Opening Prayer For A Christian Conference

Christian prayer

Prayer is an important activity in Christianity, and there are several different forms of Christian prayer.[1]

Christian prayers are diverse: they can be completely spontaneous, or read entirely from a text, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.

The most common prayer among Christians is the “Lord's Prayer”, which according to the gospel accounts (e.g. Matthew 6:9-13) is how Jesus taught his disciples to pray.

[2] “The Lord's Prayer” is a model for prayers of adoration, confession and petition in Christianity.[2]

A broad, three stage characterization of prayer begins with vocal prayer, then moves on to a more structured form in terms of meditation, then reaches the multiple layers of contemplation,[3][4] or intercession.

There are two basic settings for Christian prayer: corporate (or public) and private. Corporate prayer includes prayer shared within the worship setting or other public places.

These prayers can be formal written prayers or informal extemporaneous prayers. Private prayer occurs with the individual praying either silently or aloud within a private setting.

Prayer exists within multiple different worship contexts and may be structured differently. These types of contexts may include:

Liturgical:Often seen within the Catholic Church. This is a very orthodox service. Within a Catholic Mass, which is an example of a liturgical form of worship, there are bible readings and a sermon is read.

Non- Liturgical:Often seen within Evangelical church, this prayer is often not scripted and would be more informal in structure. Most of these prayers would be extemporaneous.

Charismatic:Often seen within gospel churches. It is the main form of worship in Pentecostal churches. It usually includes song and dance, and may include other artistic expressions. There may be no apparent structure, but the worshippers will be “led by the Holy Spirit”.

Background

Further information: Prayer in the New Testament

Prayer in the New Testament is presented as a positive command (Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). The people of God are challenged to include prayer in their everyday life, even in the busy struggles of marriage (1 Corinthians 7:5) as it is thought to bring the faithful closer to God.

Throughout the New Testament, prayer is shown to be God's appointed method by which the faithful obtain what he has to bestow (Matthew 7:7-11; Matthew 9:24-29; Luke 11:13).

Prayer, according to the Book of Acts, can be seen at the first moments of the church (Acts 3:1). The apostles regarded prayer as an essential part of their lives (Acts 6:4; Romans 1:9; Colossians 1:9). As such, the apostles frequently incorporated verses from Psalms into their writings. Romans 3:10-18 for example is borrowed from Psalm 14:1-3 and other psalms.

Thus, due to this emphasis on prayer in the early church, lengthy passages of the New Testament are prayers or canticles (see also the Book of Odes), such as the Prayer for forgiveness (Mark 11:25-26), the Lord's Prayer, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), the Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79), Jesus' prayer to the one true God (John 17), exclamations such as, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:3-14), the Believers' Prayer (Acts 4:23-31), “may this cup be taken from me” (Matthew 26:36-44), “Pray that you will not fall into temptation” (Luke 22:39-46), Saint Stephen's Prayer (Acts 7:59-60), Simon Magus' Prayer (Acts 8:24), “pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men” (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2), and Maranatha (1 Corinthians 16:22).

Private prayer

Prayer was frequently found in the gatherings of the early church, offered frequently throughout the worship service with the Lord's Prayer taking its place as the anchor – a common ritual in each gathering.[citation needed]

Types of prayer

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Woman praying in a church.

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This section is incomplete. (May 2013)

Liturgical prayers

Elements of the oldest Christian prayers may be found in liturgies such as the Roman Catholic Tridentine Mass which is the Liturgy of St James, the Mass of Paul VI, the Orthodox Divine Liturgy, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, and the Lutheran Book of Worship.

Seasonal prayers

Many denominations that adhere to a liturgical tradition use specific prayers geared to the season of the Liturgical Year, such as Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. Some of these prayers are found in the Roman Breviary, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Orthodox Book of Needs and the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.

Prayer to saints

The ancient church, in both Eastern Christianity and Western Christianity, developed a tradition of asking for the intercession of (deceased) saints, and this remains the practice of most Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and some Anglican churches.

Churches of the Protestant Reformation however rejected prayer to the saints, largely on the basis of the sole mediatorship of Christ.

