Saturday, August 20, 2016

Proper 16c General Prayer



Gracious heavenly Father, You have promised us in Your Word that if we call upon You in the day of trouble You will deliver us so that we might glorify You.  Hear us now as we call upon You in prayer:

We ask Your blessing upon the mission of the Church throughout the world.  Help Your people to declare Your glory among the nations.  Watch over our missionaries and their families and empower their work with Your Spirit.  Especially do we pray that You would help us here in San Angelo bear faithful witness to You as we have opportunity.

We offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving for the years of marriage that You have granted to Erwin and Carolyn as they celebrate their anniversary.  Continue to bless them in body and soul all their days.  We also give You thanks and praise for the rain that You have sent upon this dry land and pray that You would continue to bless the work of farmers and ranchers.  We also thank You for the good test results that You have given to Virginia.

When we experience hard times and difficulties and struggles help us to understand and believe that we are undergoing Your fatherly discipline that You give to those who are blessed to be Your children.  Cause this discipline to produce in us a harvest of righteousness and peace.  According to Your wise fatherly will grant healing to those who are ill, especially Ann, Barbara, Sue, and Kay.  Comfort those who mourn, especially Lena’s family.  Watch over and protect expectant mothers and their children even as You comfort those families who have suffered miscarriages.

Strengthen us by Your Spirit so that we can fight against sin and walk in Your ways and strive for peace and live lives that are holy in Your sight.  When the root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble in our marriages and families and congregation bring us to repentance and make us ready to forgive from the heart.

Heavenly Father, we confess and believe and trust that Your Son Jesus Christ is the Mediator of a new covenant of forgiveness and peace in his shed blood on the cross.  We give You thanks for his body and blood on the altar this morning that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel, assuring us that we are right in Your sight. 

Remind us that we have before us today a day of grace and salvation by which we can enter into eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ and help us to hear and heed Your warning that this day will not last forever so that we do not cast Your grace underfoot.

Whatever else You see that we need; whatever serves our neighbor and brings glory to You; whatever extends Your kingdom and works for our final salvation, grant to us dear Father in heaven for we ask it in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

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