The invitation
Pastoral prayer
Lord God, we give you thanks for all your gifts to us —
for daily food, for health, for each breath we take,
for freedom to choose,
and for the gifts of your word, your power and your love.
Our hearts are truly overwhelmed, O God,
when we consider how you have entrusted so much to us.
May we be worthy of that trust —
may we be a people who are unafraid to live
as fully and as richly as you want us to live.
Help us, O God, as followers of Jesus,
to multiply all that you have given us,
to risk spreading your word and perhaps see it misunderstood,
to gamble by loving those whom others think worthy only of hate,
to take chances by doing good to those who have not done good to us.
Help us be faith filled and desire
to increase your glory and your goodness in this world.
Make us people who share in both word and deed
that which you have given to us.
We pray for the church gathered today,
both here and around the world,
that it may encourage all of its members
to discover, develop and use all their gifts,
those of nature and those of grace.
We pray for those who are poor in body or in spirit,
for those oppressed and heavy laden,
for those sick or in despair, especially _____.
Minister by your Spirit and by us,
to all those for whom we have prayed,
and help us walk faithfully in the path of our Lord Jesus Christ.
~ posted on Life in Liturgy
From the blog
A simple “Yes. Amen.”
United by love
In the school of prayer with Terry Hinks