[5] The reformer Huldrych Zwingli admitted that he had offered prayers to the saints until his reading of the Bible convinced him that this was idolatrous.[6]

Prayer for the dead

Orthodox Christians have historically prayed for the dead. The Liturgy of Apostle and Evangelist Mark is currently served annually in some Orthodox churches on the feast day of the Apostle Mark.

[citation needed] The Liturgy of James of Jerusalem believed to be written around year 60 A.D. is celebrated once a year by Orthodox Church in Jerusalem (and a few other churches) on the feast day of James, brother of Jesus.

[citation needed] Both Liturgies used by Early Church Christians contain prayers for the departed.

The Catholic Church has traditionally employed prayers for the deceased, deriving their justification from the second book of Maccabees (12:38-46). These are mainly used to loosen the suffering of souls believed to be in Purgatory.

The most prominent product of prayer for the dead is the Requiem Mass, where the fruits of the prayers said during mass are directed at deceased souls in Purgatory.

All souls day (November 2) is another example of Catholics traditionally praying for their dead.

Meditation and contemplative prayer

See also: Aspects of Christian meditationFile:OCD Zelle.jpg A Carmelite nun meditating on the Bible.

Christian meditation is a structured attempt to get in touch with and deliberately reflect upon the revelations of God.

[7] The word meditation comes from the Latin word meditārī, which has a range of meanings including to reflect on, to study and to practice.

Christian meditation is the process of deliberately focusing on specific thoughts (such as a bible passage) and reflecting on their meaning in the context of the love of God.[8]

Christian meditation aims to heighten the personal relationship the love of God that marks Christian communion.[9][10] At times there may be no clear-cut boundary between Christian meditation and Christian contemplation, and they overlap.

Meditation serves as a foundation on which the contemplative life stands, the practice by which someone begins the state of contemplation.

[11] In contemplative prayer, this activity is curtailed, so that contemplation has been described as “a gaze of faith”, “a silent love”.[12]

Intercessory Prayer

This kind of prayer involves the believer taking the role of an intercessor, praying on behalf of another individual, group or community, or even a nation.[13]

Prayer books and tools

Prayer books as well as tools such as prayer beads such as chaplets are used by Christians. Images and icons are also associated with prayers in some Christian denominations.

There is no one prayerbook containing a set liturgy used by all Christians; however many Christian denominations have their own local prayerbooks, for example:

References and footnotes

Philip Zaleski, Carol Zaleski (2005). Prayer: A History. Houghton Mifflin Books. ISBN 0-618-15288-1.
abExamining Religions: Christianity Foundation Edition by Anne Geldart 1999 ISBN 0-435-30324-4 page 108
Simple Ways to Pray by Emilie Griffin 2005 ISBN 0-7425-5084-2 page 134
“The Christian tradition comprises three major expressions of the life of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer. They have in common the recollection of the heart” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2721).
Ferguson, S. B.; Packer, J. (1988). “Saints”. New Dictionary of Theology. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press.
Madeleine Gray, The Protestant Reformation, (Sussex Academic Press, 2003), page 140.
Christian Meditation for Beginners by Thomas Zanzig, Marilyn Kielbasa 2000, ISBN 0-88489-361-8 page 7
An introduction to Christian spirituality by F. Antonisamy, 2000 ISBN 81-7109-429-5 pages 76-77
Christian Meditation by Edmund P. Clowney, 1979 ISBN 1-57383-227-8 pages 12-13
The encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 3 by Erwin Fahlbusch, Geoffrey William Bromiley 2003 ISBN 90-04-12654-6 page 488
Mattá al-Miskīn, Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way (St Vladimir's Seminary Press 2003 ISBN 0-88141-250-3), p. 56
“Contemplative prayer is the simple expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, an attentiveness to the Word of God, a silent love. It achieves real union with the prayer of Christ to the extent that it makes us share in his mystery” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2724).
“Question: “What is intercessory prayer?””. GotQuestions.org. Retrieved 5 April 2014.

