Tag Archive: Prayer of the People

Prayer of the People, 3 July 2020

July 6, 2020 0 Comments

Heavenly Father, 

You have a boundless supply of love and yet we only dip our toes into its wide expanse. How wide, high, long and deep is the Love of God in Christ for us! You desire to immerse us into the life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Come Lord Jesus Come. You have brought us into your communion — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we say Thank you. Thank you for this grace; you are changing our lives.

Come Holy Spirit and pour the love of God into our hearts. Let your Presence flow from the life of Jesus into our whole fellowship. May we persevere in this faith, hope and love.

In view of your great mercy our tight grip on the stuff of earth, our lack of contentment, and our refusal to meet the eyes of the suffering, reveals how small are hearts are and how idolatry still clouds our vision.

Forgive us Lord. Free us us to live in the promise of your abundant life so we can join you in what you are doing in our neighbourhoods.

Loosen our tongues to share your Words of life.
Settle our angry hearts so we can welcome the hurting.
Open our hands to impart the ministering power of your Spirit.

We lift up to you our brothers and sisters in Hong Kong. As your Body grant them courage and wisdom to be your healing Presence in the city and in every neighbourhood even under duress.

We lift up to you university and college ministry leadership teams seeking to love students well this Fall. Grant them a deep appreciation of your Gospel and activate your spiritual gifts for this season of outreach and ministry.

We lift up to you communities in Canada in need of clean water, sufficient housing, and more houses of hope so that youth grow in their capacity to fulfilling the dreams you have put in them. Raise up men and women who have spent time on their knees with you to spend time and their lives with youth in every community.

We need you Lord, So we pray as Jesus taught us. (Join me in the Lord’s Prayer.)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever. 
Amen.

Prepared for the Origin Weekend Broadcast, 3 July 2020.

Prayer

Prayer of the People, 26 June 2020

June 29, 2020 1 Comment

Heavenly Father,

You have had compassion towards us when we were so weak. You came to us; lifted us up. cleaned us up; and You have made us beautiful. The back stories of our souls are not readily apparent. But we know the grace you have given us. We can say with the Apostle Paul, we were the worst of sinners, but you have shown us grace!

Thank you for this grace. It has brought us from death to life and into the Kingdom of your Son, Jesus Christ. We delight in your communion — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Perhaps our love for You has grown cold and we are not doing the things we did at first. Oh Lord we repent of the desires that trample love for you in our lives. 

We repent of the impulse to dominate others. 
We repent of our incessant people-pleasing pursuit of praise.
We repent of our puffed up self-righteousness built on knowing something.
All of this makes us busy and we stop listening to the Shepherd of our Souls.

Oh how we need the wisdom of Jesus. Oh how we need you: the crucified God, Saviour of the World to forgive us and fill us with Your Spirit. Come Lord Jesus.

Our neighbours need you Lord. We lift up to you those who are being crushed under the weight of addiction — bring freedom and healing Lord.

We lift up those who live in the fearful shadow of violence and abuse — fortify them with your love and provide them with a way to safety.

We lift up those who wonder about their next meal and we pray that you would open up the storehouses of heaven locked up in the hearts of those with plenty.

We lift up neighbours who do not have a song in their heart and the joy of your salvation — please grant them new life and the hope of the Gospel.  Come Lord Jesus.

We know we need you and we know you love us. So, we pray as Jesus taught us:

(Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever.   
Amen.

Prayer

Prayer of the People, 19 June 2020

June 22, 2020 0 Comments

Heavenly Father,

In your mercy you looked on those you created. Though we rejected you and your Word, you moved towards us in love. Your compassion exceeds our imagination. Thank you for not leaving it to our imagination. We see the Cross. You moved first and have loved us. You sent your Son in the image of sinful humanity, took up a cross, and died for us. 

Thank you for this grace. You have ushered us into your communion. We have believed your Word and your Resurrection. We have crossed over from death into life and now we enjoy the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

The Resurrection of your Son has set in us a lasting hope.

Yet, why do the nations rage against you? Why does the evil one still kill, steal and destroy? 

We would drop these weapons and words of war, turn them into plows and set our hands to the fallow ground of our hearts and our communities. Surely there is good to be shared!

