The Bishop's Prayer

Last Thursday at CitySquare's 17th Annual Urban Ministries Prayer Breakfast, Bishop Keith Ackerman offered this moving prayer:

In Peace let us pray to the Lord saying "Senor Piedad" or "Lord have Mercy"

+For the Peace of the world that the evils which we have wrought and the evils which we have permitted may be removed by your Grace.

Let us pray to the Lord

+For the Mission of CitySquare as we seek to change the trajectory of the people's lives as we serve our neighbors through various programs to relieve the pain of hunger and homelessness by offering the hope of the Good News.

Let us pray to the Lord.

+As we approach the silver jubilee of CitySquare we continue to implore you Lord to give us grace to fight the root causes of poverty, whereby your people may celebrate a Jubilee of the Lord.

Let us pray to the Lord

+O Lord, give us grace to work in partnership with those in need, working together as a community.

Let us pray to the Lord.

+That as a community of faith we may address your concerns, O Lord, about the education of all of your people and replace apathy, narcissism, and political gain with enthusiasm, engagement, and humility.

Let us pray to the Lord

+O Lord give us sensitivity to see and discover the needs of our neighbors as we seek to be used by you to feed your hungry, heal your sick, and house your homeless as you renew hope in the heart of the city.

Let us pray to the Lord
+Father, let us live out the words that your son has taught us that your will may be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Let us pray to the Lord

+O Lord, we pray that you will give us the grace to adopt a spirit of humility and root out any sin of condescension - that we may work hand in hand with our neighbors so that together we may participate in the fullness of your plan that all your servants as they participate in your call to enter into the potential you have created.

Let us pray to the Lord

We pray, O Lord, for those who push their world's possessions through the streets in a shopping cart, as we stack food in our shopping carts that we will not share.

Let us pray to the Lord

+O Lord, we pray that you will teach us to give sacrificially to the needs of others, to remember those in need in our Wills, and to create endowments that will relieve the needs of the sick, the homeless, the friendless and the needy.

Let us pray to the Lord.

+Gracious Lord, as you place the hungry before us let us be hungry to feed them, for you have taught us that if we fail to do so we fail to feed you.

Let us pray to the Lord

+Heavenly Father as you sent your Son to redeem us, so send us into those places where you have gone to prepare the way and endow us with the grace which you alone can bestow.

Let us pray to the Lord.

+We pray, O Lord, that you would give us a desire to teach, a passion to provide educational programs, and the resolve to elect those who share your vision and not merely their own.

Let us pray to the Lord.

+Lord we pray that you will remove our blinders so that you will show us who you place before us, what you have called us to do in feeding the hungry relieving poverty and educate all of your people.

Let us pray to the Lord.

+We pray, dear God, that you will raise up agencies that will believe that all money is ultimately yours, and that we are merely agents of stewardship, and that our decisions will be yours and will be according to your Will.

Let us pray to the Lord.

+Lord, we pray that you will endow us with the Gifts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, and give us the grace to use them.

Let us pray to the Lord.

+Dear Lord, you have taught us that your food is to do the will of your Father. We pray, O Lord, that our task is to go in obedience to where you send us and then to get out of your way when we get there, so that you will be known and remembered and we will be used by you.

Let us pray to the Lord

+Heavenly Father, we pray that you would protect our children from violence, human trafficking, drugs, and manipulation, so that they may realize the hope you have offered.

Let us pray to the Lord.

+O Lord, you have taught us through your servant St. Francis that we are sent to preach your Word and when necessary to use words.

Let us pray to the Lord.

+And now, O Lord, we pray the prayer attributed to St. Francis, the saint of the poor, the Poverello of Assisi joining our prayers with all of your saints past and present who have dedicated their lives to serving the poorest of the poor:

Lord make us instruments of your Peace
Where there is hatred let us sow love
Where is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is discord, union
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
Where there is sadness, joy

O Divine Master,
Grant that we may so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life

Through Jesus Christ our Lord