PRAYER GUIDE

Week of Prayer
September 7-12, 2014
St. Pauls
United Methodist Church

INTRODUCTION
John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism, said,
God does nothing but in answer to prayer. Indeed, prayer is our
primary pathway of relationship to God.
Throughout Church history and into present day, authors
have penned myriad books about prayer. We will not recount all
that wisdom here, but Christians through the ages have found again
and again that prayer makes a difference. Prayer changes things.
The United Methodist News Service recently published an
article that attempted to condense the insights of spiritual sages,
teachers, and everyday believers into ten tips about prayer. They
are as follows:
1. You are worthy. Do not feel guilty about the quality of
your prayer life, or fall victim to doubts and despair about your
worthiness to talk to God. Remember John Wesley's words: "In
Christ we gain more than in Adam we lost."
2. The more you pray, the richer your prayers become.
Like anything in life, to become good at prayer you must be
disciplined. Just as running is an exercise in physical fitness,
prayer is a spiritual discipline.
3. Prayer is active. Prayer involves action; namely being
attentive to God's voice in your life. Listening for God means
stopping and sitting still. It means paying attention to what God
may be saying to you at any point in your life.
4. Prayer should not be an afterthought. Prayer was the
backbone of Jesus' ministry. Often, he broke away from his
disciples to spend time with God. In the same way, prayer is
essential to individual lives and to the life of the church. Break
away from your daily routine for quiet time in prayer.
5. Surround yourself with people who are seasoned at
praying. People who've established prayer routines have much to
teach those wanting to draw closer to God. Seek out those who can
help guide and encourage your prayer life.
6. God doesn't require eloquence. Don't worry if you
fumble for words when you pray. God is not looking for
Toastmaster's graduates, but sincerity. If the words won't come,
God still knows what's in your heart. Lift up that desire.

7. Prayer need not involve words. The great Christian

saints all write of prayer as a time of sitting quietly with God. Jesus
even went off for forty days of prayerful solitude.
8. Prayer is a time for conversation with a friend: God.
Whether you see that friend routinely or just every once in awhile,
know that whenever you turn to God, you're turning to someone
who loves you.
9. Ask God for help if you get stuck. Maybe you've hit a
dry spell. There's no shame in asking God to guide you to pray in a
new way.
10. The three Ls of prayer: Listen, listen, listen.
Listening for God is central to prayer, according to the great saints.
It's so critical that St. Benedict began his famous Rule with this
command for monks: "Listen with the ear of your heart."
While we all know that we should pray, the truth of the
matter is that we do not intentionally make space for prayer. That
is what this week of prayer is all about: intentionally making space
for prayer.
The sanctuary here at St. Pauls will be open each day this
week, Monday through Friday, from 7 am-7 pm. Stop in for
prayer as your schedule allows whether for ten minutes, thirty
minutes, or an hour. Speak to God. Listen to God. Create space
in your life for God to work through you and in you.
Of course, you dont have to come to the church to pray.
You can pray anywhere, but everyone connected to the St. Pauls
community is asked to make a concerted effort to pray and to seek
Gods face during this week.
May this week be only the beginning. God is calling us
into relationship with him, and that relationship is cultivated
through prayer.
In this guide, youll find materials for daily prayer and
meditation. The daily helps are clustered under daily themes that
align with the prayer emphasis for each day. Please feel free to
adapt these resources to what works best for you. Under each day,
you will find the following:
Invocation. A call to enter into the presence of God in faith
that God is waiting to meet with us.

Psalm. The Psalms are an ancient prayer book that speaks

to our needs and experiences. Make the Psalm your personal
prayer pray the Psalm.
Scripture Reading.
The daily scripture reading is
intended to support that days theme. Prayerfully ponder the
passage; meditate upon it.
Prayers. This is a time for you to talk to God in your own
way. The time set apart for prayers may include adoration,
confession, and praying for yourself, but we are especially focused
on intercession (praying for others) this week. Each day will
include recommendations for prayer concerns that relate to the
daily prayer emphasis.
These recommendations are not
exhaustive; please feel free to add other concerns.
If you are medically able, you may want to consider fasting
along with your prayer. Fasting involves the act of giving up
something that is important to us in order that we may use the time
normally given to that thing for prayer. Fasting helps us shut the
door of our inner selves to the outside attractions which crowd in
and dissipate our prayer time and energies.
Reflection. We encourage you to take time to reflect on
the words, thoughts, and emotions you have experienced.
You might also like to keep a journal of your prayer
journey this week. A journal can serve as a travel log and road
map to help you recall and reflect on where you have been and
where you are going.
Hymn. One hymn related to the stated emphasis is
included for each day. Pray the hymn.
Benediction. A benediction is included to prayerfully
conclude your concerted time of prayer, but remember that we can
be in an attitude of prayer and conversation with God at all times
and all places.
This guide is prayerfully offered to you with the desire that
it will assist you in your walk with God as we, the St. Pauls
Church family, together seek God the Father through his Son Jesus
Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7:
A SERVICE OF HEALING

