Category Archives: Lent, Year A (BCP)
Prayers for Lent Year A (RCL)
Please visit the new site for PDFs of prayers for Lent Year A.
An Ash Wednesday Reflection
I like participating in Ash Wednesday. I like walking around with a cross of ashes right smack dab in the middle of my forehead. I like the surreptitious glances of people who see the mark and then quickly look away, as if they caught me doing something inappropriate.
© Helgi Halldórsson, Wikimedia.
Ash Wednesday marks me as a Christian, someone who would follow Jesus on his journey through the wilderness toward Easter. The mark of the cross identifies me with the historic Christian faith, but it leaves me without an agenda.
It is not a bumper-sticker Christianity that proclaims what I do or do not support. It is not my effort to convert others to my way of thinking. It is not an indictment of those Other Christians Who are Doing It Wrong.
It does not set me aside as an individual; rather, the two smeared lines of ashes join me together with the people of God who, throughout the ages, have declared that they are mortal, that they sin, and that they look to Jesus for any hope of change.
I had this same feeling when I sat, sandwiched between other penitents on the bench in the back of a church, waiting for my turn to go into private confession. There is something serious about the work of self-evaluation, repentance, and affirmation of a desire to change.
There is something important about strengthening my will to choose good and turn from evil. But there is something humbling to be one in a long line of sinners who, regardless of what we have done or neglected to do, wait desperately for the mercy and absolution of a loving God.
The reality of my humanity, of my ordinariness, strips me of self-importance, even in the midst of repentance. Because here’s the thing: when I first started engaging Lent, I thought of it as an avenue for individual repentance.
And Jesus Wept from OKC memorial
While that is partially true, the wording of the liturgy intentionally invites collective repentance: “WE have sinned against you,” and we, together, name a litany of the ways we have been active and complicit in the unbearable impact of sin on self, others, and all of creation.
I am learning that naming wrong and evil, demonstrating an awareness of the impact, is an important component of the work of penitence, and the lections for the day, Isaiah 58 and Joel 2, ring with clarion denouncement of the hypocrisy of spiritual performance without active repair.
Traditionally, Lenten practices aim at abstinence or engagement, or, if I read Isaiah and Joel correctly, might best be both. True penitence results in change, and we reflect God’s image when we work to set things to right. I love His love for justice:
As His Body in the world, we stop doing wrong and learn to do right. Yet the capacity for religious performance and individual piety to displace God’s desire for Good News to come to all people echoes through the entire arc of Scripture, and I am especially mindful of it today.
So I come to Ash Wednesday soberly and also gently welcome a season of penitence, knowing that I will break my fast and fail to love God whole-heartedly and to love others as I love myself, knowing that the line between good and evil runs through me as well as all of us.
But there is nothing remarkable in that. Nothing unexpected. What is remarkable is that at the end of Lent comes the promise and the hope of Easter.
Being one of many sinners who seek and receive God’s gift of grace frames all of Lent, in fact any act of contrition or repentance, with the mystery and hope of the Gospel–Christ in us, the hope of glory.
By the end of the day today, the cross of ashes will most likely be rubbed into an unrecognizable smudge.
By the end of the season of Lent, I will have repented and failed and repented and failed some more, and hopefully grown in awareness and strength of character.
But the mark of the cross will remain on my life, seen on my forehead or no. And I pray that the Church, even amidst all our failures and sins, will bear a cruciform shape in our witness, because we are all marked as Christ’s own. Forever.
Prayers for Palm Sunday – All Years (BCP)
Download Palm Sunday Year B BCP or Palm Sunday Year B RCL
Readings: See The Book of Common Prayer or The Revised Common Lectionary
In faith, let us pray to the Lord, saying….
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
You are the Lord our God,
The one to whom we turn in time of trouble.
Our souls are overwhelmed with terror and grief,
As we consider the weight of sin and death.
Our times are in your hand, Holy God.
Rescue us from death at the hand of our enemy.
Our souls wait for you alone.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
You are the rightful Lord of the whole creation,
And you alone are worthy of the worship and service of all people.
May your kingdom come in the midst of unrest and war,
Set to rights our earth ridden with corruption and violence, brutality and suffering.
We commit into your care the plight of the world,
Asking that your life-giving Word would spread to every corner of the globe.
I invite you to pray for the needs of the world, remembering especially our president, Barack Obama, and other leaders.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Jesus Christ, we confess that you are Lord.
We think of your humility,
Your willingness to be born in human form,
Your obedience unto death on a cross.
May the whole earth proclaim your praises and rejoice in your eternal purposes.
Lord of our salvation, equip your church with the mind of Christ.
Grant us perseverance and unwavering faith
That we might humbly obey you in the work you have given us to do.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We ask that your will be done in our lives and in the world.
We humble ourselves before you, praying for all that weighs heavily on our hearts as we remember our own cares and the needs of others.
We pray for those who suffer because of injustice and human evil.
We remember victims of abuse, slaves, prisoners, orphans, widows, and those captive to addictions and despair.
We pray for the depressed, the lonely and forgotten, for those weighed down by anxiety and guilt, and for anyone whose spirit has been crushed and deeply wounded.
We remember the starving, the sick, the poor, the homeless, the terminally ill, and those crippled by pain and infirmity.
The groaning of the world is too much for us to bear.
Come quickly to us, Lord Jesus, you who took on flesh and understand all our pain.
Let us drink deeply of the peace of your presence.
I invite you to pray for the needs of others.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Holy Spirit, we ask that you would ready our hearts for the upcoming week.
Help us to set aside anything that would hinder or distract us from making space to journey with you through Holy Week.
Grant us grace to remember,
To meditate upon your passion and suffering,
To watch and pray with you for a little while.
Our spirits are willing, but our flesh is week.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We thank you for your church,
For all who have been given your grace in Christ Jesus.
How beautiful is the bride of Christ, stretching back throughout the ages and across the world, crossing boundaries of time and place!
We remember now those who have gone before us, those who have died in the faith, trusting that they are in your care.
I invite your thanksgivings to God for those who have died in the faith.
Silence
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Holy God, you dwell among your people,
And our hearts are full of gratitude for your closeness.
Who is like you, O Lord?
Your majesty astounds us,
Your holiness overwhelms us,
And yet, in your mercy you draw near to us.
You are the Living God,
The giver of all life,
The God who reconciles even his enemies to himself.
Our souls wait for you alone,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Prayers for the Fifth Sunday in Lent – Year A (BCP)
Readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 6:16-23; John 11:1-44
Download Prayers for Lent 5 Year A BCP
In faith, let us pray to the Lord, saying….
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We wait for you alone, Sovereign Lord.
With you there is plenteous redemption.
With you there is mercy.
With you there is forgiveness.
With you alone, God of all that is, lie all our hopes for wholeness and the redemption of our sins.
In your everlasting and life-giving word we find our joy.
Come now, Living God, and fill up our prayers with your Holy Spirit.
Our souls wait for you alone.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, you uncover all things.
You know every detail of the plight of the world.
You see in this moment the strife, suffering, and evil that covers the earth.
You, in a glance, know the acts of mercy, kindness, and charity that are happening right now.
You see the hearts and intentions of all people, from the loftiest ruler of the nations to the seemingly forgotten family living in poverty and obscurity.
Have mercy on the peoples of the world, Sovereign Lord, and remember them in their present need.
Jesus, light of the world, bring the glory of your presence to all the nations on the earth.
I invite you to pray for the world, remembering especially the people of Kenya, the Congo, Rwanda, Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Korea.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
You, Lord Christ, are the resurrection and the life.
You, glorious one, redeemer of the whole world,
Have given us abundant life.
How we praise the riches of your grace, lavished upon us in your forgiveness and redemption!
Thank you Lord Jesus.
We pray for your church throughout the world.
Unify us, Holy Spirit, that together we might be sanctified in your truth.
We offer ourselves no longer as slaves to death,
And we look to you in faith.
Grant us grace to be slaves of righteousness, obedient from our hearts to you alone.
I invite you to pray for the church throughout the world.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, we believe that you are the giver of all life.
We surrender before you the seemingly dead things, the hopeless looking things of our life.
We offer you the deep places in our hearts, the places where we feel cut off, dried up, the places where all hope is lost.
You alone are Lord of our whole lives; you alone know us full well.
We believe that you are the Lord.
Come, Holy Spirit and breathe on the barren places of our hearts that we may know that you are the Lord.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We ask that your will be done in our lives and in the world.
We humble ourselves before you, praying for all that weighs heavily on our hearts as we remember our own cares and the needs of others.
We pray for those who suffer because of injustice and human evil.
We remember victims of abuse, slaves, prisoners, orphans, widows, and those captive to addictions and despair.
We pray for the depressed, the lonely and forgotten, for those weighed down by anxiety and guilt, and for anyone whose spirit has been crushed and deeply wounded.
We remember the starving, the sick, the poor, the homeless, the terminally ill, and those crippled by pain and infirmity.
The groaning of the world is too much for us to bear.
Come quickly to us, Lord Jesus, you who took on flesh and understand all our pain.
Let us drink deeply of the peace of your presence.
I invite you to pray for your own requests and for the needs of others.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, you know us through and through.
Look in the deep places of our beings, and create in us clean hearts.
Give us a right abhorrence for our own sins.
Help us to be alert and self-controlled,
That we may flee the snares of our enemy.
Reveal areas of unconfessed sin,
And give us godly sorrow that leads to repentance.
Show us where we have withheld forgiveness,
And, because of your great mercy, grant us grace to forgive others.
Deliver us from evil, Merciful Father,
And sustain us with your gracious and bountiful Spirit.
I invite your prayers for repentance and perseverance.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We thank you for your church—for all who have been given your grace in Christ Jesus. How beautiful is the bride of Christ, stretching back throughout the ages and across the world, crossing boundaries of time and place! We remember now those who have gone before us, those who have died in the faith, trusting that they are in your care.
I invite your thanksgivings to God for those who have died in the faith.
Silence
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Holy God, you dwell among your people,
And our hearts are full of gratitude for your closeness.
Who is like you, O Lord?
Your majesty astounds us,
Your holiness overwhelms us,
And yet, in your mercy you draw near to us.
You are the Living God, the giver of all life,
The God who reconciles even his enemies to himself.
We rest in your peace, putting all our hope in you alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
5th Sunday in Lent – Year A
Readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 6:16-23; John 11:1-44
In faith, let us pray to the Lord, saying….
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We wait for you alone, Sovereign Lord. With you there is plenteous redemption. With you there is mercy. With you there is forgiveness. With you alone, God of all that is, lie all our hopes for wholeness and the redemption of our sins. In your everlasting and life-giving word we find our hope. Come now, Living God, and fill up our prayers with your Holy Spirit. Our souls wait for you alone.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, you see all things, you know every detail of the plight of the world. You see in this moment the strife, suffering, and evil that covers the earth. You, in a glance, know the acts of mercy, kindness, and charity that are happening right now. You see the hearts and intentions of all people, from the loftiest ruler of the nations to the seemingly forgotten family living in poverty and obscurity. Have mercy on the peoples of the world, Sovereign Lord, and remember them in their present need. Jesus, light of the world, bring the glory of your presence to all the nations on the earth.
I invite you to pray for the world, remembering especially the people of Kenya, the Congo, Rwanda, Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Korea.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
You, Lord Christ, are the resurrection and the life. You, glorious one, redeemer of the whole world, by your obedience have given us the free gift of God – the free gift of eternal life. How we praise the riches of your grace, lavished upon us in your forgiveness and redemption! Thank you Lord Jesus. We pray for your church throughout the world. Unify us, Holy Spirit, that together we might be sanctified in your truth. We offer ourselves no longer as slaves to death but look to you in faith, asking that you would grant us grace to be slaves of righteousness, obedient from our hearts to God alone.
I invite you to pray for the church throughout the world, remembering especially our brothers and sisters in Rwamagana Parish, Rwanda, in Boma, Dominican Republic, and in the persecuted church.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, we believe that you are the giver of all life. We surrender before you the seemingly dead things, the hopeless looking things of our life. We offer you the deep places in our hearts, the places where we feel cut off, dried up, the places where all hope is lost. You alone are Lord of our whole lives; you alone know us full well. We believe that you are the Lord. Come, Holy Spirit and breathe on the barren places of our hearts that we may know that you are the Lord.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord we lay before you the cares and worries of our lives, looking to you, the Eternal God, the source of all life and hope to satisfy us. We remember those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. We think of the glaring need of the world: the starving, the sick, the poor, the homeless, the dying, those crippled by pain and infirmity. You who took on the frailty of human flesh, remember those whose physical needs overwhelm them.
I invite you to pray for those in need.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord of all the earth, we believe in your kingdom of justice, righteousness, and truth. We pray for those who suffer because of injustice and human evil. We remember victims of abuse, slaves, prisoners, orphans, widows, and those captive to addictions and despair. We pray for the depressed, the lonely and forgotten, for those weighed down by anxiety and guilt, for anyone whose spirit has been crushed and deeply wounded. The groaning of the world is too much for us to bear. Come quickly to us, Lord Jesus, you who understand all our pain and let us drink deeply of the peace of your presence.
I invite you to pray for your own requests and for the needs of others.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We thank you for your church—for all who have been given your grace in Christ Jesus. How beautiful is the bride of Christ, stretching back throughout the ages and across the world, crossing boundaries of time and place! We remember now those who have gone before us, those who have died in the faith, trusting that they are in your care.
I invite your thanksgivings to God for those who have died in the faith.
Silence
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Our hearts are full of gratitude for your nearness, holy God who dwells among his people. Who is like you, O Lord? Your majesty astounds us, your holiness overwhelms us, and yet, in your mercy you draw near to us. You are the Living God, the giver of all life, the God who reconciles even his enemies to himself. Our souls wait for you alone, O Lord, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Prayers for the Fourth Sunday in Lent – Year A (BCP)
Readings: 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:1-14; John 9:1-38
Download Prayers for Lent 4 Year A BCP
In faith, let us pray to the Lord, saying….
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
O Lord, who looks upon the heart,
You see us as we truly are.
Come now and shine your light into our darkness.
Let the true light of the whole world break into our darkness.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, you uncover all things.
You know every detail of the plight of the world.
You see in this moment the strife, suffering, and evil that covers the earth.
You, in a glance, know the acts of mercy, kindness, and charity that are happening right now.
You see the hearts and intentions of all people, from the loftiest ruler of the nations to the seemingly forgotten family living in poverty and obscurity.
Have mercy on the peoples of the world, Sovereign Lord, and remember them in their present need.
Jesus, light of the world, bring the glory of your presence to all the nations on the earth.
I invite you to pray for the world, remembering especially the people of Kenya, the Congo, Rwanda, Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Korea.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for your church throughout the world.
Awaken us from our slumber, Lord Christ,
And renew our energy to work your will!
We desire to imitate you, to walk in love as you did.
Grant us the grace and willingness to offer up our very selves.
You are worthy of all worship;
Receive our surrendered lives as a fragrant offering of thanksgiving.
I invite you to pray for the church throughout the world.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We ask that your will be done in our lives and in the world.
We humble ourselves before you, praying for all that weighs heavily on our hearts as we remember our own cares and the needs of others.
We pray for those who suffer because of injustice and human evil.
We remember victims of abuse, slaves, prisoners, orphans, widows, and those captive to addictions and despair.
We pray for the depressed, the lonely and forgotten, for those weighed down by anxiety and guilt, and for anyone whose spirit has been crushed and deeply wounded.
We remember the starving, the sick, the poor, the homeless, the terminally ill, and those crippled by pain and infirmity.
The groaning of the world is too much for us to bear.
Come quickly to us, Lord Jesus, you who took on flesh and understand all our pain.
Let us drink deeply of the peace of your presence.
I invite you to pray for your own requests and for the needs of others.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, you know us through and through.
Look in the deep places of our beings, and create in us clean hearts.
Give us a right abhorrence for our own sins.
Help us to be alert and self-controlled,
That we may flee the snares of our enemy.
Reveal areas of unconfessed sin,
And give us godly sorrow that leads to repentance.
Show us where we have withheld forgiveness,
And, because of your great mercy, grant us grace to forgive others.
Deliver us from evil, Merciful Father,
And sustain us with your gracious and bountiful Spirit.
I invite your prayers for repentance and perseverance.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We thank you for your church,
For all who have been given your grace in Christ Jesus.
How beautiful is the bride of Christ, stretching back throughout the ages and across the world, crossing boundaries of time and place!
We remember now those who have gone before us, those who have died in the faith, trusting that they are in your care.
I invite your thanksgivings to God for those who have died in the faith.
Silence
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Holy God, you dwell among your people,
And our hearts are full of gratitude for your closeness.
Who is like you, O Lord?
Your majesty astounds us,
Your holiness overwhelms us,
And yet, in your mercy you draw near to us.
You have brought us from darkness into light.
We receive our new identity as children of light.
Come, Holy Spirit, and help us to discern your will in every area of our lives,
So that we may follow after Christ, pursuing all that is good and right and true, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
4th Sunday in Lent – Year A
Readings: 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:1-14; John 9:1-38
In faith, let us pray to the Lord, saying….
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
O Lord, who looks upon the heart, who sees us as we truly are, come now and shine your light into our darkness. Let the true light of the whole world break into our darkness, awaken us from our sleep, and ready us to do your work.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, you see all things, you know every detail of the plight of the world. You see in this moment the strife, suffering, and evil that covers the earth. You, in a glance, know the acts of mercy, kindness, and charity that are happening right now. You see the hearts and intentions of all people, from the loftiest ruler of the nations to the seemingly forgotten family living in poverty and obscurity. Have mercy on the peoples of the world, Sovereign Lord, and remember them in their present need. Jesus, light of the world, bring the glory of your presence to all the nations on the earth.
I invite you to pray for the world, remembering especially the people of Kenya, the Congo, Rwanda, Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Korea.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for your church throughout the world. Awaken us from our slumber, Lord Christ, and renew our energy to work your will! We desire to imitate you, to walk in love as you did. Grant us the grace and willingness to offer up our very selves, for we believe that our surrendered lives are a fragrant offering before you, the one who is worthy of all worship.
I invite you to pray for the church throughout the world, remembering especially our brothers and sisters in Rwamagana Parish, Rwanda, and in Boma, Dominican Republic.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, we believe that you have brought us from darkness into light. We receive our new identity as children of light. Come, Holy Spirit, and help us to discern your will in every area of our lives that we may follow after Christ, pursuing all that is good and right and true.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord we lay before you the cares and worries of our lives, looking to you, the Living Water, the source of all life and hope to satisfy us. We remember those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. We think of the glaring need of the world: the starving, the sick, the poor, the homeless, the terminally ill, those crippled by pain and infirmity. You who took on the frailty of human flesh, remember those whose physical needs overwhelm them.
I invite you to pray for those in need.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord of all the earth, we believe in your kingdom of justice, righteousness, and truth. We pray for those who suffer because of injustice and human evil. We remember victims of abuse, slaves, prisoners, orphans, widows, and those captive to addictions and despair. We pray for the depressed, the lonely and forgotten, for those weighed down by anxiety and guilt, for anyone whose spirit has been crushed and deeply wounded. The groaning of the world is too much for us to bear. Come quickly to us, Lord Jesus, you who understand all our pain and let us drink deeply of the peace of your presence.
