Daily Prayer for Peace  | |
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Daily Prayer for Peace
Daily Prayer for Peace
1:00 p.m.
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Austria
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Gathering in Silence
Call to Prayer
Lighting of CandleInvitation |
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Welcome to this sacred place of
prayer, and we greet you in the name of the Prince of Peace. Each day in
this Temple dedicated to the pursuit of peace, we pray to God for peace
in our world. In addition, each day we pray for a different country.
Today we will hold up the people of Austria in our prayers. Located in
Central Europe, Austria has been known for it’s neutrality, once
ingrained as part of the Austrian cultural identity. That has been
called into question since the Soviet collapse of 1991, and Austria's
increasingly prominent role in European affairs. A prosperous country,
Austria joined the European Union in 1995 and the euro monetary system
in 1999. Manufacturing, powered by hydroelectricity, drives the nation's
export trade. Forests have been damaged by air pollution, despite
environmental regulations. Vienna is a world center of the arts. It is
also the headquarters for many international organizations.
Also today, Ramadan begins today in North America and is the name of the
ninth Islamic lunar month. It is the month Allah (The one God), ordered
the Muslims to fast since it was the month He revealed the Qur'an (the
Muslims' holy scripture) to Muhammad (the final Prophet of Allah).
Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and intimate relations with their
spouse during the daylight hours of the blessed month. It is a time for
Muslims to contemplate on their belief and increase their faith by
actively increasing in worship, prayer and reciting the Qur'an. It is an
opportunity for spiritual as well as physical purification.
May the Spirit of God create in you an awareness of God's presence in
your life--your longings, your sorrows, your hopes, and your dreams. |
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| Scripture Reading: Isaiah 32:17-18 KJ21 |
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And the work of righteousness shall be
peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.
And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure
dwellings and in quiet resting places. |
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Prayer for Peace by Donald G. Brown, Pueblo,
Colorado |
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Almighty God, all around us, every day, the world cries
out in pain; confusion, hopelessness, cynicism abound, broken people
weep in anguish, filled with hurt and despair.
The needs are so great, and our resources are seem so small; in the face
of reality, Lord, we really wonder if we can make a difference for you
in the midst of such suffering and conflict?
All around us, every day, we brush up against the bruised and
brokenhearted, a friend in pain, a tear of regret, a sigh of remorse,
opportunities missed, wars and rumors of wars.
The hurts are so many, and our ministries seem so little, how can we
possibly heal fragmented lives and injured hearts, when we are hardly
willing at times, to be healed ourselves? How can we possibly make a
difference for you?
All around us, every day, a moment arises, to have a good laugh, to
share dreams and hopes, to simply hold someone in your arms and let them
cry, the little opportunities to touch another soul, to speak words of
strength and comfort, to simply allow someone to voice their pain. The
burdens are still there, but the chances to bring ministry are there,
too, if we can learn to see them. How is it that we can reach out, and
in touching another’s soul with love, we are touched as well? Perhaps we
can make a difference for you, Lord.
All around us, every day, your healing Spirit moves among us as an
impulsion, a longing, a vague desire within us to do something more.
Help us to see the little ways, and not-so-little ways, too, that we can
instill your love, your warmth, your will, into scenes and situations of
pain and sorrow. A hug, a visit, a smile, help us to tell others they do
not walk through this life alone. Show us how we can make a difference
for you, Lord.
All around us, every day, we can make a difference in this world of
hopelessness and hope, meaninglessness and meaning, even when the needs
are great and our resources seem small, because you are there,
ministering with us, laughing with us, sharing with us, crying with us.
Help us to be your servants in this world, to be willing to risk
ourselves for you, to risk all that we are, in order to make that
difference.
O God, may we always be assured that you are there before us, to support
us, to strengthen us, and to love us, and that when we serve in your
stead, we do make a difference indeed, in all that we do in your name,
and for your cause, and that you, God, are the one who makes the
difference, and through whom all things are possible.
May your Kingdom come is our prayer, in the name of your Son, even
Jesus, the Christ. Amen. |
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Hymn - Bear Each Other’s Burdens -
Hymns of the Saints #369 |
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Prayers of the People
Please join us now, praying the Prayers of the People. During the
moments of silence, you are invited to pray silently or meditate. |
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Great God, we praise you for sending the Prince of Peace
and your plan of salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ.. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We praise you for families and friends, food and shelter, warmth and
joy, and we are grateful, but we also ask for guidance in seeking
justice. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We pray for the just and proper use of your creation; for the victims of
hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression; for all who are in danger,
sorrow, or any kind of trouble; for those who minister to the sick, the
friendless, and the needy. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We praise you for holy forgiveness and claim its touch for our sins of
commission or our sins of omission. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We praise you for all the peoples of the earth but especially remember
the people of Austria this day. May they know your peace. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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Please use this space to pray for any
current concern or event in our community, city, state, nation or world
that you feel needs to be held up to God for prayerful consideration.
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| The People Pray in Silence |
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Hear our prayer, O God, as we strive to be instruments of your peace in
our world. Amen. |
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| Sending Forth |
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We conclude our service today with ministry of music. We
invite you to remain in the quiet of this place to pray or meditate for
as long as you may wish.
Go now in peace. Amen. |
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| Ministry of Music |
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