Thy Kingdom Come Prayers for Pentecost A prayer resource for the week leading up to Pentecost. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have invited the whole church to pray for the evangelisation of the nation: for the renewal of the Holy Spirit, and for Christians to be confident in sharing their faith. c Palo /flickr c Ian Burt /flickr The resource site for Thy Kingdom Come offers a booklet with resources for nine days of prayer. Each day offers a picture, a Bible passage and a prayer. Link: http://thykingdom.co.uk/help-my-church-pray (A Novena Prayer) On the same page are resources for different ways of praying: look for the button School of Prayer. You can pray with the Bible; with the senses; in silence; with music. See also http://bit.ly/1oerzfs for resources for use with children and young people. Come Holy Spirit: draw us together and bring in the Kingdom.
Sunday 8 May Praying for Evangelism What is evangelism? It is talking about good news. We don t need to be embarrassed about not knowing the right words. The chances are that the person we are talking to will be put off by technical Christian language anyway. Sharing your faith is telling someone you trust about the things that matter to you, in your own words. Talk about how your life has changed; what makes Jesus real to you; why God is as ordinary as bread and as extraordinary as a new baby s cry. The best evangelism is a life that makes people say, Whatever that person has, I want some of it. God is already at work in people s lives: he has given them a sense of wonder and a longing for what is good and true and beautiful. All we need to do is point to him. If life is hard, we can encourage others that there is more to it than the daily grind: that God values everyone and his open hands are full of blessings. Gracious God, we thank you that you have brought us to know and recognise you through our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for those who shared the Gospel of Jesus with us. We ask that in turn we may pass the Good News on to others. Give us confidence to speak of you, sensitivity to walk with others on their journey, and love to inspire us to reach out to others. Most of all, give us a passion to see your Kingdom come, that we might take risky steps to be your witnesses to your world; through your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. Pray for pioneer ministers and those leading missions. Pray for those who reach out through toddler groups and lunch clubs and pastoral ministries of every kind. Pray for those exploring faith for the first time, and those who support them and encourage them. Pray for the people who will come to faith tomorrow or the next day. Pray that you may notice them and speak the word that makes it easy to come in.
Monday 9 May Praying for those whose life is tough Lord Jesus Christ, may the tears shed in your earthly life be balm for all who weep, and may the prayers of your pilgrimage give strength to all who suffer; for your mercy s sake. Amen. Lord Christ, true light of the world, shine, we pray, in the hearts of your people, that we might see the Way that leads to eternal life, and follow without stumbling; for you are the Way, O Christ, as you are the Truth and the Life. Amen. Holy Spirit our Comforter, breathe your warmth on those whose hearts are cold and dull with despair. Light in their hearts the flame of hope and give the courage to take another step towards the sunrise of eternal day that will burn away all pain and suffering for ever. This we ask through Christ who bore our sorrows to give us his life. Amen. Almighty God, the treasure that we seek and the fulfilment that we long for: send your Holy Spirit to guide those who search for truth and meaning in their lives. May his power show us what is real and what is good and give us the courage to hold it fast. This we ask through Jesus Christ who is our Way, our Truth and our eternal Life. Amen.
Tuesday 10 May Praying for public life When praying for our government and the public life of the nation, we are invited to be thankful - be knowledgeable - be hopeful. Thankful: for the blessings of accountable and democratically elected leadership; for our freedom to worship as Christians and our ability to engage openly in public life as Christians. Knowledgeable: to be aware of injustice, suffering and poverty, and to be aware of politics as a spiritual battlefield. Hopeful: to pray for Christians in politics to be salt and light in our public life. God of justice, We pray for those who hold positions of responsibility and power both internationally and in our local communities; may your Holy Spirit guide them in their decision-making, so that paths of truth and justice may be open to everyone. This we ask through Christ our King, who judges all earthly rulers. Amen. Holy Spirit, you are the bond of communion and bring people together: guide our leaders and those of other nations, our allies and our adversaries. Give them the wisdom to understand that we flourish only together, that the rich cannot prosper without the poor, and that you, Most Holy Trinity, love the least of your creatures. Give discernment and perseverance for the tasks of the present moment, and vision to work towards a world of justice and peace, by your divine guidance, that the Kingdom may come. Amen.
