This prayer sheet is inspired by the October 2017 theme of the month: Together.
In these prayers we look to God in community to help us to be a community of faith, hope, love, joy and peace.
For personal use or to share.
A. OPENING PRAYER
O God,
you are the gathering one
who calls us into community
with each other
to love and work,
to support and heal.
You are the gathering one
who calls us into community
with all people;
to bring justice and hope,
freedom and truth.
You are the gathering one
who calls us into community
with the whole creation;
to live in harmony,
to cherish and renew.
Let us worship the God
who makes us one.
B. READING
C. LITANY OF CONFESSION
God, we believe you have called us to unity, but often we have isolated ourselves from others; forgive us for the times we have turned our backs on those who are different.
God, we believe you have called us to live together as one body; forgive us for the times we have created division within your worldwide church.
God, we believe you ask us to look, listen, and learn from others; forgive us for the times we have ridiculed and attacked those with different viewpoints.
God, we believe you ask us to accept and seek to understand all who are called by your name; forgive us for the times we have offended you by failing to love others as we do ourselves.
God, we believe you call us to be one even as you are one; forgive us for the disunity we have harboured and make us one.
God and Creator of all humankind, your son Jesus Christ prayed that your church might be one even as you our God are one. May you renew our minds and rekindle your love in our hearts, so that by the power of the Spirit, we might find the Oneness that you intend for us.
Amen.
D. SOFT EYES BLESSING
“And all the believers met together constantly, and shared everything they had….” Acts 2:44
May the God who is community
be with us as we seek to be a community
May God bless our dreams
and may God shatter our dreams
May God help us to be real
and to find depth in weakness and brokenness
May God help us to face and grow through conflict
rather than pretend by being nice
May we look at each other through soft eyes
and truly respect each other as human beings
May God help us let go of control
and the need to fix one another
May God help us discover we are needy in our own souls
and give attention to our own hearts
May God grant us the gift of an extraordinary love that flows
from the heart of God that covers a multitude of wrongs
Amen.
E. LET US PRAY
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Col 3:15)
Let us pray …
F. BENEDICTION
(inspired by 2 Cor 12:9, 1 Peter 2:9)
You are a baptised people,
a community of hope,
the new race dedicated to doing
the unlikely deeds of grace,
and sometimes even taking on the impossible.
Thanks be to Christ,
whose power is made perfect
in human weakness.
The blessing of the Creator,
Redeemer and Inspirer
will always be with you.
Amen!
CREDITS
The following resources found on https://re-worship.blogspot.com/ and adapted for this prayer sheet:
A. posted on the Monthly Prayers page of the Christian Aid website. http://www.christianaid.org.uk
C. from the Lenten series Journey into Wholeness written by Christine Sine. Published in 2009 by Mustard Seed Associates. The entire series is available on the Godspace website. http://godspace.wordpress.com/
D. written by Anna, and posted on the Grace website worship archive. http://www.freshworship.org/
F. written by Bruce Prewer, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Home Page. http://www.bruceprewer.com/
Prayer sheet prepared by Rev. Irene Bom, OLM in International Presbytery of the Church of Scotland.
Compiled for the Prayer Matters blog (October 2017), inspired by the theme of the month: Together
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