Last night we had a Thanksgiving service at our church. It was a relaxed time of prayer and songs and thanksgiving. I had the privilege of writing the prayers and responses for the service. We started with the world, then moved to nation, community, church and individual (family, friends and ourselves). As we enter this Thanksgiving week, I thought I would share them, one a day, this week.
Prayer for our World
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
Psalm 24:1-2
Leader: O God, we acknowledge you. Maker of heaven and earth. You do not live in temples built by human hands but rather you give life and breathe to every living thing.
Response: Thank you Lord for this world you have bestowed to us. From one man and one woman you have made all the nations. You have marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their land.
Leader: Father, open our ears to the cries of our brothers and sisters across the world. Connect our hearts to theirs. Break down the walls we build for protection, admitting that you and you alone are the only strong tower that provides safety.
Response: God Our Rock, our ears are open. Our hearts are open. Our eyes are open. With your strength, may we keep them open. May we not be obstacles to the unity Christ offers.
Leader: You are the Prince of Peace and the Great I Am. When all in the world is turbulent, we rest in this unchanging good news. Our souls fill with gratitude that you have provided a way for the whole world to know you and seek you.
Response: Lord of Lords, we seek you. We love you with all of our heart and with all of our soul and with all of our mind and with all of our strength. We will love our neighbor, near and far, as we love ourselves. Thank you for all you have done, all that you are doing and all that you will do in this world you have lovingly created. Amen.
I pray that our hearts overflow with his goodness and that they rest in his power, the power that holds the world and everything in it. Happy Thanksgiving week.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
Beautiful! It’s amazing how prayer settles our hearts and takes away our fear. It is so comforting to know that He is our rock and our strong tower. Thanks for sharing!
AND I was looking all over the place for your blog posts the other day because I’m writing something about rest and KNEW I had read someone’s post on examen and other prayer disciplines during Write31Days (I finally found yours!). Do you have any books or websites that you’d recommend that have several in one place?
Beautiful! I love that your church held a Thanksgiving service. I don’t hear about too many churches that do this. Thank you for sharing the prayer. We all need to pray not only for our own needs. but look outside ourselves to understand the needs of the world around us. Happy Thanksgiving!