|
Current Events & News
Home
Up
About Us
Child Caring Centers
Current Events & News
Newcomer Information
Weddings & Baptisms
| |
|
PRAYERS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE |
|
From the Book of Common Prayer |
| |
|
Prayers for the World |
| |
|
For the Human Family |
|
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take
away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls
that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle
and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time,
all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| |
|
For Peace |
|
Eternal
God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of
righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily
spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner
of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. Amen. |
| |
|
For Peace |
|
Almighty God,
kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your
wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in
tranquility your dominion may increase until the earth is filled with the
knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen. |
| |
|
For Peace
Among the Nations |
|
Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of
the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that
peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. |
| |
|
For our
Enemies
|
|
O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to
love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth: deliver them and
us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to
stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| |
|
Prayers for the Church |
| |
|
For the Church
|
|
Gracious
Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all
truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error,
direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right,
strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided,
reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.
|
| |
|
For the Unity
of the Church
|
|
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only
Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the
great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and
prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord;
that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one
Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all
of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of
faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| |
|
Prayers For National Life |
| |
|
For Our Country |
|
Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the
earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the
people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance,
that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen. |
| |
|
For our
Country
|
|
Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our
heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people
mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable
industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord,
and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our
liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither
out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to
whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be
justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may
show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of
prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble,
suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen. |
| |
|
For the
President of the United States and all in Civil Authority
|
|
O Lord our
Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to thy
merciful care, that, being guided by thy Providence, we may dwell
secure in thy peace. Grant to the President of the United States, the
Governor of this State (or Commonwealth), and to all in authority,
wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the
love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling
to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who
liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one
God, world without end. Amen. |
| |
|
For Sound
Government
|
|
O Lord our Governor, bless the leaders of our land,
that we may be a people at peace among ourselves and a blessing to other
nations of the earth.
Lord, keep this nation under your care.
To the
President and members of the Cabinet, to Governors of States, Mayors of
Cities, and to all in administrative authority, grant wisdom and grace in
the exercise of their duties.
Give grace to your servants, O Lord.
To Senators and Representatives, and those who make our laws in
States, Cities, and Towns, give courage, wisdom, and foresight to provide
for the needs of all our people, and to fulfill our obligations in the
community of nations.
Give grace to your servants, O Lord.
To the Judges and officers of our Courts give understanding and integrity,
that human rights may be safeguarded and justice served.
Give grace to your servants, O Lord.
And finally, teach our people to rely on your strength and to accept their
responsibilities to their fellow citizens, that they may elect trustworthy
leaders and make wise decisions for the well-being of our society; that we
may serve you faithfully in our generation and honor your holy Name.
For yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.
Amen. |
| |
| For those in the Armed Forces of our Country
|
|
Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and
keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend
them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials
and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and
grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| |
| For those who suffer for the sake of Conscience
|
|
O God our Father, whose Son forgave his enemies while
he was suffering shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer for the sake
of conscience; when they are accused, save them from speaking in hate; when
they are rejected, save them from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save
them from despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their
witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be cleansed and
strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, our merciful and
righteous Judge. Amen. |
|
|
| Prayers for the Social Order |
| |
|
For Social
Justice
|
| Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so
move every human heart [and especially the hearts of the people of this
land], that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and
hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and
peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| |
| For Social Justice |
| Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us grace
fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression;
and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the
maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the
glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. |
| |
| In Times of Conflict |
| O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help
us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one
another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual
forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| |
| For those who Influence Public Opinion |
| Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many
voices: Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where many listen and
write what many read; that they may do their part in making the heart of
this people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous; to the honor of
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| |
| For Families |
| Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who settest the solitary
in families: We commend to thy continual care the homes in which thy people
dwell. Put far from them, we beseech thee, every root of bitterness, the
desire of vainglory, and the pride of life. Fill them with faith, virtue,
knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness. Knit together in constant
affection those who, in holy wedlock, have been made one flesh. Turn the
hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to the
parents; and so enkindle fervent charity among us all, that we may evermore
be kindly affectioned one to another; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. |
| |
|
For the Absent
|
|
O God, whose fatherly care reacheth to the
uttermost parts of the earth: We humbly beseech thee graciously to
behold and bless those whom we love, now absent from us. Defend them from
all dangers of soul and body; and grant that both they and we, drawing
nearer to thee, may be bound together by thy love in the
communion of thy Holy Spirit, and in the fellowship of thy
saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| |
|
For Guidance
|
|
Direct us, O
Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and further us with
your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in
you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, by your mercy, obtain
everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| |
|
For Guidance
|
|
O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and
light riseth up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our
doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldest have us
to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and
that in thy light we may see light, and in thy straight path
may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| |
|
For Quiet Confidence |
|
O God of peace, you have taught us that in returning
and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our
strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, into your presence,
where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen. |
| |
|
A Prayer of
Self-Dedication
|
|
Almighty and
eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill
our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine,
utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as
thou wilt, and always to thy glory and the welfare of thy
people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen |
| |
|
A Prayer
attributed to St. Francis
|
|
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is
discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we
may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to
understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it
is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to
eternal life. Amen. |
| |
|
A Litany of Thanksgiving |
|
Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts
so freely bestowed upon us:
For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea. We
thank you, Lord.
For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the
image of
Christ.
We thank you, Lord.
For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,
We thank you,
Lord.
For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to
serve, We thank you
Lord.
For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and
play, We thank you, Lord.
For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful
in
adversity,
We thank you, Lord.
For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and
justice, We thank you,
Lord.
For the communion of saints, in all times and
places, We thank you,
Lord.
Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given
to us in Christ Jesus our Lord; To him be praise and glory, with you, O
Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. |
| |
|
For Heroic
Service
|
|
O Judge of the
nations, we remember before you with grateful hearts the men and women of
our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we
now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land
share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines. This
we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| |
|
Thanksgivings for the Social Order |
| |
|
For the
Diversity of Races and Cultures
|
|
O God, who
created all peoples in your image, we thank you for the wonderful diversity
of races and cultures in this world. Enrich our lives by ever-widening
circles of fellowship, and show us your presence in those who differ most
from us, until our knowledge of your love is made perfect in our love for
all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
|
