Time to Pray – Daily Prayer for Friday 10 August, 2018

Peace to those who are far off.

Peace to those who are near.

Ephesians 2.17

Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.

A poem: A Song of Hope

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me:
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good tidings to the afflicted.
The Lord has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted:
to proclaim liberty for the captives,
and release for those in prison,
To comfort all who mourn:
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning:
a garment of splendour for the heavy heart.
They shall be called trees of righteousness:
planted for the glory of the Lord.

Isaiah 61.1-3

The opening prayer

By night and by day we worship the Lord; let us pray with one heart and mind.

We remember God’s presence and pause in silence.

Father of lights, receive the prayer and praise we offer you as our daily sacrifice; make us a light for all the world, delivered by your goodness from all the works of darkness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

The readings

Nahum 2.1, 3, 3.1-3, 6-7

A shatterer has come up against you.
Guard the ramparts;
watch the road;
gird your loins;
collect all your strength.

The shields of his warriors are red;
his soldiers are clothed in crimson.
The metal on the chariots flashes
on the day when he musters them;
the chargers prance.

Ah! City of bloodshed,

utterly deceitful, full of booty –
no end to the plunder!
The crack of whip and rumble of wheel,
galloping horse and bounding chariot!
Horsemen charging,
flashing sword and glittering spear,
piles of dead,
heaps of corpses,
dead bodies without end –
they stumble over the bodies!

I will throw filth at you
and treat you with contempt,
and make you a spectacle.
Then all who see you will shrink from you and say,
‘Nineveh is devastated; who will bemoan her?’
Where shall I seek comforters for you?

Psalm 137.1-6

By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.

As for our lyres, we hung them up
on the willows that grow in that land.

For there our captors asked for a song, our tormentors called for mirth:
‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’

How shall we sing the Lord’s song
in a strange land?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget its skill.

Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you,
if I set not Jerusalem above my highest joy.

Matthew 16.24-28

Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’

The Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer (traditional)

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 trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

This week’s prayer:

Almighty God,
whose beloved Son for our sake
willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross:
give us courage and patience
to take up our cross daily and follow him;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

We thank God for what we have and pray for what we need.

Today we pray for ourselves, that God would give us humility and compassion. In our local church, we ask God to guide the work and decisions of parish council. In our world, we pray for all who serve in the political life of our area. We remember before God those who have asked for our prayers, or who are in need of them.

A prayer for the day

Lord Jesus Christ,
we thank you for all the benefits that you have won for us,
for all the pains and insults that you have borne for us.
Most merciful redeemer, friend and brother,
may we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,
day by day.
Amen

The Lord be with us

now and forever.

Let us praise the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13.14