Prayers of the People, by Pastor Ruth L. Foss, April 19, 2009, Suncook United Methodist Church, Suncook, NH

We join our hearts and voices to offer our prayers to God as we offer our prayers together now, uniting our voices with Christ, who perfects our prayers.

The Lord be with you
And also with you
Let us pray:

Spirit help us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. Almighty God, who searches the heart and knows the mind of the Spirit, may the Spirit within us intercede for us according to the will of God. Our prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer us.

God of compassion, we remember before you the poor and the afflicted, the sick and the dying, prisoners and all who are lonely, the victims of war, injustice, and inhumanity, and all others who suffer from whatever their sufferings may be called.

O Lord of providence holding the destiny of the nations in your hand, we pray for our country. Inspire the hearts and minds of our leaders that they, together with all our nation, may first seek your kingdom and righteousness so that order, liberty, and peace may dwell with your people.

O God the Creator, we pray for all nations and peoples. Take away the mistrust and lack of understanding that divide your creatures; increase in us the recognition that we are all your children.

O Savior God, look upon your church in its struggle upon the earth. Have mercy on its weakness, bring to an end its unhappy divisions, and scatter its fears. Look also upon the ministry of your church. Increase its courage, strengthen its faith, and inspire its witness to all people, even to the ends of the earth.

Ever-faithful God, you have knit together as one body in Christ those who have been your people in all times and places. Keep us in communion with all your saints, following their example of faith and life, until that day when all your saints will dwell together in the joy of your eternal kingdom. Through Christ, our Lord in through whose name we pray the prayer He taught so long ago saying…(the Lords Prayer).

Amen.