Oh Father, may your Spirit blow across our land as a refreshing breeze for the nations. Forgive us for we have resisted your call to be still and know that you are God. We lift up indigenous brothers and sisters who are weary from grief as yet another life has been taken in a violent encounter with police. Oh Lord there must be another way!

Lord we lift up to you the people of Yemin, and plead with you for peace. Oh Lord may your shalom emerge in the most chaotic corners of this nation. May your healing for the nations be made known through the revelation of Jesus Christ. May your provisions be released to provide for a people weekend by famine. Oh Lord come and hear their cry.

Lord we thank you for the Graduates from the University of British Columbia and from Langara College here in Vancouver this week. Bless them. Provide for them. Turn your face toward them and be their delight. Establish the work of their hands so that your goodness will be shared with many neighbours.

Oh Lord, we need you and so we pray as Jesus taught us. (Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever.   
Amen.

Prayer

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Prayer of the People, 12 June 2020

June 15, 2020 0 Comments

Heavenly Father,

We open our mouths to you. We open our hearts to you. And we cry out!

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.
The one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.

Thank you for including us in your communion — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our life with you rests in your love toward us. You moved first. You have shown us your love through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. You have brought us into the communion of your love even now through the Holy Spirit who pours you love into our lives. Thank you! You do not disappoint!

Grant us strength to persevere. Grant us the encouragement of the Spirit. Grant us the compassion of your Son. Grant us the welcoming heart of the Father.

On our own we are powerless to rid ourselves of the creeping overtaking entanglements of sin. So we cry out to you for the regenerative power of your Spirit in our lives. We cast them off and desire to run the race with Jesus. Forgive us Lord. Cause your Word to flourish in our hearts so that our attitudes and actions are shaped by grace and truth. This is what we want:

Real love, in real places, with real neighbours. Show us how O Lord.

We lift up to you our campus community. Encourage students as they study to study with you. Encourage graduates to trust you for their next steps. You are our Provider. Your wisdom though foolish to the world has become our delight.

We lift up to you our policy makers and authorities tasked with governing. By your Spirit compel them to make decisions without regard for the next election but for the common good.

We lift up to you our brothers and sisters in Iran. Encourage them and fortify them with your love and the grace of your Gospel that they may persevere under hardship and even imprisonment. You are their refuge O Lord.

We lift up the churches of Vancouver and pray that you would cause them to flourish after this season of pruning. May our roots run deep into you. May we bear the fruit that you intend.

So we pray as Jesus taught us. (Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever.   
Amen.

Prayer

Prayer of the People, 29 May 2020

June 1, 2020 0 Comments

Heavenly Father,

By your costly grace we have been drawn into your communion — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Our faith has found a resting place. We rest in you. In you we are restored and refreshed.

In you we have received a new vision for life and godliness.

Yet, we must not close our eyes like Jonah on the boat to Tarshish. You keep inviting us to see with you, and join you in the realities of life. Though we may run from You, You can locate us. Though we close our eyes you can wake us. Though we speak with guile in our hearts you can accomplish your Word.

Oh, gladly in Christ, we surrender ourselves to your sovereignty. Your Spirit keeps pouring His love and so in the fierceness of your love and justice we would move. We set our faces with Jesus towards the cities of your calling and our cross.

Fortify our hearts with your love. Establish the work of our hands Oh Lord.

We lift up to you our friends at the Athens Ministry Centre in Greece. Encourage them and create lighthouses of love across the world along their networks of friendship and family.

We lift up to you our friends in the Association of Christian Clubs at UBC. Deepen the conviction of students for the brilliance of Jesus and grant them courage for trusting you in every good work. 

We lift up to you our friends in 24-7 Prayer in Vancouver and across Canada. Thank you for those who keep watch in the night and in places overlooked in order to minister in your name.

Oh Lord we love you and ask you to give us wisdom. The days are evil; we would understand your will. Even as our buildings and halls may be empty we plead that our fellowship would not be empty of your Spirit, truth and grace. Fill us with your Spirit. Fill us with your Word. Fill us with your songs!

We need you in every arena of life, so we pray as Jesus taught us: (Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever.   
Amen.

Discipleship, Prayer