PRAYERS 16/5/21
The Gospel of Luke ends with this description of Jesus’ ascension when he returned to the Father:
“Then he led them out of the city as far as Bethany where he raised his hands and blessed them. As he was blessing them he departed from them and was taken up into heaven.”
Lord Jesus, we thank you that your last act on earth was to bless your people as you called them, in Matthew’s words. To go into all the world making you known and promised you would be with us always, to the end of the age.
We thank you Lord that you are always with us, whether together with other Christians, or in our homes, places of work or study. We thank you that you prayed for us before your arrest and crucifixion and now you pray for us at the right hand of the Father. We thank you for your love for the people of this world despite our weaknesses and failures.
Lord, today we especially ask you to bring peace to the peoples of Israel and Palestine. We pray that you will protect people’s bodies and minds, their homes and their futures. Please halt the violence and death-dealing with bombs and rockets. We pray for an end to street attacks in mixed cities and an end to unjust evictions and house demolitions of Palestinian people. Lord will you comfort those who grieve, heal those who are injured, and strengthen Jewish and Palestinian believers and all who work for peace, for justice and for reconciliation and justice in the Holy Land.
We pray too for other parts of your world in great need, including those struggling with Covid-19. We pray especially for India, for Brazil, for developing countries and for remote communities where health provision is weakest.
Closer to home, Lord, we thank you for the progress in bringing the virus spread under control We pray that this will continue, that the Indian virus will be contained, and that we will all act responsibly as restrictions ease. Please give fresh strength to medical staff as they attend to the backlog of treatments so many have been waiting for over the last year.
Lord, we bring before you all who are sick, housebound or recovering from operations in our own church. We bring before you Julian Wright, Anne Dwight, Bill Hinds, Angela Carter, Richard Jones, and Michael Mucklow Will you heal and comfort all who suffer in body, mind or spirit, and restore them to wholeness.
After recent elections and the state reopening of parliament, we pray for our government – both national and local – asking that all involved will lead and serve with compassion, wisdom and understanding, diligence and integrity.
We pray lastly for our Church and think especially of Andrew Roberts as he is confirmed later today at Pattern Church. We pray too for our leaders, for Tudor and Tricia, for Tim and Karen and for our church council that you will guide, bless and enable them.
We thank you that you have called each of us to know you and to be witnesses to your resurrection life in the world. Please help us to remain in you, to think and act as you would, to be thankful and joyful, and to use the opportunities to give us to show and point others to you.
Accept these prayers for the sake of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, amen.