Prayers of the People: Easter 5 B

Here’s a prayer of intercession for the fifth Sunday of Easter (May 6, 2012).  It was written by Bruce Prewer.

Sharing God’s Concern for the World
(inspired by John 15:1-8, 1 John 4:7-21)

What a great world it would be, God our Friend, if we all kept our lives grafted in Christ Jesus, the True Vine, and like good branches produced the bountiful fruits of his Spirit.
   God we pray for your earthly family,
   That they may know the fullness of your love.

What a great world it would be if we cared for the sick and the handicapped, the diseased and the mentally ill, like Jesus did.
   God we pray for your earthly family,
   That they may know the fullness of your love.

What a great world it would be if we sought the lost and bewildered people and restored their dignity and hope, as Jesus did.
   God we pray for your earthly family,
   That they may know the fullness of your love.

What a great world it would be if we opened our hearts to misfits and outcastes, and our arms to the untouchables, as Jesus did.
   God we pray for your earthly family,
   That they may know the fullness of your love.

What a great world it would be if we practised forgiving our enemies, and doing good to those who spitefully abuse us, like Jesus did.
   God we pray for your earthly family,
   That they may know the fullness of your love.

What a great world it would be if we let others borrow what we have, and gave gifts without looking for reward, as Jesus did.
   God we pray for your earthly family,
   That they may know the fullness of your love.

What a great world it would be if we created a new community out of disparate types of people, as Jesus did with his disciples.
   God we pray for your earthly family,
   That they may know the fullness of your love.

What a great world it would be if we were prepared to carry our own crosses with the courage and faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
   God we pray for your earthly family,
   That they may know the fullness of your love.

Loving God, bind us close to your lovely Christ, let his Spirit flow within us, healing our defects and enabling us to produce the fruits of love both in and out of season. To the glory of your name. Amen!

— written by Bruce Prewer, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Homepage

For more prayers on this blog, see the Scriptural Prayer Index at the upper right side of the page.