Lenten Prayer Guide 2018
Introduction During the season of Lent, we are asking the father who delights in us, guides us, and empowers us to bring his growth and flourishing in our lives and church for the sake of others in our neighborhoods. Each week we will pray together through a theme that emerged during our Grow and Flourish series, all church welcome lunch, and round tables. Our prayer practice will have a few parts: Sunday: On Sundays at 9:40am everyone is invited to join our preservice prayer circle and intercede for our service and prayer theme. Our prayers of the people will focus on the prayer theme as well. During the week: This booklet can help you pray personally, with your household, or with your group. How could you incorporate prayer into your Lenten practice for the next 6 weeks? Lenten Prayer Night: on Monday, March 19 at 7pm, we will gather to intercede for Holy Week and our neighborhoods. Prayer Themes— Lent 1: February 18 — Disciple-making with Children & Youth Lent 2: February 25 — Neighborhood Relationships & Partnerships Lent 3: March 4 — Nations, Immigrants & Refugees, Mission Lent 4: March 11 — Families, Celibates, Marriages, Children Lent 5: March 18 — City of Aurora, Partner Churches, Diocesan family Holy Week: March 25 — Salvation, Baptism, & Healing
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Weekly Prayer Themes 1st Sunday of Lent: February 18 —
Disciple-making with children and youth
"Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan; Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen." —Collect for the First Sunday in Lent Prayers •For City Kids shepherds and kids •For opportunities to serve kids at Hill and our neighborhoods •For Kids Hope students, mentors, and prayer partners •For households as they practice lent and keep sabbath •For older students/youth and for next steps in our ministry to them, for their journey through lent to holy week, for their ministry involvement •Pray by name for kids you know and love
"Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children: Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love whatever is just and true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen." —A Prayer For the Care of Children, Book of Common Prayer
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2nd Sunday of Lent: February 25 —
Neighborhood Relationships & Partnerships
"O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." —Collect for the Second Sunday in Lent Prayers •For Hill Elementary–staff, teachers, and principal Mike Smith •For more opportunities to serve our neighborhoods •Pray by name for your neighbors •Pray for a Spanish speaking partner church •For more diversity in our church •For Emmanuel House and their ministry to Aurora
"Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish 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 within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." —A Prayer For the Parish, Book of Common Prayer
"O Eternal God, bless all schools [and especially Hill Elementary], that they may be lively centers for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." —A Prayer For Schools, Book of Common Prayer
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3rd Sunday of Lent: March 4 —
Nations, immigrants/refugees, global mission/church
"Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." —Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent Prayers •For World Relief and their work among refugees and immigrants •For our missionary, Wendy, teaching in Colombia •For peace among nations and relief for the immigrant crisis •For our partner churches in Nigeria and Cambodia •Pray by name for nations or peoples you love
"Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." —A Prayer for the Opressed, Book of Common Prayer
"Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen."
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—A Prayer For the Nations, Book of Common Prayer
4th Sunday of Lent: March 11 —
Households, celibates, marriages, children
"Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen." —Collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent Prayers •For strengthening of marraiges; pray by name for marriages •For our households to live out our calling as first churches •For households to be healing havens for the lost •For celibates to know intimacy with Christ and the family of God •Pray by name for spiritual parents and disciple-makers •That City of Light would raise up more spiritual fathers, mothers, etc.
"Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who settest the solitary in families: We commend to thy continual care the homes in which thy people dwell. Put far from them, we beseech thee, every root of bitterness, the desire of vainglory, and the pride of life. Fill them with faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness. Knit together in constant affection those who, in holy wedlock, have been made one flesh. Turn the hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to the parents; and so enkindle fervent charity among us all, that we may evermore be kindly affectioned one to another; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." —A Prayer for Families, Book of Common Prayer
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5th Sunday of Lent: March 18 —
City of Aurora, partner churches, Diocese family
"Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen." —Collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent Prayers •For our sending church, Church of the Resurrection •For our diocese and church family in the Upper Midwest •For peace on the streets and in the homes of our city •For the poor and the homeless in Aurora •For unity in our city and among churches in Aurora •For our partner churches: Redeemer, Warehouse, CCC, 1st Pres, Orchard Valley
"Heavenly Father, in your Word you have given us a vision of that holy City to which the nations of the world bring their glory: Behold and visit, we pray, the cities of the earth. Renew the ties of mutual regard which form our civic life. Send us honest and able leaders. Enable us to eliminate poverty, prejudice, and oppression, that peace may prevail with righteousness, and justice with order, and that men and women from different cultures and with differing talents may find with one another the fulfillment of their humanity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." —A Prayer for Cities, Book of Common Prayer
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Holy Week: March 25 —
Salvation, Baptism, & Healing
For daily Scriptures, prayers, and art, visit: cityoflightanglican.org/news/hw-devo. For more information about the days and services in Holy Week visit: cityoflightanglican.org/holy-week Prayers •For someone you know who is far from God •For people to be called to baptism this Holy Week •For many to receive the gift of salvation •For physical healings •For emotional healings •For the healing of relationships Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday The Proper Liturgy for this day is on page 270 of the BCP.
"Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." —Collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent Monday in Holy Week
"Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." — Preface of Holy Week
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Tuesday in Holy Week
"O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." — Preface of Holy Week Wednesday in Holy Week
" Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. — Preface of Holy Week Maundy Thursday The Proper Liturgy for this day is on page 274 of the BCP.
"Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."— Preface of Holy Week Good Friday The Proper Liturgy for this day is on page 276 of the BCP.
"Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."— Preface of Holy Week
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Holy Saturday The Proper Liturgy for this day is on page 283 of the BCP.
"O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." — Preface of Holy Week Easter Sunday The Liturgy of the Easter Vigil is on page 285 of the BCP..
"O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."— Preface of Holy Week "Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."— Preface of Holy Week
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Walk with us through Holy Week at City of Light Anglican Church. During Holy Week we celebrate God’s love for us as we journey with Jesus through the final moments of his life, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the grave. We would love to celebrate with you at our Holy Week gatherings. 3/25 Palm Sunday 10am Hill Elementary 3/29 Maundy Thursday 7pm Church of the Resurrection (935 W. Union Ave. Wheaton, IL) 3/30 Stations of the Cross 1pm Hill Elementary 3/30 Good Friday Service 7pm Hill Elementary 4/1 Easter Sunday 10am Hill Elementary cityoflightanglican.org/holy-week