a community creating for the relentless return of Sunday
(Written for a young reader)
We call out to you, Lord,
because we know you hear and answer.
We pray for people who feel like they are drowning in trouble.
Turn and look, and let everyone see you are close by.
We pray for people who feel like they have been swallowed up
by oceans of sickness, sadness, or fear.
Reach down and lift us up.
We thank you for listening to our prayers,
and we know you are ready to answer.
We praise you
and promise to follow you forever,
in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Covenant Presbyterian Church, West Des Moines, IA
Call to Confession
Sometimes we must let go of our nets in order to follow Jesus.
Let us confess our reluctance to follow,
and examine what we must let go of in order to follow Jesus.
Prayer of Confession
We confess that we do not often know what to confess, O Lord. We are so consumed by our own projects that we don’t always hear your voice. We know that you speak through the suffering of others, the curiosity of one who needs to know they are not alone, and the opportunity to demonstrate love and forgiveness. Help us, Lord, to know our faults and turn from them. Hear us now, even as we confess our own unwillingness to hear you.
(silent prayer)
Thank you, Lord, for hearing our prayers.
Guide us in the true way of life as we follow you today. Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Zach Sasser, First Presbyterian Church, Lafayette, Louisiana
Beloved, we have heard and trusted in
the good news of Jesus Christ.
Go now into the world to do and see still greater things,
to open heaven upon earth
and bear witness to eternal life today;
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Covenant Presbyterian Church, West Des Moines, IA
We praise you, O Lord, with all our hearts!
As your people gathered in faith, we call upon you.
We celebrate what you have done for us,
and we love to tell the stories of your grace.
For the sake of your unending righteousness,
we call upon your grace and compassion for your people.
We pray for those who are hungry,
and we seek to use our gifts so they might be fed.
We pray for those who suffer oppression
from enemies within or beyond their homelands,
and we look for justice and peace for all people.
We pray for those who seek to draw closer to you,
that you would open the eyes of every heart
and reveal yourself to all who seek you.
We give you thanks, Holy One,
for you are always faithful to your people;
your promises are always sure.
We pray with the wisdom, and in the name,
of Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray, saying:
The Lord’s Prayer
Submitted by Rev. Nathan Williams, Echo Hill Presbyterian Church, Cedar Rapids, IA
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