External links

Carroll, James. Prayer from Where We Are. In series, Witness Book[s], 13, and also in Christian Experience Series. Dayton, Ohio: G.A. Pflaum, 1970.
12px “Prayer”. Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.

Источник: //research.omicsgroup.org/index.php/Christian_prayer

A Guide for Confession – Prayers – Catholic Online

Opening Prayer For A Christian Conference

The basic requirement for a good confession is to have the intention of returning to God the “prodigal son” and to acknowledge our sins with true sorrow before the priest.

Sin in my Life

Modern society has lost a sense of sin. As a Catholic follower of Christ, I must make an effort to recognize sin in my daily actions, words and omissions.

The Gospels show how important is the forgiveness of our sins. Lives of saints prove that the person who grows in holiness has a stronger sense of sin, sorrow for sins, and a need for the Sacrament of Penance or Confession.

The Differences in Sins

As a result of Original Sin, human nature is weakened. Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ's grace, takes away Original Sin, and turns us back toward God. The consequences of this weakness and the inclination to evil persist, and we often commit personal or actual sin.

Actual sin is sin which people commit. There are two kinds of actual sin, mortal and venial.

Mortal sin is a deadly offense against God, so horrible that it destroys the life of grace in the soul. Three simultaneous conditions must be fulfilled for a mortal sin: 1) the act must be something very serious; 2) the person must have sufficient understanding of what is being done; 3) the person must have sufficient freedom of the will.

Remember

If you need help-especially if you have been away for some time-simply ask the priest and he will help you by “walking” you through the steps to make a good confession.

Before Confession

Be truly sorry for your sins. The essential act of Penance, on the part of the penitent, is contrition, a clear and decisive rejection of the sin committed, together with a resolution not to commit it again, the love one has for God and which is reborn with repentance.

The resolution to avoid committing these sins in the future (amendment) is a sure sign that your sorrow is genuine and authentic. This does not mean that a promise never to fall again into sin is necessary. A resolution to try to avoid the near occasions of sin suffices for true repentance.

God's grace in cooperation with the intention to rectify your life will give you the strength to resist and overcome temptation in the future.

Examination of Conscience

Before going to Confession you should make a review of mortal and venial sins since your last sacramental confession, and should express sorrow for sins, hatred for sins and a firm resolution not to sin again.

A helpful pattern for examination of conscience is to review the Commandments of God and the Precepts of the Church:

Have God and the pursuit of sanctity in Christ been the goal of my life? Have I denied my faith? Have I placed my trust in false teachings or substitutes for God? Did I despair of God's mercy?
Have I avoided the profane use of God's name in my speech? Have I broken a solemn vow or promise?
Have I honored every Sunday by avoiding unnecessary work, celebrating the Mass (also holydays)? Was I inattentive at, or unnecessarily late for Mass, or did I leave early? Have I neglected prayer for a long time?
Have I shown Christ respect to parents, spouse, and family members, legitimate authorities? Have I been attentive to the religious education and formation of my children?
Have I cared for the bodily health and safety of myself and all others? Did I abuse drugs or alcohol? Have I supported in any way abortion, “mercy killing,” or suicide?
Was I impatient, angry, envious, proud, jealous, revengeful, lazy? Have I forgiven others?
Have I been just in my responsibilities to employer and employees? Have I discriminated against others because of race or other reasons?
Have I been chaste in thought and word? Have I used sex only within marriage and while open to procreating life? Have I given myself sexual gratification? Did I deliberately look at impure TV, pictures, reading?
Have I stolen anything from another, from my employer, from government? If so, am I ready to repay it? Did I fulfill my contracts? Did I rashly gamble, depriving my family of necessities?
Have I spoken ill of any other person? Have I always told the truth? Have I kept secrets and confidences?
Have I permitted sexual thoughts about someone to whom I am not married?
Have I desired what belongs to other people? Have I wished ill on another?
Have I been faithful to sacramental living (Holy Communion and Penance)?
Have I helped make my parish community stronger and holier? Have I contributed to the support of the Church?
Have I done penance by abstaining and fasting on obligatory days? Have I fasted before receiving communion?
Have I been mindful of the poor? Do I accept God's will for me?

