Prayers of the People December 24, 2022

These are the Prayers of the People that will be used during church this week. We encourage you to use them as part of your personal prayers this week.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel!

God of hope, as we celebrate the season of Advent, help us abound in love for you and for one another. Keep your Church on the paths of love and faithfulness.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.

God of hope, as the Magi recognized the star as a sign of the coming Savior, give us the eyes to see, the wisdom to prepare, and the faith to trust in you.

O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times didst give the law,
in cloud, and majesty, and awe.

God of hope, usher in your reign of justice and righteousness, using your people in the process. May all the peoples of the world know your peace and safety.

O come, thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
free them from Satan’s tyranny
that trust thy mighty power to save,
and give them victory o’er the grave.

God of hope, under your reign, may divisions be overcome and may unity be restored: bring the people of this region—Culpeper, Fauquier and Rappahannock Counties—together in a spirit of love and respect.

O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.

God of hope, as members of Little Fork Episcopal Church, we ask you to guide us in our outreach to the disadvantaged people in our surrounding communities. Give us an awareness of their needs, and direction in the ways you want us to invest our resources of time, talent and money.

O come, thou Dayspring from on high,
and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadow put to flight.

God of hope, show your compassion and love to those who are suffering. Heal and restore the sick, the anxious and the grieving. We pray especially for those who have requested our (the first names of those on our church prayer list).

O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease,
and be thyself our King of Peace.

At this time, please offer your prayers of thanksgiving or add the names of those in need of healing or comfort.

Silence

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.