God Who Is Coming Very Near...
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 who is coming very near, there are times when I'm utterly certain about you. You answer my prayers in a vivid and unmistakable way, and I swear I shall never again doubt you. But there are other times when I'm very uncertain, when I can't feel your presence, when nothing seems to happen and nothing seems real.
Help me to realise, as John had to realise, that those awful times are the points where my faith grows, if only I can hang on with my fingernails. That when I look back, I can see you were there all the time, but I was looking in the wrong place. Lord, give me a real sense of your coming during this Advent, that when Christmas finally arrives, I may be ready to greet you.
God who is coming very near, when we in the Church feel beleaguered in the face of a hostile world, we long for your power to be unmistakably displayed so that all human beings will believe in you. Give us confidence that you are indeed so near to us that we can both hear you and communicate with you, but remind us that your power might not be quite what we expect. In adversity give us the courage of John the Baptist, and in uncertainty give us the faith of the apostles, that your Church might flourish throughout the world.
Today we pray especially for the Church in Wales and Archbishop Rowan Williams.
God who is coming very near, as we approach again the season of peace and goodwill, the violence and unrest in the Holy Land is a mockery of all you came on earth to achieve. Evil seems to prosper throughout the world, so that it sometimes seems as though your time on earth was futile. Give us ordinary human beings such determination for justice for all human beings that war becomes but a distant memory and anything other than peaceful negotiation becomes unthinkable.
Today we pray especially for ....
God who is coming very near, we pray especially for those who are unable to recognise you either in themselves or in others. Increase their self-esteem so that they may begin to welcome themselves and others, and so discover you, the God within. May our children receive such love throughout their childhood that they grow up knowing you for themselves, always able to communicate with you and receive from you and transmit your love to others.
In our own community we pray today for ....
God who is coming very near, may those who are sick be especially aware of your closeness. May they reach out and touch the hem of your garment, or if they're unable to do that for themselves, may we reach out for them. May they know that you are never far away and that they can access you at any time simply by calling you, the God within themselves.
We name before you today ...
God who is coming very near, comfort and heal those who have lost someone they love, either recently or in previous years at this time. Despite their bereavement, may they be able to look upon your works and know that you are God, and may they know with confidence that you are on their side, suffering with them yet caring for them and pouring your love into them.
Today we name before you ....
We ask these prayers through Jesus, your human face.
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 who is coming very near, there are times when I'm utterly certain about you. You answer my prayers in a vivid and unmistakable way, and I swear I shall never again doubt you. But there are other times when I'm very uncertain, when I can't feel your presence, when nothing seems to happen and nothing seems real.
Help me to realise, as John had to realise, that those awful times are the points where my faith grows, if only I can hang on with my fingernails. That when I look back, I can see you were there all the time, but I was looking in the wrong place. Lord, give me a real sense of your coming during this Advent, that when Christmas finally arrives, I may be ready to greet you.
God who is coming very near, when we in the Church feel beleaguered in the face of a hostile world, we long for your power to be unmistakably displayed so that all human beings will believe in you. Give us confidence that you are indeed so near to us that we can both hear you and communicate with you, but remind us that your power might not be quite what we expect. In adversity give us the courage of John the Baptist, and in uncertainty give us the faith of the apostles, that your Church might flourish throughout the world.
Today we pray especially for the Church in Wales and Archbishop Rowan Williams.
God who is coming very near, as we approach again the season of peace and goodwill, the violence and unrest in the Holy Land is a mockery of all you came on earth to achieve. Evil seems to prosper throughout the world, so that it sometimes seems as though your time on earth was futile. Give us ordinary human beings such determination for justice for all human beings that war becomes but a distant memory and anything other than peaceful negotiation becomes unthinkable.
Today we pray especially for ....
God who is coming very near, we pray especially for those who are unable to recognise you either in themselves or in others. Increase their self-esteem so that they may begin to welcome themselves and others, and so discover you, the God within. May our children receive such love throughout their childhood that they grow up knowing you for themselves, always able to communicate with you and receive from you and transmit your love to others.
In our own community we pray today for ....
God who is coming very near, may those who are sick be especially aware of your closeness. May they reach out and touch the hem of your garment, or if they're unable to do that for themselves, may we reach out for them. May they know that you are never far away and that they can access you at any time simply by calling you, the God within themselves.
We name before you today ...
God who is coming very near, comfort and heal those who have lost someone they love, either recently or in previous years at this time. Despite their bereavement, may they be able to look upon your works and know that you are God, and may they know with confidence that you are on their side, suffering with them yet caring for them and pouring your love into them.
Today we name before you ....
We ask these prayers through Jesus, your human face.
Merciful Father,
Accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