Our Week of Prayer will begin with a Service of Healing at

7:00 PM on Sunday, September 7, in the Sanctuary. The purpose
of the service is to offer prayers for wholeness of body, mind, and
spirit.
The New Testament records that Jesus himself healed the
estranged and sick and sent out his disciples on ministries of
healing. James 5 calls us also to pray for and anoint the sick that
they may be healed.
We encourage you to come to the service to pray for others,
to have the community pray for your special needs or the needs of
loved ones, and to pray for hurt and brokenness in the community
and world. The service is open to the entire community, so please
invite anyone you know who is in need of prayer for spiritual,
physical, relational, emotional, or any other type of healing.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8:
PRAY FOR OUR WORLD

I.

Invocation:
God, you so loved the world that you sent your only
Son in order to save it. Hasten the day when all of
your people may know the joy, peace, and harmony
of your kingdom. Grant unto me this day the power to
live within your kingdom. In the name of Christ.
Amen.

II.

Psalm 46:
To the leader. Of the Korahites. According to Alamoth. A Song.
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah

III.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:9-13

Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.

IV.

Prayers:

V.

All who have woken up today to violence, unrest, and

injustice.
The continuing armed conflicts and instability in Syria,
the Ukraine, Pakistan, Iraq, and Gaza
The horrors of ethnic cleansing caused by the Islamist
State in Iraq. Be among the children as they starve and
women as they are sold and the dead as they are buried
under rocks. Be among the victims of exile: Shabaks,
Turkmens, Yazidis, Christians, Shiites, and Sunnis.
Those combatting the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone,
Guinea, and Liberia
Our planet and the universe that we would be good
stewards.
The countless millions who are victims of human
trafficking throughout the world
World leaders
The Healing of the nations
Peace in our world
Victims of natural disasters throughout the world.
5 million refugees in Colombia, South America, as well
as the Middle East, Somalia, Sudan, Central Africa and
elsewhere.
Haiti, where almost 280,000 remain in camps after the
2011 earthquake and another 200,000 are living with
host families or in informal settlements
Those in poverty
Just economies, tax, and trade
Those affected by HIV and AIDS
Human rights abuses

Reflection

VI.

Hymn: For the Healing of the Nations

For the healing of the nations,
Lord, we pray with one accord,
for a just and equal sharing
of the things that earth affords.
To a life of love in action
help us rise and pledge our word.
Lead us forward into freedom,
from despair your world release,
that, redeemed from war and hatred,
all may come and go in peace.
Show us how through care and goodness
fear will die and hope increase.
All that kills abundant living,
let it from the earth be banned:
pride of status, race or schooling,
dogmas that obscure your plan.
In our common quest for justice
may we hallow brief lifes span.
You, Creator God, have written
your great name on humankind;
for our growing in your likeness
bring the life of Christ to mind;
that by our response and service
earth its destiny may find.
Words: Fred Kaan (UMH #428)
1968 In US & Canada: Hope Publishing Company, www.hopepublishing.com

VII.

Benediction:
Go forth to serve in the strength, love, and presence
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9:

PRAY FOR OUR NATION

I.

Invocation:
Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of
the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and
in peace: Give to me and all the people of our country
a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that
we may use our liberty in accordance with your
gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for
ever and ever. Amen.

II.

Psalm 33:
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
Praise befits the upright.
Praise the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;
he put the deeps in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.
The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all humankind.
From where he sits enthroned he watches all the
inhabitants of the earth
he who fashions the hearts of them all,
and observes all their deeds.
A king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.

The war horse is a vain hope for victory,

and by its great might it cannot save.
Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
to deliver their soul from death,
and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and shield.
Our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.

III.