During Confession

After examining your conscience and telling God of your sorrow, go into the confessional. You may kneel at the screen or sit to talk face-to-face with the priest.

Begin your confession with the sign of the cross, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My last confession was _______ weeks (months, years) ago.”

The priest may read a passage from holy Scripture.

Say the sins that you remember. Start with the one(s) that is most difficult to say. (In order to make a good confession the faithful must confess all mortal sins, according to kind and number.) After confessing all the sins you remember since your last good confession, you may conclude by saying, “I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life.”

Listen to the words of the priest. He will assign you some penance. Doing the penance will diminish the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. When invited, express some prayer of sorrow or Act of Contrition such as:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most of all because I have offended you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.

At the End of Confession

Listen to the words of absolution, the sacramental forgiveness of the Church through the ordained priest.

As you listen to the words of forgiveness you may make the sign of the cross with the priest. If he closes by saying, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good,” answer, “For His mercy endures forever.”

After Confession

Give thanks to God for forgiving you again. If you recall some serious sin you forgot to tell, rest assured that it has been forgiven with the others, but be sure to confess it in your next Confession.

Do your assigned Penance.

Resolve to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation often. We Catholics are fortunate to have the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is the ordinary way for us to have our sins forgiven. This sacrament is a powerful help to get rid of our weaknesses, grow in holiness, and lead a balanced and virtuous life.

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Источник: //www.catholic.org/prayers/confession.php

Sermon: The Prayer Life of a Christian – Colossians 4

Opening Prayer For A Christian Conference

And every time we see Jesus praying He was praying with passion.

In Luke 3:1 at His Baptism – while He was praying the heaven was opened. Passionate prayer opens Heaven.
In Luke 6:12 before He called His disciples – He spent the whole night in prayer. Passionate prayer gives direction.
In Luke 9:29 at His transfiguration – And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. Passionate prayer enables us to experience the glory of the Father.
In John 17 in His high priestly prayer – Passionate prayer impacts the lives of others.
In Matthew 26:39 in the Garden of Gethsemane – It is only through passionate prayer that we can pour out our hearts to God.
In Luke 23:24 as He hung on the cross – a life that is lived in passionate prayer will enable us to maintain that spirit, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Jesus always prayed with passion, because He knew Who it was He was talking to and He knew that prayer to the Father is a powerful thing and not something to take lightly and glibly.

Prayer from the heart, that's what passionate prayer is, it is prayer from the heart not just from the head.

That is how He taught us to pray, not only through His example, but specifically through His teaching Look in Matthew 6:7, in the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus instructs on prayer. It is here that we find the Lord's prayer. But just before the Lord's prayer what does He say?

“When you pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do.”

(Jews around the world may now send prayers via fax to the Wailing Wall)

What has happened to the Lord's Prayer? People repeat it as if it were some kind of magic mantra that will bless them or move God to hear them.

They are doing with it is exactly what He was instructing us not to do with it.

The gentiles, when they prayed tried, through their religious repetitions, with their chants and their mantras to call forth or impress their Gods. That is not what you do when you are in a relationship.

You don't tell your wife. “I love you, oh I really love you and I just wanted to tell you today that I love you, I'm so glad that I just have this time to just say I love you. Please feed the children, please clean the house and may all go well with you.” Amen

James 5:16 says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

III. Pray with thankfulness

Paul never fails to mention it.

Ephesians 5:20 tells us that thanksgiving is the natural result of being filled with and walking under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 4:6 tells us to be anxious for nothing but in everything we should pray, giving thanks as we make our petitions known to God.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us that giving thanks at all times is God's will for us in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:17 says that as believers everything we say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus as we give thanks to Him.
1 Timothy 4:4 – says that food and marriage are good things given to us by God and are to be received with thanksgiving and gratitude.

Expressing gratitude does several things:

It articulates dependence
It demonstrates relationship
It communicates gratitude – proper attitudes
It generates humility

IV. Pray, making intercession

Intercessory prayer is basically praying for others, it is praying for God's will to be done in the lives of other people.

