This prayer sheet is inspired by the May 2021 theme of the month, Holy, and the season of Pentecost.
The psalmist says,
I love the Lord because he hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!
(Psalm 116:1-2, NLT)
So let us pray …
For personal use or to share.
A. CALL TO WORSHIP
“And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind,
and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” (Acts 2:2)
A wind breathes among us,
calling us to gather
in the name of the Holy One.
A fire burns within us,
calling us to service,
calling us to prayer.
A spirit moves around us,
calling us to turn in joy
toward the sorrows of the world.
Burning, breathing,
Spirit of Compassion,
we bring our lives to you.
B. SONG: When we pray
When we pray, when we worship,
when we love, when we serve
Your Spirit, Lord Jesus,
is at work in your Church,
helping us follow in your footsteps
making us more like you.
C. READING
… We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.
Colossians 1:9b-10 (NIV)
D. PRAYER
Lord, we would grow with you
and bring forth fruit
that is pleasing to you,
fed by your living water,
giving sustenance to others.
Lord, we would grow with you.
E. BREATH PRAYER
(inspired by Romans 8:22-27)
The Apostle Paul tells us that the Spirit of God prays for us “with sighs too deep for words”. Through the Life-Giving Breath of God, we are given all that we need. Let us breathe deeply – inhaling the good gifts that God provides, and exhaling all of the things that we need to release.
Let us breathe in strength.
(Pause for breath…)
And, let us exhale our exhaustion.
(Pause for breath…)
Let us breathe in freedom.
(Pause for breath…)
And, let us exhale all that holds us back.
(Pause for breath…)
Let us breathe in a new sense of direction.
(Pause for breath…)
And, let us exhale the paths we no longer want to use.
(Pause for breath…)
Let us breathe in hope.
(Pause for breath…)
And, let us exhale self-doubt.
(Pause for breath…)
Let us breathe in unconditional love.
(Pause for breath…)
And, let us exhale distrust and hate.
(Pause for breath…)
Holy Spirit, let us feel the mighty rush of your presence in this place. Blow away our fears and worries, and help us to breathe in your gifts of new life.
Amen.
F. LET US PRAY
“… pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:18a)
Let us pray …
G. BENEDICTION
So now we leave this space of worship
and while so much of the road ahead is uncertain,
the path constantly changing,
we know some things that are as solid
and sure as the ground beneath our feet,
and the sky above our heads.
We know God is love.
We know Christ’s light endures.
We know the Holy Spirit is there,
found in the space between all things,
closer to us than our next breath,
binding us to each other, until we meet we again.
Go in peace.
CREDITS
A. http://www.seekerschurch.org/
B. by Irene Bom, https://www.irenebom.com/songwriter
D. contemporary Welsh prayer, posted on http://revgalprayerpals.blogspot.ca
E. by Amy Loving, http://worshipcloset.com
G. by Nora Vedress https://re-worship.blogspot.com
Prayer sheet prepared by Rev. Irene Bom, OLM in the International Presbytery of the Church of Scotland, compiled for the Prayer Matters blog (May 2021), inspired by the theme of the month: Holy