Beatitude Prayers

Prayers we've written for the Chalgrove Taize service, 5:30pm, Sun 26th Sept 2010. 1.  Blessed are the poor in spirit or blessed are those who realise their need. When we think we are strong are we really strong?  Sometimes at our lowest we confront our vulnerability and the vulnerability of others is revealed to us.  There can be a clarity that is lacking when all is going well and we are being carried along by a busy life. When the rat race spits us out and drops us to the floor then we begin to understand.  We feel the despair of the world.  We remember the despair of Christ Jesus at his lowest hour. Blessed are the poor in spirit. 2.  Lord we pray for those who mourn at this time. For those who mourn the past.  We pray you would inspire hope for the future. Where words and needs have been left undone help us to accept what we cannot change and give us strength to change that which we can. 3.  Lord we give thanks and ask for blessings upon those who give silently and often unnoticed by society. For the carers, nurses, teachers, parents and others who give their lives over to helping those around them. We pray also for those who commit humbly to a life of prayer. We thank you for the love shared by these people for the benefit of those around them. For this we thank you and ask your blessing. 4.  We consider what our lives would be like if we did not have enough to eat, if we went to bed every night without knowing where tomorrow's meals would come from. We pray for people for whom this is reality. Help grow in us a hunger and thirst for justice for the poor and hungry around the world. In silence we think of or say aloud situations of concern in the world. 5.  We pray for a harvest of mercy: - we pray for mercy for all victims and their abusers - we pray for mercy within all damaged family relationships - we pray for mercy to heal nations torn apart by civil war Lord, help us to be merciful. 6.  Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. We thank you for the everyday saints that live among us. Mother figures and Father figures who hold our community together. For the principles who campaign unrelentlessly for justice. For those who speak up for the forgotten, take the hand of the lost child. For those that are an inspiration and lead by example. Blessed are the pure in heart. 7.  We pray for peace.  Jesus, Prince of Peace: We pray for your peace to be planted, take root and grow in our own hearts and minds. We pray for your peace to be planted, take root and grow in industrial relationships. We pray for your peace to be planted, take root and grow in all areas of the world blighted by war. We pray for your peace to be planted, take root and grow in conflicts between human resource needs and natural habitats. Lord help us to be peace-makers and in this way to be your true children. 8.  Lord we thank you that in this country we can meet to worship you without fear of imprisonment or death.  We know that in many countries our Christian brothers and sisters do not have this luxury. We pray for those for whom being a Christian is a dangerous reality. We pray for those who are persecuted daily in your name and pray forgiveness for their persecutors.