Intercessory prayers characterized the prayer life of Jesus.

In Isaiah 53:12 the Bible says, He Himself bore the sins of many and, interceded for the transgressors.”
Luke 22:23 Jesus tells Peter, “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail;”
Luke 23:34 on the cross, Jesus was praying for others when He said, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”
John 14:15 Jesus interceded for us, asking the Father to send the Holy Spirit
John 17:19 He prayed for us, the church, in His High Priestly prayer. Listen to the intercessory nature of this prayer, “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom Thou has given Me . . . “
Romans 8:34 tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us.
And Hebrews 7:25 says, “Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Jesus prayed intercessory prayers, He was ever praying for others.

Understanding the power of Prayer, Paul wanted to be sure the Colossian Christians understood what it was they were to pray for. He wanted them to pray with a specific purpose. He wanted them to pray for him, asking God to open a door so that they could speak the gospel.

It was the gospel that Paul lived for, it was the preaching of the gospel that had landed Paul in prison, it was the preaching of the gospel that was ever on the forefront of Paul's mind. You see, Paul wanted God's kingdom to expand.

Jesus, he was concerned about others, about their souls, their salvation and their sanctification.

It is instructive to note that Paul is not asking them to pray for his legal situation or that he would be released from prison. He is asking them to pray that he will have the opportunity to lead someone to Christ.

Paul wanted their prayers to be in accordance with God's will not simply after the greedy desires of someone living for this world.

Paul was always concerned with doing the will of God.

How many of our prayers are directed at the expansion of His eternal kingdom rather than the expansion of our petty kingdoms? If you were able to chronicle your prayers, knowing how much time you spent praying for different things, how much of your time would be spent praying for your family, for their health, for the health and well being of your loved ones, compared to how much time you were praying for the lost who are headed to hell?

Intercessory prayer changes things.

Howard Hendricks, who for years taught at the Dallas Theological Seminary and pastored in the area shared this story. He said:

Years ago in a church in Dallas we were having trouble finding a teacher for a junior high boys class. The list of prospects had only one name — and when they told me who it was I said, “You've got to be kidding.” But I couldn't have been more wrong about that young man. He took the class and revolutionized it.

I was so impressed I invited him to my home for lunch and asked him the secret of his success. He pulled out a little black book.

On each page he had a small picture of one of the boys, and under the boy's name were comments “having trouble in arithmetic,” or “comes to church against parents' wishes,” or “would to be a missionary some day, but doesn't think he has what it takes.”

“I pray over those pages every day,” he said, “and I can hardly wait to come to church each Sunday to see what God has been doing in their lives.”

You see, when you pray for others, when you pray for God's work to be done, for His will to be accomplished, He will begin to use you and grow you in ways that will astonish those around you.

Sometimes I think we do not become what God wants us to become, because we are too focused on ourselves and not on others.

It is when we pray for others that we will become more Jesus, and as we become more Jesus God will grow us more, show us more, and use us more.

We must pray for others.

Five things that happen when we pray:

1. Prayer internalizes the burden

It deepens our ownership of the burden and our partnership with God. As we pray we begin to become aware of how God might us to answer the prayer, how He might involve us in ways we had not theretofore foreseen.

2. Prayer forces us to wait

Part of prayer is always waiting for God. God has three answers to prayers: Yes, no and wait. Yes and no are no-brainers. But wait, that is tough.

John MacArthur says: “There is a tension between boldness and waiting on God's will. That tension is resolved by being persistent, yet accepting God's answer when it finally comes.

” Instead of getting frustrated that God is not on our schedule, prayer forces us to be on God's timetable.

3. Prayer opens our spiritual eyes

It enables us to get in touch with what God is doing and how He is doing it.

In II Kings 6 you may recall the story of when the Army of Israel was surrounded by their enemies and Elijah's servant got nervous. Verses 15-17 say

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city.

And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.

” And the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Prayer opens our eyes, enabling us to see what God is doing, to see things we are blinded to without prayer. That's because prayer is communication. We speak to God, God answers us, speaking to us, showing us.

