God Of The Highest Heavens...
Intercession
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.
God of the highest heavens, I expect so much of myself. I want to develop more faith and more love and to be more prayerful and closer to you, but I fail miserably. God, I can't do it!
God of the highest heavens, help me to realise I can't do anything, because until I grasp that, I prevent you reaching me. Help me to understand that my huge will, good though I intend it to be, is a very effective barrier keeping you out. Show me that it's only when I'm stripped and shivering and unable to even attempt to be good, that you can begin to mould me and shape me and enable your good gifts to grow within me. And God, give me patience to wait for your work within me to mature, and not to constantly beat myself for failing.
God of the highest heavens, it can be difficult for your Church to hit the right balance. Some churches concentrate almost exclusively on good works, and forget to pray. Other churches concentrate almost exclusively on worship, and forget to reach out to the world in good works. Help your Church to know you so well through deep prayer that we can't help but love our neighbours in practical ways.
With Christians world-wide we pray especially today for Archbishop Wellington Gomez and the Church in the West Indies, and Ole Hagesaether in Bjorgvin Stavanger in the Church of Norway.
God of the highest heavens, we continue to pray for all world leaders in this unsettled time. May they leave space for you in their busy lives, no matter what religion they follow. May they hold to the highest standards of behaviour so that human life is valuable and moral principles are properly important. But may they also have sufficient humility to realise that they are only in positions of authority because you allow them to be there. Give them wisdom to make decisions, and courage in carrying out those decisions, for the good of all human beings.
Today we pray especially for ...
God of the highest heavens, as we seek to reach out to those who are outside the Church, remind us that it takes time to mature in Christian spirit. Make us concerned and careful to support new Christians, encouraging them and welcoming them into our midst. If they should stumble and fall, save us from condemnation and judgment, but remind us that we're all human, and any of us can fall given the right circumstances. Be with those who suffer from feelings of guilt; enable them to know your full and deep forgiveness so that they may pick themselves up and start over again.
God of the highest heavens, you call us to pray for the sick because when we pray for them we work with you for their healing. We hold in your loving, healing presence all those who are sick, especially those know to us. We name them before you .... and we name them in our own hearts.
God of the highest heavens, you call us too to pray for those who suffer. Bereavment causes perhaps the greatest suffering human beings have to face, and so we hold in your prsence for your loving touch all those who have recently lost someone they love ..... and those for whom this time of yeasr brings sad memories...
We ask these prayers through Jesus Christ, who dared to be truly himself.
Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
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.
God of the highest heavens, I expect so much of myself. I want to develop more faith and more love and to be more prayerful and closer to you, but I fail miserably. God, I can't do it!
God of the highest heavens, help me to realise I can't do anything, because until I grasp that, I prevent you reaching me. Help me to understand that my huge will, good though I intend it to be, is a very effective barrier keeping you out. Show me that it's only when I'm stripped and shivering and unable to even attempt to be good, that you can begin to mould me and shape me and enable your good gifts to grow within me. And God, give me patience to wait for your work within me to mature, and not to constantly beat myself for failing.
God of the highest heavens, it can be difficult for your Church to hit the right balance. Some churches concentrate almost exclusively on good works, and forget to pray. Other churches concentrate almost exclusively on worship, and forget to reach out to the world in good works. Help your Church to know you so well through deep prayer that we can't help but love our neighbours in practical ways.
With Christians world-wide we pray especially today for Archbishop Wellington Gomez and the Church in the West Indies, and Ole Hagesaether in Bjorgvin Stavanger in the Church of Norway.
God of the highest heavens, we continue to pray for all world leaders in this unsettled time. May they leave space for you in their busy lives, no matter what religion they follow. May they hold to the highest standards of behaviour so that human life is valuable and moral principles are properly important. But may they also have sufficient humility to realise that they are only in positions of authority because you allow them to be there. Give them wisdom to make decisions, and courage in carrying out those decisions, for the good of all human beings.
Today we pray especially for ...
God of the highest heavens, as we seek to reach out to those who are outside the Church, remind us that it takes time to mature in Christian spirit. Make us concerned and careful to support new Christians, encouraging them and welcoming them into our midst. If they should stumble and fall, save us from condemnation and judgment, but remind us that we're all human, and any of us can fall given the right circumstances. Be with those who suffer from feelings of guilt; enable them to know your full and deep forgiveness so that they may pick themselves up and start over again.
God of the highest heavens, you call us to pray for the sick because when we pray for them we work with you for their healing. We hold in your loving, healing presence all those who are sick, especially those know to us. We name them before you .... and we name them in our own hearts.
God of the highest heavens, you call us too to pray for those who suffer. Bereavment causes perhaps the greatest suffering human beings have to face, and so we hold in your prsence for your loving touch all those who have recently lost someone they love ..... and those for whom this time of yeasr brings sad memories...
We ask these prayers through Jesus Christ, who dared to be truly himself.
Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
