Free us Lord from our despair, that we might find hope.
Free us Lord from our quarreling, that we might find peace.
Free us Lord from our denials, that we might understand and live into our reality.
Free us from our prejudices, that we might find ways for all to thrive.
Free us from our fears, that we might trust in you.
Free us O Lord, from these shackles of our own making.
Guide us, and help us find our way forward.
Amen
We thank you Lord for those who build your kingdom –
Bless all of these who are doing your kingdom work here and now.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen
Lord, give us the courage to move forward and not fall back –
Give us the courage to challenge –
Give us the courage to bridge our divides and work together to build a future better than our past –
Guide us O Lord, teach us your paths, show us your ways, guide us in your truth and give us hope. (Ps. 25:4-5).
Amen
Today’s prayer is an adaptation of Ps. 33:18-22 that appeared in The Book of Family Prayer by Robert Webber (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986.)
Lord, we believe Your eye is upon those who fear You,
Those who have hope in You.
Lord, we wait upon you;
For You are our help and our shield.
Our hearts rejoice in You
Because we have trusted in your holy name.
Lord, let Your mercy be upon us
As we hope on You,
And send upon us
Your Holy Spirit, we pray.
Amen
Come Holy Ghost, Creator blest, and in our heart take up thy rest. Come with your grace and heavenly aid, And fill the hearts which you have made.
Come Holy Ghost, Pentecost Hymn, Rabanus Maurus, 776-856.
On this Pentecost Sunday, Lord, people are dying, cities are burning, and our future is uncertain.
For generations you have put before us both a path to peace and prosperity, and one that leads to destruction and death. (Deuteronomy 30:15, Acts 2: 28).
Too often Lord we choose the wrong way, and then having lost our way, we cry out in despair. (Judges 2-10).
Yet you are ever with us and hear our cry. Your love and forgiveness are everlasting. Let them guide us forward, loosening the grip of hate and fear, inequity and greed, to a better way.
Spirit of Truth, you live in us (John 14:17), guide us to your peace.
Amen
[A reader, K.M., from Missouri sent us this prayer. She was Moderator for the Presbyterian Women in her Presbytery for 4 years and served for over 12 years in PW leadership in Missouri.]
What does the Lord require of you?
To seek justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Holy Spirit send us your light.
Give our country the strength and courage to move forward caring for all people, respecting all people, feeding, healing and reaching out to all people.
May we be guided by your light in all that we do to make our country safe again for all your people.
Amen
“. . . There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me. From the past will come the future; what it holds a mystery, Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.” Hymn of Promise, v. 2, Natalie Sleeth, 1986.
Lord God who knows our future, strengthen our hope in the unseen. (Romans 8:24; 2 Corinthians 4:18)
Guide us through these difficult days towards life and peace. (Romans 8:6)
Help us to persevere that we might know, and share, and build on your love. (Romans 5:1-5)
Help us rise above hate and fear, disrupting factions and finding a better way. (Galations 5:19-26)
Move us forward, O Lord.
Amen
The waiting is the hardest part. – Tom Petty
Our world changed suddenly and now we wait
in our doubt,
in our grief,
in our loneliness
in our impatience,
in our fear.
Open our hearts O Lord that we might find hope, and comfort each other.
Give us the courage to speak up, reach out, and together build a stronger, more just, more compassionate world.
Help us as we begin to move forward, O Lord.
Amen
“Open my eyes, that I might see glimpses of truth thou hast for me . . .”
Clara H. Scott, 1895; Open My Eyes That I May See, Chalice Hymnal, #586
With you Lord all things are possible (Mt. 19:26).
Please show us the possible in our broken world.
Show us the possible of a people-centered economy, the possible of rebuilding our communities, the possible of healing and caring for each other.
Show us the possible of a path to peace and the quieting of our partisan bickering. Show us the hope of a better future for all, O Lord.
Show us your ways, teach us your paths; guide us in your truth and teach us (Ps. 25:4-5).
Walk beside us through these difficult days.
Amen
“Christ is risen! Raise your spirits, from the caverns of despair. Walk with gladness in the morning. See what love can do and dare.”
Brian Wren, 1986. Christ Is Risen! Shout Hosanna! Chalice Hymnal, #222.
Lord support and guide us as we work to heal the sick, comfort the grieving, shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, reach out to the lonely, and support the unemployed. Help us to think beyond our fears, find joy in those around us, and work for a more peaceful and prosperous world for all. Help us embrace and share the hope that flows from your love, O Lord. Amen
Prayers For Our Country 