God our Father, guide our prayers today. Teach us to pray with truth and love, and to live lives that reflect your glory.
We pray for our world, especially for those places where there is danger, darkness and despair, and for those who live there. We ask the Holy Spirit to pour comfort, courage and hope into troubled situations.
We pray for all those in leadership and government. May they do everything in a spirit of compassion and charity, and may it be manifested in the decisions and policies that affect us all.
We pray for faith, for each one of us and for the Church. May we have courage to speak to our world of the peace and healing that is ours in Christ.
We pray for the communities in which we live and work. We ask God to show us the part we can play in making them welcoming places, where the broken can find healing and peace.
We remember with thanksgiving all who have gone before us, especially those recently departed and those we hold in our hearts. May we, with them, come to healing through faith, and rejoice at last in the presence of God.
We spend a moment in silent prayer…
God of mercy, you hear the prayers we say as well as those we hold in silence. Stay with us as we continue our journey, and show us how to live out our prayers. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.