Prayers of the Church, 3.6.11

Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of the enemy because the Lord our God goes with us. You, O God, will never fail or forsake us.

You, O Lord, are our helper – Your help surrounds us in the scriptures, the lessons of Jesus and his disciples. Your help surrounds us in the Christian servants with whom we worship, serve, and live. Your help surrounds us in the form of your spirit, a spirit that never forsakes us.

Many of us, Father, have spent countless days and hours learning to be good Christians. Some of us have spent practically our entire lives learning the love of Jesus Christ. We know the words.

We know what to say and we know what to do. Our failing so often comes when we are called to put our Christian knowledge into action.

God, make us Christian people of action. When we see a need among our friends and family, give us the inclination, give us the wherewithal to act, to support, to assist.

Inside our families, among our friends, inside this congregation, we must think and act like a body, knowing that we are all your creation, all your children. Then we must act with hospitality to strangers, not just friends. Help us be a blessing to all those who come into our lives, individually and collectively.

You are the Lord of our enemies. Bless them, Father, and help us bless them, too, with our thoughts, words, and actions.

You, O Lord, are our rock and our strength – Give us the strength to stand fast against the lure of the world. Give us the strength to be content with what possessions we have, and to not covet what eludes us whether it be wealth, power, influence, physical beauty, fame.

Help us stand solid in our efforts to overcome weakness, to overcome our sin. Forgive us when we call on you to save us from the sins we wish to waive, the sins we wish to ignore.

You, O Lord, are our light – Your spirit shines on our path; guides us on our way. But so often you do not reveal the entire path, but a few steps. Give us the spiritual maturity, give us the faith, to follow you when we can only see a step or two in front of us for we know that you will care for us.

In the silence, hear our prayers of penitence, our words of praise for your help, strength, light:


We pray your blessings on Higher Ministries, Lord. Guide them as they support healthy church leadership, leadership which can help their congregations be a blessing to their communities.

And now, WE can say with confidence “The Lord is our shepherd. We will not be afraid. With the same confidence, we pray as Jesus taught us to pray: