Prayers of the People

Loving God,

We come to you in joy. We come to you in concern. We come to you, voicing many prayers and remembering the struggles of those who surround us - people in our church, people in our city, people who seem a world away. We ask that your blessing would touch the lives of all people, and we pray that we can be a part of that very blessing.

We pray for those who feel forgotten – for people who live on the street, for children living in abusive homes, for men and women in hospitals and nursing homes, and for soldiers who imagine that no one could possibly understand their pain.

We pray for those who are grappling with uncertainty – for individuals and families who are experiencing death and grief, for those who have lost their jobs this week or perhaps years ago, for those who have no idea of how or where to get their next meal, for those who are afraid of when the next wave of anxiety will come, for those walking through recovery one day at a time.

We pray for those who feel as though they’re walking on unstable ground – for people who cannot seem to come up for air in this economy, for people living in the midst of natural disasters, for people who have seemed to lose their faith, struggling with doubts that overtake their minds and hearts.

Remind them, and remind us, O God, that no question – no seeming loss of faith – can separate us from you, for you hold us fast in yourfaith. You are the stable ground for which we long. In confidence of your love – even in the midst of doubts or unbelief – we pray people who are struggling in particular ways.

. . . For the members of this fellowship who are in need of your special care.

. . . For the city of Pasadena and for the greater Los Angeles area.

. . . For people and nations in the Middle East and North Africa who are struggling for justice and for safety.

. . . For the people of Japan, whose lives have been shattered, uprooted, and filled with pain.

Be with us Lord as we step out in faith. Be with us as we journey into the struggles of others. May we bring your love. May we bring your blessing.

And now, as your beloved children, we are blessed again to pray the words that Jesus taught us, saying. . .

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil -

for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.

Amen.