Lord, we ask you to help us pray now, and to be teaching us how to pray through our whole lives. We ask that you take our ambition to become a house of prayer and make it a reality: inspire us and encourage us in our prayer, and please show us now where you want us to change things in our lives or do something new.
Dear Lord, we pray for the people of Zimbabwe. The leaders of the Anglican church in Zimbabwe have asked us to make today a day of prayer for their country.
We ask that the good news about Jesus would be known to and accepted by everyone there. We pray that there would be a just and good outcome to the elections: please turn anyone who is tempted to seize power through violence or oppression away from that path. We don’t know what your plans for the country are, Lord, but we ask that your will would be done. We ask that there would be peace, that the law would be upheld, and that there would be enough food for everyone who needs it. As we take a moment of silence to pray for Zimbabwe, please speak to us if you want us to take action to help its people.
Lord, we know that you urgently love everyone in the world. It is with that in mind that we pray for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We ask that the hope that comes from knowing you would be spread all over the country. We cry out to you Lord and ask you in your mercy to stop the evil practices of murder, torture and rape that are going on there. Lord, when we hear the stories of people who have been raped and tortured as if they had no value, we are tempted to lose hope. But we know their value to you. Please act – as you must long to do – to bring about justice. Please bring punishment for those who commit these acts, and bring them to repentance. We pray for healing for those who are victims – let them understand your love for them, and let your love drive out their fear. We pray for courage for those who are trying to enforce the law in the Congo. As we take a moment of silence to pray for that country, please speak to us if you want us to take action to help its people.
Lord we pray for people in our church who are divorced or separated. We ask for healing where they have been hurt, and guidance about what to do next. We pray that we would notice and act to show your love for the many divorced and separated people in our community. As we take a moment of silence to pray for those we know whose marriages have broken down, please speak to us if you want us to take action to help them.
We pray for healing for the people we know who are ill. We know that the most important healing we all need is healing in our relationship with you. We ask for that as well as asking for physical healing. As we take a moment of silence to pray for people we know who are ill, please speak to us if you want us to take action to help them.
We pray for our friends and family who aren’t Christians. Please reveal yourself to them again and again, and never stop giving them chances to turn to you. Please use us in our weakness to show clearly your love and forgiveness to them. As we take a moment of silence to pray for the people we know who aren’t Christians, please speak to us about how we can show your love to them.
[Prayed at my church on 2008-04-27.]