4. It aligns our heart with God's heart

Adjustment, alignment, setting our thoughts, emotions, actions.

5. Prayer enables us to move forward

Prayer engages God, enables God's people, and enlarges His kingdom. Jesus said, “without Me, you can do nothing.” Once we have prayed we are ready to do anything, until we have prayed we can do nothing, but once we have prayed we can accomplish anything.

What does your prayer life look this morning? Are you persistent in prayer? Are your prayers passionate or are they perfunctory? Are they filled with intensity and fervor or are they weak, timid and lacking faith? What about gratitude? How much time have you spent thanking God for all He has done for you? And who are you praying for? Is there anyone in your life that you are praying will get saved? Is there a burden on your heart to see God's kingdom expand, to see His will done?

Источник: //www.lifeway.com/en/articles/sermon-prayer-life-of-a-christian-colossians-4

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

Opening Prayer For A Christian Conference

Today, January 18, starts the week of prayer for Christian unity. At that time all Christians are invited to pray together for the unity of all Christians in the world. All Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples in John 17:21 “They may be one so that the world may believe”.

This week we should pray together and show our communion with others praying all around the world. This will result and show to the world the great unity of Christian Church. This year all Christians around the world are invited to pray especially for the unity of Christians in Caribbean region, which has many human rights abuses and other challenges.

This year biblical text for the week of prayer for Christian unity is taken from the Exodus 15: 1-21, the song of Moses and Miriam. This song can be called as a triumph over oppression.

The main theme for the 2018 year is “Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power” (Exodus 15:6). The right hand of God can be understood as his unfailing protection of this own people and as God’s victory over his opponents. Our God is the God of life and our salvation and liberation come through the power of God.

Bible in Exodus 15 allows us to see how the road to unity must often pass through the experience of suffering. Although liberation is an initiative taken by God. God has his own purpose and plan for the redemption of his people. Christians, through baptism, share in God’s ministry of reconciliation, but our own divisions make a world in need of God’s healing.

Contemporary world challenges threaten the dignity of the human person, who was created in the image and ness of God.

In our societies relationships quite often lack the justice that honor human dignity. We quite often face poverty, injustice, violence that distort human dignity.

But in the words of the hymn, “the right hand of God is planting in our land, planting seeds of freedom, hope, and love”.

For each day of the week of prayer for Christian unity, different prayers are proposed. So join the week of prayer for Christian unity and pray for the Christians unity in the world.

Day 1

Eternal God,You belong to no culture and land but are Lord of all,you call us to welcome the stranger in our midst.Help us by your Spirit,to live as brothers and sisters,welcoming all in your name,and living in the justice of your kingdom.

This we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Day 2

Gracious God,
draw near to those who are victims of human trafficking,
assuring them that you see their plight and hear their cry.

May your Church be united in compassion and courage to work for that daywhen no one will be exploitedand all will be free to live lives of dignity and peace.

This we pray in the name of the Triune Godwho can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.

Amen.

Day 3

By your heavenly grace, O God,restore us in mind and body,create in us a clean heart and a pure mind

that we may give glory to your Name.

May the churches attain unity of purposefor the sanctification of your people,through Jesus Christwho lives and reigns with youin the unity of the Holy Spirit,

for ever and ever.

Amen.

Day 4

God of all comfort and hope,your resurrection defeated the violence of the cross. As your people,may we be a visible signthat the violence of the world will be overcome.

This we pray in the name of our risen Lord.

Amen.

Day 5

Loving God,you lift up the poor and distressedand restore their dignity.Hear now our cries for the poor of our world,restore their hope and lift them up,that all your people may be one.

This we pray in Jesus name.

Amen.

Day 6

Almighty God,
give courage and strength to your churchto continually proclaim justice and righteousness

in situations of domination and oppression.

As we celebrate our unity in Christ,may your Holy Spirit help us

to look to the needs of others.

Amen.

Day 7

Gracious God,
you sent your son to be born in an ordinary family
with ancestors who were both faithful and sinful.
We ask your blessing upon all familieswithin households and communities.We pray especially for the unity of the Christian familyso that the world may believe.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.