Occasional Prayers (2)
Intercession – 4th Sunday of Epiphany (28/01/23)
Let us
come in the name of Jesus the Christ, and through the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, to present our praise, our pleas, and our petitions to our always-loving
heavenly Father – Let us pray.
Papa God!
This is our fourth Sunday of Epiphanizing,
LORD,
and, frankly, we might have got a bit
lost!
But you are the God of Creation
who spoke Light into the Darkness,
and the Darkness had no idea what hit
it!
But we do! Jesus, the Christ, your anointed
son,
Our always Light,
our redeemer and our King – the One
who keeps us, the one who cares,
the Word, who is a lamp to our feet,
and the Light upon our path:
Jesus, who henceforth, identifies us
as the Light of the world!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Embolden us, then, this morning,
that we may not shun the opportunity
to shine! Strengthen weak knees,
equip feeble hands, and Lion-tame
our timid hearts,
that all around us may come to the
brightness
of our arising in Christ!
Lord, in your mercy, hear our
prayer.
As you spoke, long ago,
to the fathers through the prophets,
and, through various ways and means,
building one truth upon another,
so, in our age you have authoritatively
spoken
through your son,
The Prophet of prophets, promised way
back
at the beginning of our Bible and of our age.
He, who is the dazzling radiance of
Your splendour, the exact expression
of
Your true nature, Your mirror-image,
and of whom we, now, are becoming the
mirror-image –
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
inspire us this morning, as beloved
image-bearers of your divine nature
to overcome evil with good,
expose darkness with our light,
and shine as beacons of the kingdom
of heaven.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May your name be praised, your
kingdom come, and your will be done
as in heaven, so also on earth,
and particularly, in the Church
which is simultaneously,
the Body, Bride and Beloved
of your Christ.
May judgement begin first with us, then.
For if not with us, with whom does
the primary responsibility
of proclaiming, of practicing, and
of presenting
the gospel of healing, of wholeness
and of total reconciliation through
Christ
in the kingdom of heaven, lie?
Lord, have mercy and save all who
minister
to, among, and on behalf of that Body,
Bride, and Beloved:
be they archbishops or administrators,
bishops or bricklayers,
curates or cleaners,
deacons or dishwashers –
indeed, all of us who are, without
exception,
elected
and equipped to serve
as ambassadors of your kingdom;
Lord in your mercy, hear our
prayer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have celebrated the child born to
us,
the son given and revealed as Light
to the whole world,
upon whose shoulders would rest
all government as
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father and Prince of Peace,
of
whose governance and peace
there will be no end,
we ask: When?
How long, O Lord? How long?
We do believe you - and believe in
you – so, please help our disbelief.
In obedience and hope, then,
we pray for peace in all
the arenas of conflict – realised and
rumoured -
that are dealing out death,
destruction,
disease, displacement, dehumanisation,
and despair.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our
prayer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jehovah Rapha – God our Healer
Have mercy on all those among us,
or known to us,
who are suffering from
sickness of mind, body, or soul –
perhaps all three –
as well as those who are
addicted, incarcerated, hungry,
lonely, lost, and afraid,
including those we personally
remember to you, now, for a moment…
PAUSE
And for those who mourn, to whom you
have promised comfort, and who
you reassure of resurrection life:
bless and protect them, and us,
and deal kindly and
graciously with us,
bestow your loving favour
upon us, and grant us all Shalom -
the wholeness of peace, faith,
hope and love in your extravagant
grace.
Merciful Father, accept these our
prayers for the sake of your son, our saviour, Jesus Christ,
AMEN!
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