Liturgy Bits for NL309 – God’s Care for the Widow

For more resources for this Sunday, please visit lectionary.wiki.

Prayer of the Day

Ascension’s prayer of the day in 2024 is a blending of the prayer of the day for NL309 as provided by Clergy Stuff for 2020-21 and the prayer of the day for All Saints Day as provided by Sundays and Seasons.

Almighty God, you have sent us people to help us on the path you have set out for us. Grant us grace to follow your blessed saints in lives of faith and commitment, and to know the inexpressible joys you have prepared for those who love you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Prayers of the Church (traditional)

Ascension is using the prayers for NL309 in 2020, provided by Clergy Stuff, adapted and updated

Brought together in the great cloud of witnesses, we pray for the church, the world, and all those in need.

We give you thanks for all the people who have guided us, helped us, and provided support to us throughout our lives.  Empower us to be signposts and blessings to others as well, for we are all joined in one body.  Gracious God,
hear our prayer.

The artifice of changing clocks and shifting times reminds us how relative and impermanent are the systems and structures which we have set up to mark and measure our days.  Give us a vision of your eternal kingdom, that we might always keep the most important things in our sight.  Gracious God,
hear our prayer.

Creation is meant for our sustenance and enjoyment, and it naturally replenishes what is taken from itself.  But we have become greedy and take more than we need, at the expense of the planet and others with whom we are meant to share it.  Transform our hearts to more closely reflect your desire for equality and compassion for all life.  Gracious God,
hear our prayer.

As Elijah revived the widow’s son by your spirit’s power, so revive us when we are dead to hope and resigned to despair.  Send your spirit of healing to all those whom we know are in need of it. We pray especially for those from our community who are receiving hospice care: **insert names here**. We also pray today for the family and friends of **insert name** who died last week. For what and for whom else do the people of God pray?
Gracious God,
hear our prayer.

Hold all those for whom we pray in your loving embrace, and hear our prayers for the sake of the one who prayed for us, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Prayers of the People (contemporary)

Influenced by the Prayers of the Church above.  NOTE: Some ideas were gleaned by asking the AI tool Google Gemini to rewrite the Prayers of the Church above in more contemporary language.

Uplifted by the peace that only you, O God, can give, we pray for the church, the world, and all of God’s creation.

God of life, we give you thanks for the great cloud of witnesses, for those who have guided, helped, and supported us throughout our lives. Help us to take a similar role in the lives of others.

God of the nations, we need your peace now more than ever. In a world that is overrun by war, division, conflict, and strife, surround all of us with the peace that only you can give. Guide our leaders as they seek resolution, justice, and cooperation across the lands.

God our healer, as Elijah revived the widow’s son by the power of your spirit, revive and relieve us when we are weighed down by loss and despair. Bring healing to those who are sick. We pray especially for those from our community who are receiving hospice care: **insert names here**. We also pray today for the family and friends of **insert name** who died last week. For what and for whom else do the people of God pray?

Hold all those for whom we pray in your loving embrace, and hear our prayers for the sake of the one who prayed for us, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.