General Prayer Pentecost 9 Proper 11

Gracious heavenly Father, as we come to You in prayer we entreat Your favor with all our heart and ask in the name of Jesus that You would be gracious to us according to Your promise:

During this last week we have been reminded that the earth is full of Your steadfast love.  We thank You for the gift of rain and pray that You would use it to prosper crops and livestock and so bless the work of farmers and ranchers.

Grant that we would follow the example of Abraham in our worship, service, and stewardship.  Help us to have a faith like his that trusts in Your promises and is counted by You as righteousness.

We thank and praise You that You have reconciled us to Yourself by the body of Your Son Jesus Christ nailed to the cross.  Because it is Your will that we would stand before You holy and blameless, grant that we would be stable and steadfast in our faith, placing our hope in the Gospel that we have heard.

Empower and energize our congregation and our church by Your Holy Spirit so that like Paul we would work to make Your Word fully known in our communities.  Especially do we ask Your blessing upon our synod as it meets in convention that every decision would be right in Your sight and good for the church.

When we are anxious and troubled about many things set our hearts at rest with the assurance that in Your Son Jesus Christ we have the one thing necessary and it will not be taken from us.  Especially do we pray for those who are troubled with illness and disability and the frailty of old age that You would grant them healing and strength according to Your will.

Bless our nation and its leaders and our fellow citizens with a desire to keep Your commandments and a willingness to learn Your statutes.  Watch over and protect our military men and women.

Whatever else You see that we need; whatever is good for our neighbor and brings glory to You; grant to us dear Father in heaven for we ask it all in the name of Jesus Christ, trusting in his promise that You will hear and answer us for his sake.  Amen.