P7. Prayers

The seventh in a series of Prayers of the People, written for the Episcopal Church of the Advent.  See Entry #736 for a full explanation.

*****

PRAYERS FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT, APRIL 3, 2011

Reader:  As we journey forward through the Lenten season, let us pray for the world and all those in need, responding to O Lord Our Shepherd, Shine On Us!

For the people of your creation throughout the world, and for those who are blinded by the real and unreal issues of our time, and for those who have seen and believed, we pray O Lord Our Shepherd, Shine On Us!

For all the leaders of the world, in this special season, may they use their powers and resources for moderation in our use of fossil fuels which pollute our environment, diverting our limited resources from those in need, we pray O Lord Our Shepherd, Shine On Us!

For our national leaders, especially our President Barack and our military personnel, we seek the success of their goals and their safe return home from Libya, Afghanistan, and other sites of deployment, we pray O Lord Our Shepherd, Shine On Us!

For ourselves to be shepherded through our decisions affecting our environment; bringing light to the creation and use of new technologies; bringing acceptance of the need to reuse, recycle, and reclaim; and exposing the unfruitful works of darkness to find all that is good and right and true, we pray O Lord Our Shepherd, Shine On Us!

For the needs of your church in the Anglican Communion for the Diocese of Multan, Pakistan; in the Diocese of Kentucky for the Kentucky Council of Churches, and in the Highland Community Ministries for Immanuel United Church of Christ, and for our Presiding Bishop Katharine, our Rector Tim, our Deacon Eva, and for all those who minister in our Parish, and for those on Advent’s prayer list [names go here], in fervent hope that all these know you as their shepherd, and that goodness and mercy shall abide with us forever, we pray O Lord Our Shepherd, Shine On Us!

We pray for the dying and the deceased in our family and parish, for [names go here].  Give the living your peace and consolation, and the dead a home in the Church Eternal, we pray O Lord Our Shepherd, Shine On Us!

Presider:  O God of our Earth, our temporal home, give us the light and wisdom to awake and protect our planet, to sustain it in our days and for all the days to come we pray, and to one day hear the call of Sleeper, awake!, Rise from the dead, and let Christ will shine upon you.  Amen.