and Archbishop Walton Empey.

All-knowing God, as we approach the season of peace and goodwill we continue to see within the world much misery and violence. May the hope generated in the baby Jesus that first Christmas be translated into action in areas of the world where human beings suffer. We pray especially today for the people of Afghanistan and the humanitarian effort there, and for the people of your own Holy Land of Israel and Palestine, where hatred and fear and violence reign. May our world leaders regard each other with soft eyes, and may they seek only that which is best for every human being.

All-knowing God, you see deep within our hearts, deeper than we ourselves can ever be aware. This Christmas, shine your light into the depths of our being that any darkness within may become ignited with the flame of your love. Enable us to overcome any shyness and to reach out to others in your name, not fearing rejection but offering ourselves in genuine friendship to those who need love. Teach us so to respond to your love for us that we are prepared to give our whole lives for others.

In our community we pray especially today for ....

All-knowing God, the sick are especially vulnerable to feelings of low self-esteem. May they know how precious they are to you, and how your great desire is to see them well again. May they know your presence with them and with those they love, and may they feel your healing touch upon them. Be especially close to those who care for them and guide the hands of medical personnel, so that those who are sick may soon be fully recovered.

Today we pray especially for ...

All-knowing God, be with the dying and with those who watch over them. Remove any fear of death from them and reassure them that those whose lives end in this world begin new lives in the next world, living and loving with you. May those who have lost someone they love at Christmas time, either this year or in previous years, know your peace in their hearst and your hope for their future.

We name especially before you today ...

We ask all these prayers through Jesus, our perfect role-model.

Merciful Father,

Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.