Listen to or read a service of Prayer for Saturday 11 July 2020, the Saturday after the Fourth Sunday of Trinity.
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Praise
Gracious Father,
by the obedience of Jesus
you brought salvation to our wayward world:
draw us into harmony with your will,
that we may find all things restored in him,
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Psalm 51.1-7
Have mercy on me, O God, in your great goodness;
according to the abundance of your compassion
blot out my offences.
Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my faults
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you only have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
So that you are justified in your sentence
and righteous in your judgement.
I have been wicked even from my birth,
a sinner when my mother conceived me.
Behold, you desire truth deep within me
and shall make me understand wisdom
in the depths of my heart.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
Reading: Matthew 10.24-33
Jesus said to the twelve: ‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
‘Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.’
This is the word of the Lord.
Reflection on Matthew 10.24-33
Prayers
That all Christian people may be one and witnesses to the world, let us pray to the Lord.
United by baptism into the death of Christ, we seek to be bearers of his life. Give to your faithful people the strength to take up the Cross and to follow Christ.
Where selfishness makes people cling to false values, reveal the way of peace through the death of self. Give freedom from the sin that diminishes fullness of life.
Bless us, our families, friends and neighbours, with the spirit of mutual care. As servants of our Master, let us be servants of one another, unselfish in our relationships, seeking the common good.
Be close to those who are persecuted for their faith. Shield them from violence and give them hope.
Enrich with new life those who have died in faith. As they passed through the waters of baptism in this world, bring them through the gate of death into glory.
Seeking new life through the saving death of Christ, we pray in his name.
Into the hands of your love and mercy,
O God our Father,
we commit our lives this day:
the tasks that await us;
our homes and the members of our families;
our loved ones, and especially those in need.
Give to us your guidance, your strength,
and your protection, according to our needs,
and throughout this day
keep us abiding in your love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Conclusion
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.
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