Prayers of the Community

By Audrey Pope
February 29, 2004

During our Prayers for the Community, I will quote a Prayer for Courage by an unknown author that is printed in Spirit of Gentleness, a collection of Prayers & Meditations. 
Let us pray.

GOD OF SALVATION

Help us as we seek to live like Jesus, as we remember what He has done for us.  Give us strength to resist temptations as Jesus did.  Our Lenten temptations may be small but we need His strength to resist the symbolic food when we feel hunger.

The power to make things better is so satisfying, Oh God but we must look to Christ who refused to use His power for His own benefit and His own physical safety.  The search for money and things can become a lust.  Help us to live by Your Word and to follow Christ’s actions, not just as a Lenten symbol but every day of our lives.

God of Salvation, our refuge and fortress, protect us from evil, help us to keep the faith.  The world seems a dreadful place with the plague of HIV/AIDS throughout the world.  We pray for healers with talents to overcome that and other afflictions.  We pray for the will to share lifesaving drugs, treatments and preventive techniques with peoples who cannot buy them.

There remain landmines where people live and children play.  We pray for the men and women who remove them.  We pray for the leaders who are trying to ban them and, most of all we pray for the leaders of China, Pakistan, India, Russia and the U.S.A. that they will sign the treaty banning land mines, without qualification.

There are people living with violence and fear as part of daily life, people living with justice systems that are inhumane and where punishment causes death.  Grant us, God the strength and commitment to be your ministering angels in bringing concepts of human rights and a more humane justice system to other peoples throughout the world.  Protect human rights workers everywhere.

We give thanks for the work done and the safe return of Susan DuMoulin and the others who went with her to Guatemala.  We pray for the people there and throughout the world and here at home who live with violence and fear.  Be their refuge and fortress.

We pray too, for Bill Inglis and others recovering from and facing acute health challenges; for their families, caretakers and caregivers.  GOD IN YOUR MERCY, HEAR OUR PRAYERS.

We have many blessings in our lives.  There are leaders in our Church who assist us in our spiritual growth through Lenten studies, Small Groups and work with Youth.  In our communities, there are artists who develop and share their creative talents with us in plays, concerts, symphonies, ballet, opera, jazz, music of all kinds.  They enrich our lives.  We have living things dependent upon us; plants, pets, family members and friends who despite sometimes benign neglect show their appreciation of our return with vigorous growth and gentle love, giving us pleasure, laughter and mirth.  We live in a peaceful city where it is usually safe for women and men to walk at night.  FOR ALL THESE BLESSINGS, GRACIOUS GOD, WE GIVE YOU THANKS.

As we strive to retain these blessings, to face the challenges of our wider world and to perform our acts of remembrance, we pray for courage to live in Christ and to follow Your way.  Hear our prayer for Courage.  P.43 Spirit of Gentleness.

A Prayer for Courage
                   Author Unknown
Printed in Spirit of Gentleness, edited by Lyn Whittall and Judy Hager, Quiet Moments Publishing, Vancouver, 1998, 2001

God make me brave –
Let me strengthen after pain
As tree strengthens after the rain,
Shining and lovely again.

As the blown grass lifts, let me rise
From sorrow with quiet eyes,
Knowing Your way is wise.

God make me brave -- Life brings
Such blinding things!
Help me to keep my sight,
Help me to see aright –
That out of dark – comes light.

We take a moment for silent, private prayer.     . . .
GOD IN YOUR MERCY, HEAR OUR PRAYERS.

We pray as Christ taught us,

Our Loving God, who art in Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name,
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On Earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:  For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, forever and ever.  Amen.