Ben Howard
Lord we pray for ourselves during this Lenten season. We pray that you would strengthen us in our inner being, that you would nourish us in this time of fasting. We pray that our prayers would rise to you as incense and that you would hear us and heal our land. WE PRAY
LORD HAVE MERCY!
Lord we need you to revive our hearts. Bring your light into our lives where there is darkness, bring your peace where there is dissention, bring your healing touch where we are broken and hurting. Lord we pray that you would draw us into your presence. Stir within in us a longing for you. It is our prayer that you would foster in us your love. Grant, O Lord, that we may love you with our whole hearts and that we may indeed love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Teach us Lord, to pursue you and long for you with all of our strength. WE CRY OUT TO YOU!
LORD HAVE MERCY!
We pray for those in our community that are sick and of poor health. We ask that your hand healing touch would break into their lives and bring healing. We pray for those among us who feel unloved and for those that feel the deep ache of loneliness. Grant them the comfort that only your Spirit can provide and also grant us the sensitivity to see their need and to be ambassadors of your love. WE PRAY!
LORD HAVE MERCY!
We ask, O Lord, that you would help us to be attentive to the needs that surround us. We pray for the city of Wilmore and for Jessamine County. Lord you know the aches and the hurts. You hear the voices that cry out to you at night and you know those whose days are filled with tears. Lord, break our hearts over those who are broken and help us to minister to them. We pray that you would bring comfort and your love into their lives. WE PRAY!
LORD HAVE MERCY!
For those in civil authority above us and around the world we ask for wisdom. We ask for guidance and love for the president of this nation and for those men and women who guide the governments of the world. We pray for safety for those who serve in the armed services not only for this country but for all countries. Lord, we ask for peace. We ask that you would heal those lands that are ravaged by war. We ask that you would bring an end to the violence that claims so may innocent lives. Lord you know there is not a nation on earth that is free from this and so we ask, we plead for peace. We think of areas of the world such as Iraq, and Darfur. In your wisdom grant peace to the war torn areas of this world. WE PRAY!
LORD HAVE MERCY!
We pray for those areas of the world that have been plagued by natural disasters. We think specifically of those living in the Indonesian island of Sumatra who have experienced yet another earthquake. We pray that the international community would respond to these needs and that these people would not be far from our prayers. WE PRAY
LORD HAVE MERCY
We ask for the safety of our brothers and sisters that are part of the persecuted church. We pray that they would persevere in the faith. We ask that you would stop the hands that are raised against them and that you would spare the lives of your servants. We pray that in times of trouble and in times of peace that they would remain steadfast to your call on their lives. As we pray for them we are reminded how we have not lived up to their example. We ask forgiveness for the times that we, like the disciples have fallen asleep when you have called us to pray. We ask forgiveness for the times that we, as an unpersecuted church, have fallen into apostasy. Lord be with our persecuted brothers and sisters and help us to follow their example. WE PRAY!
LORD HAVE MERCY!
Lord we know that you are a good God and that you love humanity. We ask that our prayers would rise as incense before you and that you would answer. For we ask all these things in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ben Howard. MDiv Student
March 7, 2007