General Prayer Pentecost 13 proper 18a

Gracious heavenly Father, You are our hiding place.  Hear us as we offer our prayers to You in Jesus’ name:

We acknowledge our sin to You and confess our transgressions before You.  Cover our sins by the blood of Your Son Jesus Christ so that we would know the blessings of being forgiven in Your sight.

Continue to raise up men who will be watchmen for Your people.  When they speak Your Word to us grant us faith to heed Your warnings and trust in Your promises.  Bless the seminaries and schools of the church as they train men for this important work.

We ask Your blessing upon our nation and her leaders.  Help us to regard them as Your ministers for our good.  Grant them wisdom and prudence so that they would reward the good and punish the evil.  Protect our military men and women who serve in harm’s way.  Bring an end to violence around the world, convert those who do not know You as God and Lord, and lift up those who are persecuted for their faith.

Help us to owe no one anything except the debt of love.  Fill us with Your Spirit so that we can keep Your commandments, love our neighbors as ourselves, and fulfill Your law.

We thank You that when we were lost, You sought us out and have made a place for us in the kingdom of heaven by the death and resurrection of Your Son Jesus Christ.  Open our ears to hear the Spirit’s call to come to You in faith and grant us humility to simply receive the gift of salvation Jesus has earned for us.

We praise You that Your love and care extends even to little children.  We thank You for the daughter that You have given to Leslie and Ben and pray that You would bring little Claire safely to the waters of Holy Baptism.  Grant that all who are entrusted with the care of children would, by their words and example, lead them You.  Especially do we pray for those who are grandparents, that they would fulfill their roles with grace and love.  We also ask Your blessing upon our Sunday School students and teachers and helpers.  Remind parents that their first duty to their children is to raise them in the faith.

Because Your Son Jesus has promised that where two or three gather in his name, he will be present and if they agree on anything in prayer You will grant it, give us confidence that You hear and will answer these prayers for Jesus’ sake.  Amen.