St Mary's Church, Mudford

Intercessions

Prayers of intercession written each week by a member of our Benefice

                                                       PALM SUNDAY 28th March 2021…..

Lord Jesus, you fulfilled the Father’s will to the very end. As we come to the end of Lent and the start of Holy Week, we remember that You rode into Jerusalem for what You knew was the last time.

We seek to welcome Jesus into our lives with cries of ‘Hosanna’ and ask that You speak to our hearts. May we follow the path of Your commands, and may the way of the cross lead us to the joy of Easter for ever and ever. Amen

Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.

Blessed are you Lord for you have given us a wonderful world to live in, and we relish the magic of the new growth in the spring countryside – we thank you for the gift of a world full of beauty and wonder. Help us all to love and respect your creation.

We give thanks for the bounty of the world and all who provide us with food and our needs. We pray for the farmers and growers and all who work in agriculture, now entering an uncertain future.

Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.

We give thanks for Your church and all your faithful people, both world-wide and also at home in our diocese. We ask especially for your blessing on Bishop Peter coming to terms with ill health and retirement.

We thank you Lord for the time and commitment of our outgoing Rector Barbara and pray for her in her retirement. We pray also for our Benefice now starting a period of interregnum and give thanks for the lay readers and supporting clergy working in our Benefice to keep our services alive both online and in our churches.

Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.

Come Lord…
You were broken on the cross to make us whole, be with all who doubt Your word or are suffering a lack of faith.
Come … as light to those who walk in darkness, the lonely and the disadvantaged.
Come … as joy to all who are depressed or despairing and suffer from mental strife.
Come … as hope to all who are ill during this pandemic and fearful of their future.
Come … as supporter to all medical staff and carers working long hours for CoVid patients.
Come … as comforter to all who have lost loved ones over the last year of this pandemic.

We pray for our friends and loved ones recently departed, knowing that they have newness of life in your eternal kingdom. We ask also for your blessing on those in our community with anniversaries of dear ones departed.

Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.

We thank you for our supportive communities here in our villages. We ask You to help us to continue to follow the commandment of loving thy neighbour as ourselves, and that we may show a sign of the love of God to all whom we meet today.

And to close, can we all say to ourselves a prayer from Eddie Askew…

Make me more sensitive to other’s needs.
Sometimes I hear the words that others speak,
But fail to grasp their meaning.
Help me to hear the worry hidden in a throw-away remark,
The fear wrapped in a joke,
The insecurity behind unending dogmatism.
let me identify the cry for help so casually expressed.
Help me listen more and to think before I speak and then to think again..

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

… those who lean on Jesus’ breast ..
hear God’s heartbeat.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for sake of your son, our Saviour Jesus Christ,

Amen