Scripture Reading: Revelation 15:2-4

And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mixed with fire,
and those who had conquered the beast and its image and the
number of its name standing beside the sea of glass with harps
of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the
servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:
Great and amazing are your deeds,
Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
King of the nations!
Lord, who will not fear
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your judgments have been revealed.

IV.

Prayers:

President Barack Obama and his administration

Legislators
Court Systems
Policies and laws that promote the worth of human life.
Wisdom in handling tensions with the Islamic State
militant group, Russia, and others
Racial reconciliation
Deliverance from sins of affluence, pride, materialism.
Education
Safety in schools and other public places
Immigration
Health Care
Poverty
Economic justice
The unemployed and underemployed

Military/Armed Forces
The states and their leaders (governors, legislators, etc.)

V.

Reflection

VI.

Hymn: This Is My Song

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine;
this is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine:
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.
This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a prayer that peace transcends in every place;
and yet I pray for my beloved country
the reassurance of continued grace:
Lord, help us find our one-ness in the Savior,
in spite of differences of age and race.
This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth's kingdoms,
thy kingdom come, on earth, thy will be done;
let Christ be lifted up 'til all shall serve him,
and hearts united, learn to live as one:
O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations,
myself I give thee let thy will be done.
Words: Lloyd Stone and Georgia Harkness (UMH #437)
1934, 1962 Lorenz Publishing Co.

VII.

Benediction:
Lord, allow me, your servant, to go in peace. I have
experienced your salvation which you have prepared
for everyone. Uphold me as I seek to serve in your
name. Amen.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10:

PRAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY

I.

Invocation:
Lord God, through your grace we are your people:
through your Son you have redeemed us; in your
Spirit you have made us your own. We pray for this
local community and for all people in their daily life
and work. We give thanks that you have placed us
here to show your love. Amen.

II.

Psalm 48:
A Song. A Psalm of the Korahites.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
Within its citadels God
has shown himself a sure defense.
Then the kings assembled,
they came on together.
As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic, they took to flight;
trembling took hold of them there,
pains as of a woman in labor,
as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish.
As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God establishes for ever. Selah
We ponder your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
Your name, O God, like your praise,
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory.
Let Mount Zion be glad,
let the towns of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments.
Walk about Zion, go all around it,
count its towers,
consider well its ramparts;

go through its citadels,

that you may tell the next generation
that this is God,
our God for ever and ever.
He will be our guide for ever.

III.

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29:4-14

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles
whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build
houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they
produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives
for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they
may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not
decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you
into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you
will find your welfare.
For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the
prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and
do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they
are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says
the Lord. For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylons seventy
years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my
promise and bring you back to this place. For surely I know the
plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and
not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call
upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you
search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your
heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your
fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places
where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back
to the place from which I sent you into exile.

IV.

Prayers:

Oakland and nearby communities

Mayor and Town Councils/Municipal official
Garrett County and neighboring county governments
Local Police and Sheriffs Departments
Firefighters and rescue personnel
Schools: teachers, support staff, and administrators
Students
Economic life of the community: businesses, industry,
agriculture
Local unemployed and underemployed individuals
The poor

Widows and orphans

Prisoners
The ill, both mentally and physically
Disabled individuals
Local families and children
Single parents
Single adults
Local non-profit organizations

V.

Reflection

VI.

Hymn: The Son of God, our Christ, the Way

The Son of God, our Christ, the Word, the Way,
Shared human life and toiled throughout the day;
From common folk he called his friends to be
Co-workers in his sacred ministry.
In ev'ry test, in trials manifold,
These servants witnessed, by their faith made bold;
And with the gifts and talents which they brought,
The Church was founded and God's message taught.
Today, as then, Christ summons us to dare
To follow boldly and his work to share,
Declaring to the world his holy name
And showing mercy to the sick and lame.
In city street, in town, or on the soil,
May each serve Christ in faithful daily toil,
And in each thought and kindly word and deed,
Obey Christ's call and go where he shall lead.
Where'er we find our witness should be made,
Whate'er our task, the Lord will be our aid,
And we will gladly give for him our best
And find each task divinely sent and blessed.
Words: Edward M. Blumenfeld
1956 Renewal 1984 by The Hymn Society, admin. by Hope Publishing.

VII.

Benediction:
As Jesus went about all the cities and villages
proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, let us go
forth in the power of the Spirit to proclaim the good
news of the kingdom in our time and place. Amen.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11:

PRAY FOR OUR CHURCH
I.

