Heart and Sunlight

Prayer to God the Father – St Ambrose of Milan (337-397 AD) link

O Lord, who has mercy upon all, take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me the fire of Your Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore You,
a heart to delight in You,
to follow and to enjoy You,
for Christ’s sake.
Amen

A Prayer for All Needs link

We beg you, Lord, to help and defend us.
Deliver the oppressed.
Pity the insignificant.
Raise the fallen.
Show yourself to the needy.
Heal the sick.
Bring back those of your people who have gone astray.
Feed the hungry.
Lift up the weak.
Take off the prisoners’ chains.
May every nation come to know that you alone are God,
that Jesus is your Child, that we are your people,
the sheep that you pasture.
Amen.

Prayer of 1 Clement c.96 link

We ask you, Master, be our helper and defender.
Rescue those of our number in distress; raise up the fallen;
assist the needy; heal the sick; turn back those of your people who stray;
feed the hungry; release our captives; revive the weak; encourage those who lose heart.
Let all the nations realize that you are the only God,
that Jesus Christ is your Child,
and that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture.
Amen

Colossians 1:1-8 NIV link

 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters^[a] in Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father.^[
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—
the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven
and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel
that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit
and growing throughout the whole world—
just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.
You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,
who is a faithful minister of Christ on our^[d]behalf,
and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Wade Burleson-A Love for All the Saints from Emmanuel Enid on Vimeo.

Scottish Benediction link

Life is short and we do not have much time
to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us.
So be quick to love, and make haste to be kind.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
be among you, and remain with you forever.
Amen