Daily Prayer for Peace  | |
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Daily Prayer for Peace
Daily Prayer for Peace
1:00 p.m.
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Equatorial
Guinea
Would you like to learn
more about Equatorial Guinea?
Visit
Lonely
Planet. |
Gathering in Silence
Call to Prayer
Lighting of CandleInvitation |
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Welcome today to this sacred
place, and thank you for joining us for prayer. 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 Equatorial Guinea in our prayers.
Located in Western Africa, Equatorial Guinea is composed of a mainland
portion and five inhabited islands. The mainland was originally
inhabited by Pygmies. Later In the 18th century, the Portuguese ceded
land to the Spanish that included Equatorial Guinea but the mainland was
not occupied by the Spanish until 1926. Spanish Guinea, as it was then
called, gained independence from Spain in 1968. It is Africa's only
Spanish-speaking country. The country is now a dictatorship with a past
full of abuse of human rights. A recent offshore oil boom resulted in
the economy's growth by 71.2% in 1997, the first year of the petroleum
bonanza, and it has sustained this phenomenal rate of growth. It is
unlikely, however, that the country's new wealth will benefit the
average citizen—the president's family and cronies control the industry.
It is always good to be with others as we consider the cause of peace in
a peace-hungry world. Thank you for your gift of presence. |
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| Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4: 29; 5:2 NRSV |
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Let no evil talk come out of your mouths,
but only what is useful for building up, as there is need; so that your
words may give grace to those who hear. And live in love, as Christ
loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice
to God. |
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Prayer for Peace by Fred W. Winterton,
Frankston, Victoria, Australia |
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Our Gracious Heavenly Father,
We are thankful for the access we have to you through the grace and
reconciliation of your Son, Jesus Christ.
We thank you for the assurance of your continuing love and concern for
us through the many trials and difficulties of our lives.
As we entreat you for peace in our troubled world we are mindful of our
many deeds of inhumanity to one another by which fear, insecurity,
poverty and brokenness have become much of our human experience. We
acknowledge these as symptoms of deeper emotional causes - as extensions
of our inner conflicts.
We recognize the need for repentance at personal and corporate levels,
where we have so often ignored the principles of power relationships you
have ordained for our happiness. We further recognize, that in
petitioning you for peace, we have no rightful claim on your mediation
in our troubles while we persist in denying to our fellows the rights of
freedom, acceptance, equality and social justice we jealously guard for
ourselves, and which underline many of our problems.
Our prayer, dear Father, is not that you will offset the just
consequences of our sinful ways, but that you will open our eyes to the
more peaceful pursuits of life, and engender in our hearts a more
compassionate attitude toward the plight of those who are
under-privileged and downtrodden.
Assist also those in roles of government throughout the world to effect
the necessary reforms in political, economic, and social affairs which
will lessen the tensions of war and hostility, and establish a world
brotherhood based on respect for the rights of all.
Moreover, may the peaceable presence of your Holy Spirit so rule in the
inner courts of our lives that we will be living emissaries of peace for
you in all the dimensions and interactions of our lives.
This we ask in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. |
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Hymn - Come, Holy Spirit, Come -
Sing a New Song #6 |
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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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God of all the earth and those who dwell thereon, we
pray that the light of peace will heal the dark places of the earth. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We hold to the light of God's love and healing the people of all
religions or no religion who dwell in Equatorial Guinea. Be with the
leaders there that they may consider the good of the people and their
country in all they do. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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We pray for courage to be your presence in actions of justice,
compassion, tenderness, and love. We pray for divine forgiveness when we
have not been compassionate or loving or just. May your light fill our
being, O God, as we resolve to be reflection of that light in the world. |
| The People Pray in Silence |
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Hear our prayer, O God, as we pray for those who are victims of abuse,
neglect, hatred, and illness. May your light fill all the world, O God,
and teach us to become advocates for those victims. |
| 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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Let us thank God that in the midst of incredible difficulties, people
still have courage, determination, and hope. We lift our hearts and
minds and voices in honor, praise, and glory to you, great God of peace.
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.
And now may that Spirit of Love and Peace which has visited us this hour
go with you as the needs of the world call for your attention. May that
Spirit abide in you as you truly become peacemakers. Amen. |
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| Ministry of Music |
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