Wednesday 11 May Praying for increase of holiness Look graciously upon us, O Holy Spirit, and give us for our hallowing thoughts that pass into prayer, prayers that pass into love, and love that passes into life with you for ever. Amen. Eric Milner-White Holy God, faithful and unchanging: enlarge our minds with the knowledge of your truth, and draw us more deeply into the mystery of your love, that we may truly worship you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. O Lord, penetrate those murky corners where we hide memories and tendencies on which we do not care to look, but which we will not disinter and yield freely up to you, that you may purify and transmute them: the persistent buried grudge, the halfacknowledged enmity which is still smouldering; the bitterness of that loss we have not turned into sacrifice; the private comfort we cling to; the secret fear of failure which saps our initiative and is really inverted pride; the pessimism which is an insult to your joy, Lord: we bring all these to you, and we review them with shame and penitence in your steadfast light. Amen. Evelyn Underhill
Thursday 12 May Praying for those who do not know God Some people sort of know God, but dislike the Church; but perhaps their image of God is actually a long way from what Christianity really teaches. Some people reject God, and point to the damage that religion has done in the past. Some people are simply indifferent. Each need praying for in different ways. God of truth, bless those who are searching for you and lead them to the right way. May they hear the true voice of Jesus the Christ in the words of your holy scriptures. May they be encouraged to seek him present among his disciples today as in the Upper Room where Thomas the doubter confessed My Lord and my God! Amen. Lord Jesus Christ, you shared your life with ordinary people and drew them into your kingdom Give me wisdom to know the right moment to speak, and courage just to be myself. Amen. O Christ whose word is sharper than a sword, stir the consciences of those who are asleep and those who can only see themselves. Teach them the pain of compassion that they may know their need of you. Teach them to care that they may value the care you give without sleeping, who are our Judge and our Redeemer. Amen.
Friday 13 May Praying for a spirit of mission Almighty God, who called your Church to witness that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself: help us to proclaim the good news of your love, that all who hear it may be drawn to you; through him who was lifted up on the cross, and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. O Christ, door of the sheepfold, may we enter your gates with praise and go from your courts to serve you in the poor, the lost and the wandering, this day and all our days. Amen. O gracious and loving God, you work everywhere reconciling, loving, and healing your people and your creation. In your Son and through the power of your Holy Spirit, you invite each of us to join you in your work. Form us more and more in your image and likeness, through our prayer and worship of you and through the study of your scripture, that our eyes will be fully opened to your mission in the world. Then, God, into our communities, our nation, and the world, send us to serve with Christ, taking risks to give life and hope to all people and all of your creation. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Episcopal diocese of Massachusetts Holy Spirit, searching fire, send us as you are sent by the Father, transform us, that we may transform your world. Speak in the hearts of those who do not know you, reign in the hearts of those who do not love you, convince the hearts of those who do not serve you, and the sending Father, and the servant Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saturday 14 May Praying for the Kingdom to come Open our ears, glorious Lord Christ, to hear the music of your voice above the chaos of this world; open our eyes to see the vision of your glory; for you are our King, now and for ever. Amen. In our lives and by our prayers In our loving and in our working In our banks and in our parliament In our schools and in our prisons To the poor and to the rich To black and white To men and women To those we dislike and fear To those whom no-one prays for In our lives and by our prayers Dear God, convert the whole world beginning with me. Amen.
Sunday 15 May Praying for the descent of the Spirit Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people and kindle in us the fire of your love. All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God and fellow-heirs with Christ. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people. Renew the face of your creation, Lord, pouring on us the gifts of your Spirit, and kindle in us the fire of your love. For the creation waits with eager longing for the glorious liberty of the children of God. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people and kindle in us the fire of your love.
What Next? Praying for a greater love Let us turn to the risen Lord, who gives us the Spirit to make all things new, saying: O Word of life, one God with the Father and the Spirit, O eternal Light, who through the working of the Holy Spirit received from the Virgin our human nature: O crucified Redeemer, by the eternal Spirit you offered yourself to the Father for us: You breathed on the apostles the Spirit of your love, that sinners might come to know the mercy of God: You are seated at the right hand of the Father from whom we receive the gifts of the Spirit: Through the power of the Holy Spirit you wash away our sins in the waters of baptism and open our hearts to the guiding hand of the Father:
Scripture Passages And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. - Mark 16:15 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16 John answered and said to them all, As for me, I baptise you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. - Luke 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. - John 3:16-17 - Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. - Acts 1:8 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. - Romans 1:16 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things. - Romans 10:15
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. - Romans 15:13 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. - 1 Corinthians 1:17 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. - 1 Corinthians 9:22 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. - 2 Corinthians 5:20 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. - 2 Timothy 4:5 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord s people. - Philemon 1:6-7 How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, Your God reigns! - Isaiah 52:7