Pastoral Prayer, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany

Advent LightGracious God, our persistent liberator, every day you summon your slumbering people.  Stir up within us a call to repentance, a vision of your kingdom, and a desire to offer ourselves to your loving work.  Enlighten our lives with your grace so that we might fully give ourselves to Christ’s mission and ministry.

Holy Father, Father of Christ who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, as Christ was found in human likeness, help us to become transformed into Christ’s likeness.  Comfort us in our mortality and strengthen us to walk the path of your desire, so that by word and deed we may embody the gracious news of your faithfulness and love.

Sovereign Lord, Father of all by the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray for our leaders.  As they debate a seemingly endless list of policies, may they debate in charity.  May they be quick to listen and slow to speak, quick to action and slow to partisanship.  May we be ever mindful that our unity in Christ supersedes our division of politic.  We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, as we continue to pray saying:

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

Lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.

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