Invocation:
Almighty and ever-living God, ruler of all things in
heaven and earth, hear our prayers for our church
family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless,
and restore the penitent. Grant us all things
necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be
of one heart and mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

II.

Psalm 84:
To the leader: according to The Gittith. Of the Korahites. A

Psalm.
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise. Selah
Happy are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.
For a day in your courts is better

than a thousand elsewhere.

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than live in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
he bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does the Lord withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
happy is everyone who trusts in you.

III.

Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:15-29

Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all
creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were
created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or rulers or powersall things have been created
through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in
him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the
church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that
he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the
fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was
pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in
heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil
deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death,
so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable
before him provided that you continue securely established
and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope
promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been
proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a
servant of this gospel.
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh
I am completing what is lacking in Christs afflictions for the sake
of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to
Gods commission that was given to me for you, to make the
word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden
throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed
to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great
among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we
proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all
wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For
this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully
inspires within me.

IV.

Prayers:

Our Church Family

Discipleship and Outreach
Sunday school and Bible study programs
Healing and growth of our relationships
Unity
Pastor and Church leaders
Children
Homebound
The United Methodist Church (UMC)
Missionaries serving around the world
The Church Universal
The Persecuted Church
UMC four areas of focus: improving global health,
ministering with the poor, developing leaders, and
growing vital churches
The West Virginia Annual Conference
Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball
District Superintendent Michael Estep
Womens and Mens Ministries
Stewardship
Openness to the Holy Spirits leading
Vitality in worship
Faithful witness

V.

Reflection

VI.

Hymn: We Are Gods People

We are God's people, the chosen of the Lord,
Born of His Spirit, established by His Word;
Our cornerstone is Christ alone, and strong in Him we stand:
O let us live transparently
And walk heart to heart and hand in hand.
We are Gods loved ones, the Bride of Christ our Lord,
For we have known it, the love of God outpoured;
Now let us learn how to return the gift of love once given:
O let us share each joy and care,

And live with a zeal that pleases Heaven.

We are the Body of which the Lord is Head,

Called to obey Him, now risen from the dead;
He wills us be a family, diverse yet truly one:
O let us give our gifts to God,
And so shall his work on earth be done.
We are a temple, the Spirits dwelling place,
Formed in great weakness, a cup to hold Gods grace;
We die alone, for on its own each ember loses fire:
Yet joined in one the flame burns on
To give warmth and light, and to inspire.
Words: Bryan Jeffery Leech (TFWS #2220)
1976 Fred Bock Music Co.

VII.

Benediction:
You have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Go
forth empowered and equipped by the Spirit to be
Christs body, doing Christs work in the world. Amen.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12:

PRAY FOR THE SPIRITUALLY LOST
I.

Invocation:
O God of all the nations of the earth: Remember the
multitudes who have been created in your image but
have not known the redeeming work of our Savior
Jesus Christ; and grant that, by the prayers and
labors of your holy Church, they may be brought to
know and worship you as you have been revealed in
your Son; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

II.

Psalm 67:
To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us;
let all the ends of the earth revere him.

III.

Scripture Reading: Acts 1:6-8

So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, is this
the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel? He replied,
It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has
set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in

Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the

earth.

IV.

Prayers:

Family members: pray for those whom you love and care
deeply to turn to God for salvation.
Neighbors: pray for those with whom you have regular
contact to seek and find God.
The community
Our church: pray that we will reach out to, welcome, and
disciple the lost with open arms
Global missions
Unreached people groups
Empowerment to share our faith

V.

Reflection

VI.

Hymn: Rescue the Perishing

Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave.
Weep o'er the erring one, Lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
Rescue the perishing, Care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save!
Though they are slighting Him, Still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive.
Plead with them earnestly, Plead with them gently,
He will forgive if they only believe.
Down in the human heart, Crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore.
Touched by a loving heart, Wakened by kindness,
Chords that are broken will vibrate once more.
Rescue the perishing, Duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide.
Back to the narrow way Patiently win them,
Tell the poor wand'rer a Savior has died.
Words: Fanny J. Crosby (UMH #591)

VII.

Benediction:

Gracious and loving God, send us into the world to do the

work you invite us to be a part of: to find the lost and lonely,
to heal broken souls, to free prisoners, and to proclaim your
truth in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.