July 2020 | Prayer matters

Treasure for our times

The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;
      he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.
He will be the sure foundation for your times,
      a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
      the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

Isaiah 33:5-6 (NIV UK)

Let us look to God and humbly pray that these inspired and inspiring words may come true in our times.

A prayer

Holy God:
with the precious jewel
of holy scripture,
you share with us
the treasure of your heart.
Engrave your covenant –
your hopes, your dreams,
your vision, your peace –
upon our hearts,
that they might beat
as one with yours.

Holy Word:
ever clear,
you keep us from wandering
down the wrong paths;
ever longed for,
you make us persistent
in bringing justice
to the lost and to the least;
ever practical,
you show us how
not to misplace our hearts.

Holy Wisdom:
as you breathe the Word
into our hearts,
tutor us in faithfulness
so we are trained
in using the tools
of justice and hope;
so we are equipped
to share the good news with all;
so we become skilled
in compassion and grace.

God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our hearts to you.
as we pray as Jesus teaches us, saying,
Our Father . . .

~ written by Thom Shuman, and posted on Lectionary Liturgies

From the blog
Food for thought
Grace upon grace
Theme: Sharing in Jesus’ ministry [prayer sheet]

In times like these

At the height of World War II Albert Camus wrote,

“We must mend what has been torn apart, make justice imaginable again in a world so obviously unjust, give happiness a meaning once more.”

Let us keep praying, till justice rolls “on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24)

Repenting and lamenting in times like these

You are the God who hears:
hear our prayer today for all who lament or repent.

For those among us who face discrimination every day
because of their skin colour,
we lament.

For those among us with white skin who benefit
from racist systems sometimes even without realizing it,
we repent.

For those among us who have struggled and waited so long
for the Promised Land of freedom and equality,
we lament.

For those among us who have acted in racist ways
and have hurt people of colour,
we repent.

For those protesting injustice who face police brutality
and a justice system rigged against them,
we lament.

For those who think racism is someone else’s problem,
and not a problem for humanity,
we repent.

God of hope, show us how to work for justice together,
standing up for what is right,
stepping in when something’s wrong,
shouldering each other’s burdens,
holding each other accountable,
righting the wrongs we’ve done,
speaking truth to power.

We pray for change, lasting change,
for protection for protesters,
for a de-escalation of violence
and for government leaders who listen.

Deliver us from evil, within and without,
in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen

~ written by Carol Penner and posted on Leading in Worship.

From the blog
Interpreting the times
Not deserted
Protection for hearts and minds

Slow time

Slow Blessing

God the creator,
who rested on the seventh day after the work was done,
show you how to balance the slow and the fast, the work and the rest.

God the redeemer,
who lived his life at walking pace,
strengthen you to go slow when the world is going fast.

God the sustainer,
who came at Pentecost like a rushing wind,
give you hope in the day when there will be freedom
from the limitations of time.

Go into a world of speed and live at God’s pace.
Amen.

— written by Anna (2004), and posted on the Grace website worship archive.

From the blog
Healed from the inside out
Show me the way
In the school of prayer with Ignatius of Loyola

3 Prayers while waiting

In Psalm 27:13-14 the psalmist says:

I remain confident of this:
      I will see the goodness of the Lord
      in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
      be strong and take heart
      and wait for the Lord.

Here are three prayers to keep your heart centred on God while waiting – whether in joyful anticipation, frustration or dread.

#1

Now is the time, let us pause.
As we wait, may we hear the voice of God.

Now is the time, let us watch.
In our homes, at our work, even while waiting in line —
may we see the face of Christ.

Now is the moment, let us prepare our hearts.
In our words, in our hearts, in all we say and do —
may God’s extravagant love shine through.

~ written by Rev. Nancy J, posted on re:worship

#2

In the depths of my being
I become quiet and still;
I wait for you, my God,
source of my salvation

~ written by Jim Cotter,
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #604

#3

When nothing is right,
when we are weary and lost,
when clouds dull the sky,
help us to be still.

When our cries are unheeded,
when no effort bears fruit,
when the sun sets,
help us to be still.

When love is over,
when hope is gone,
when darkness covers the land,
help us to be still.

For in being still,
in refusing to panic or despair,
we shall come to know that God is there,
suffering alongside and with us,
waiting to show us stepping-stones through the swirling waters,
and to help us sing a new song.

~ written by Kate Compston, posted on re:worship

From the blog
Check the index for more prayers in the “3 Prayers” series, and much more besides.