Daily Prayer for Peace
1:00 p.m.
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Benin
Would you like to learn
more about Benin?
Visit
Lonely
Planet. |
Gathering in Silence
Call to Prayer
Lighting of CandleInvitation |
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Welcome today to this sacred place. 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 Benin in our prayers. Located in
West Africa , Benin is a tiny country with the highest concentration of
attractions in West Africa with fetish markets and the voodoo culture.
There are remnants of the mighty culture that fed the slave trade and
architectural anomalies such as stilt villages and mud fortresses.
God of peace, come into our midst with your Spirit and guide us into
ways of peace and justice for all your creation. Give us eyes to see,
ears to hear, and touch our hearts to praise only you. |
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| Scripture Reading: Luke 1:78-79 IV |
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Such is the tender mercy of our God, who
from on high will bring the Rising Sun
to visit us, to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow
of death
and to guide our feet into the way of peace. |
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Prayer for Peace by Anonymous |
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O Lord, our God, we come before you with praise and
thanksgiving for the beauty of your world. We are humbled at the
infinite mercy and grace that you bestow on us as a part of your
creation. You give each of us worth as people, and forgive us when we do
not live up to the potential that you have entrusted to us. Help us ever
to be more mindful of the needs of those around us--needs where we can
be your hands if we will take the time to seek you and be willing to
move out in faith.
We pray that we might be instruments of peace in a troubled world. We
pray for the leaders of all the nations of the world--that they may have
a desire for peace, that they might be enlightened to those ways that
can bring peace--that they can set aside greed and self-interest. We
come asking that your love and joy might touch our souls.
All around the world we lift our prayers for renewed courage, for
greater strength, and an endowment of your spirit that our discipleship
might be a positive influence in your world.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. |
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Hymn - I Heard the Bells on Christmas
Day - Hymns of the Saints #250 |
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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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Let us join in a common confession of our sins. For the
arrogance of our pride of race, of nation, and of class, by which we put
down others and thus break the community of the human family, in
defiance of your will, we ask forgiveness. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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For the sin of our self-concern, where we seek first our own private
good, in getting and gaining, to the neglect of our neighbor's needs
near and far, we ask forgiveness. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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For our casual and careless disdain for the good earth, in all its
majesty and beauty, which we plunder and despoil for present gain,
counting not the dire cost the future must pay, we ask your forgiveness. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We ask your watchcare and blessing for the people of Benin. Help them,
and us, to learn peaceful ways to settle our differences. Help us to
learn peace and justice and thereby break the cycles of hatred and war. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We ask divine blessing upon the needs and concerns of those gathered
here this day. Hear our petitions we humbly ask. |
| 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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We pray in the name of the Giver of Peace, Amen. |
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| Sending Forth |
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We will 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.
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.
As we go from this house of prayer, let us be the peacemakers and
peacekeepers we are called to be. Amen. |
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| Ministry of Music |