I invite you to pray for your own requests and for the needs of others.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We thank you for your church—for all who have been given your grace in Christ Jesus. How beautiful is the bride of Christ, stretching back throughout the ages and across the world, crossing boundaries of time and place! We remember now those who have gone before us, those who have died in the faith, trusting that they are in your care.
I invite your thanksgivings to God for those who have died in the faith.
Silence
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Our hearts are full of gratitude for your nearness, holy God who dwells among his people. Who is like you, O Lord? Your majesty astounds us, your holiness overwhelms us, and yet, in your mercy you draw near to us. You are the Living God, the giver of all life, the God who reconciles even his enemies to himself. We rest in your peace, putting all our hope in you alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
3rd Sunday in Lent, Year A
Readings: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95:6-11; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-39
In faith, let us pray to the Lord, saying….
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We come to you, O Lord our Maker, bowing down our hearts before you. You are our God. We are the people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand. Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Our hearts are full of joy as we consider your wonderful salvation. Behold what manner of love is this that we should be called children of God! Come, Holy Spirit, and fill your church with the love of God. May the church throughout the world overflow wth the hope of the glory of God, greatly rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ our great redeemer and savior. We pray that the good news of salvation would go out into all the earth, that the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who reconciles sinners to a holy God, would be forever welcomed, praised, and exalted with all thanksgiving in every corner of the world.
I invite you to pray for the world, remembering especially the people of Kenya, the Congo, Rwanda, Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Korea.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for the suffering church. O Lord, God of all sorrow, grant us grace to rejoice in our sufferings. We desire endurance. We want to be people of character, marked by hope. Yet we confess that we often shrink from suffering and pain. How we praise you, Lord Jesus Christ, for your faithful obedience unto death! Help your church throughout the world to be imitators of you, Lord Christ, willing workers to do your will and accomplish your work, Loving Father.
I invite you to pray for the church throughout the world, remembering especially our brothers and sisters in Rwamagana Parish, Rwanda, in Boma, Dominican Republic, and all believers who share in the sufferings of Christ.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, we believe that you are among us. We have tasted your faithfulness, and we trust in your everlasting guidance and provision. Come, Holy Spirit, and soften our hearts, that we may be worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth.
Silence
Lord we lay before you the cares and worries of our lives, looking to you, the Living Water, the source of all life and hope to satisfy us. We remember those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. We think of the glaring need of the world: the starving, the sick, the poor, the homeless, the terminally ill, those crippled by pain and infirmity. You who took on the frailty of human flesh, remember those whose physical needs overwhelm them.
I invite you to pray for those in need.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord of all the earth, we believe in your kingdom of justice, righteousness, and truth. We pray for those who suffer because of injustice and human evil. We remember victims of abuse, slaves, prisoners, orphans, widows, and those captive to addictions and despair. We pray for the depressed, the lonely and forgotten, for those weighed down by anxiety and guilt, for anyone whose spirit has been crushed and deeply wounded. The groaning of the world is too much for us to bear. Come quickly to us, Lord Jesus, you who understand all our pain and let us drink deeply of the peace of your presence.
I invite you to pray for your own requests and for the needs of others.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We ask that you would sustain us this week, trusting that you are present with us every day. Give us a hunger for your word, and help us to make space to listen to you. We confess our need for you – for your wisdom and guidance, for your protection and provision, for your help and comfort. In every area of our lives we need you, Lord, and we ask that you would be our daily portion.
I invite your prayers for the upcoming week.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We thank you for your church—for all who have been given your grace in Christ Jesus. How beautiful is the bride of Christ, stretching back throughout the ages and across the world, crossing boundaries of time and place! We remember now those who have gone before us, those who have died in the faith, trusting that they are in your care.
I invite your thanksgivings to God for those who have died in the faith.
