Intercessions
1st October 2023
Creator God, you are the source of all good things, and on you we depend. We praise you and give you thanks for your wonderful creation and generosity. We marvel at the diversity of life on our planet. We experience the colours and shapes, textures, tastes, smells, feel and sounds of living things every day but your creation is so enormous and intricate that we will only encounter a small fraction of its wonder in our lifetime. How amazing that you also know each one of us and long for us to come to you in prayer.
In the Algarve we are aware of the harvest of oranges through the year but at this time of year the grapes have been picked and we hear the clacking sound of the harvest of almonds, olives and carobs as they are knocked from the trees with long poles. Many country people rely on these fruits for their livelihood and we pray that they will have enough after this year of drought. Lord, we ask you to send more rain to bring new life to this parched land and fill our rivers and reservoirs
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord of all, we give thanks that we have food on the table everyday ...but we now take time to pray for all those who are hungry right now. Please bless them and encourage those who have more to give to those who have less. Around the world people go to bed hungry and very often this is a result of other men’s greed and political insensitivity and injustice to those who are forced by their circumstances to work to provide food for people who are already rich. Give those who govern worldwide hearts of compassion and justice that they might govern wisely respecting the lives of others.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord of the Harvest, we remember this morning that people have worked hard, sweated, hurt their backs and endured all weathers to bring food to our table: honest toil and sometimes exploited labour. Fishermen, farmers, crop pickers, packers, shippers, refiners, warehousemen, lorry drivers, shop assistants – all have played their part. They deserve our thanks much more often than once a year... so for what we have received make us truly thankful.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord of love, in our communities there are many needy people. We ask your blessing on all those who work hard to bring food to people who are struggling to feed themselves and their families here in the Algarve and all of Portugal: bless all who donate food and volunteer in soup kitchens and food banks, Families in Need, and here in Almancil - Refood and ASCA. Bless all those who receive from the hands of others and touch their hearts with Your love and the knowledge that others care for them.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Almighty Father, we pray for the church worldwide and particularly for our church of Christ The King giving thanks for your love, provision and leading. Help us move into the future You have for us enabling us to build your Kingdom here bringing Your love to those we meet.
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for The Nippon Sei Ko Kai.
We ask your blessing on the ministry of Rev Mike Starkey, giving thanks that you brought him here for the whole of October.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Healing God, we give thanks for answered prayer and ask you to bless our family and friends, all those on our prayer list and any others known to us who are in pain of body, mind and spirit. Give them a sense of your presence and peace in their hearts whatever their circumstances. Let us take a few minutes to bring before you anyone on our own hearts today.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Heavenly Father, we lift to you all those who have died this week, those known to us and those whose anniversaries fall at this time. We pray that you will be with all who mourn and that they will turn to you for comfort in their loss.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord God, our Father, our prayer this day is only a stone thrown into a pool, a tiny offering of love in an ocean of need. Please take our prayers, along with the prayers of millions of others, and bring about your purposes of love, healing and hope to the very edges of the world. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Lord in Your mercy
Hear our prayer
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.