Prayers of the People - November 15

Prayers of the People
November 15, 2015
Knox United Church, Lower Sackville


We look around our hurting world, O God,

and we lament.

We lament the acts of war and terror around the world,

in Baghdad

in Beirut

in Paris

in Syria.

We grieve the lives lost,

the blood shed,

the families torn apart,

the people left homeless.

In the silence, we pray.

We turn to you, God of peace and God of love.

Wrap the world in your love.

Hold the world tight in your embrace,

            like a mother holds a baby,

so that every single person may know love.

Blow your Holy Spirit through the whole world,

filling the world with love and peace and joy

so that there is no more room for fear and hatred and terror.

In the silence we pray.

We pray for our broken world –

where some lives are valued more highly than others;

where some people have access to food and shelter and clean water,

            while others go without;

where access to medical care is not always based on need;

where resources are not fairly shared between nations and people.

Stir up in us, O God,

a spirit of compassion,

a spirit of solidarity with those who are oppressed,

a spirit of love.

May your Holy Spirit blow through us,

            transforming us into the Body of Christ,

            the eyes and ears and hands and feet of Christ,

            present to everyone who needs Christ’s presence.

In the silence we pray.

We look around us, and we pray for those who are close to us.

We pray for our families,

            our friends,

            all who are sick,

            all who are lonely,

            all who are mourning,

            all who are questioning,

            all whose needs are known to you.

In the silence we pray.

And as we look around your world,

we can see signs of hope and love.

We see doors opened for people who need a place to stay.

We see borders being opened to refugees.

We see friendships that cross barriers put up by society.

We see people standing in solidarity with one another.

We see a new baby’s eyes opening to a new world.

We see baptism, a visible sign of your love.

We see the sun breaking through the clouds.

And we thank you.

We thank you for your light which shines in the darkness,

            and the darkness does not overcome it.

We thank you for your promises,

            and we thank you for the hope you give us

which gives us confidence in your promises.

We thank you for your ever-present love,

            and we thank you for your grace and mercy

                        which can reach every corner of the world.

In the silence we pray.

All of these prayers we pray in the name of Jesus,

            the Prince of Peace,

and we pray the prayer that he taught us to pray, saying,

Our Father, who art in heaven…