Silence
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Our hearts are full of gratitude for your nearness, holy God who dwells among his people. Who is like you, O Lord? Your majesty astounds us, your holiness overwhelms us, and yet, in your mercy you draw near to us. You are the Living God, the giver of all life, the God who reconciles even his enemies to himself. We rest in your peace, putting all our hope in you alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Prayers for the Third Sunday in Lent – Year A (BCP)
Readings: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95:6-11; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-39
Download Prayers for Lent 3 Year A BCP
In faith, let us pray to the Lord, saying….
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We bow our hearts before you, O Lord our Maker.
You are our God.
We are the people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand.
Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!
We have tasted your faithfulness,
And we trust in your everlasting guidance and provision.
Come, Holy Spirit, and soften our hearts,
That we may be worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Our hearts are full of joy as we consider your wonderful salvation.
Behold what manner of love is this that we should be called children of God!
Come, Holy Spirit, and fill your church with the love of God.
May the church universal overflow with the hope of your glory,
For we rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ our great Redeemer and Savior.
We pray that the good news of salvation would go out into all the earth,
That you, Lord Christ, would reconcile sinners everywhere to yourself,
To your eternal praise and thanksgiving.
I invite you to pray for the world, remembering especially the people of Kenya, the Congo, Rwanda, Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Korea.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for the suffering church.
O Lord, God of all sorrow, grant us grace to rejoice in our sufferings.
We desire endurance.
We want to be people of character, marked by hope,
Yet we confess that we often shrink from suffering and pain.
How we praise you, Lord Jesus Christ, for your faithful obedience unto death!
Help your church to imitate you, Lord Christ, that we might willingly work your will and accomplish your purposes.
I invite you to pray for the church throughout the world.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We ask that your will be done in our lives and in the world.
We humble ourselves before you, praying for all that weighs heavily on our hearts as we remember our own cares and the needs of others.
We pray for those who suffer because of injustice and human evil.
We remember victims of abuse, slaves, prisoners, orphans, widows, and those captive to addictions and despair.
We pray for the depressed, the lonely and forgotten, for those weighed down by anxiety and guilt, and for anyone whose spirit has been crushed and deeply wounded.
We remember the starving, the sick, the poor, the homeless, the terminally ill, and those crippled by pain and infirmity.
The groaning of the world is too much for us to bear.
Come quickly to us, Lord Jesus, you who took on flesh and understand all our pain.
Let us drink deeply of the peace of your presence.
I invite you to pray for your own requests and for the needs of others.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We ask that you would sustain us this week,
And we trust that you are present with us every day.
Give us a hunger for your word,
And help us to make space to listen to you.
We confess our need for you:
For your wisdom and guidance,
For your protection and provision,
For your help and comfort.
In every area of our lives we need you, Lord,
And we ask that you would be our daily portion.
I invite your prayers for the upcoming week.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lord, you know us through and through.
Look in the deep places of our beings, and create in us clean hearts.
Give us a right abhorrence for our own sins.
Help us to be alert and self-controlled,
That we may flee the snares of our enemy.
Reveal areas of unconfessed sin,
And give us godly sorrow that leads to repentance.
Show us where we have withheld forgiveness,
And, because of your great mercy, grant us grace to forgive others.
Deliver us from evil, Merciful Father,
And sustain us with your gracious and bountiful Spirit.
I invite your prayers for repentance and perseverance.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We thank you for your church,
For all who have been given your grace in Christ Jesus.
How beautiful is the bride of Christ, stretching back throughout the ages and across the world, crossing boundaries of time and place!
We remember now those who have gone before us, those who have died in the faith, trusting that they are in your care.
I invite your thanksgivings to God for those who have died in the faith.
Silence
Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Holy God, you dwell among your people,
And our hearts are full of gratitude for your closeness.
Who is like you, O Lord?
Your majesty astounds us,
Your holiness overwhelms us,
And yet, in your mercy you draw near to us.
You are the Living God, the giver of all life,
The God who reconciles even his enemies to himself.
We rest in your peace, putting all our hope in you alone, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Oratio Contemplativa 