Prayer For Youth Sunday

We offer to you, Loving God, the gifts and needs of youth.

Bless them with your guiding grace as they face the challenges and opportunities in their lives.

Touch their hearts with the gentleness of your love, that they may know they are valued and valuable beings.

Send your spirit of hope to their lives, that they may believe in themselves and know they are needed in this world.

Grace them with the gift of joy that they may celebrate life through laughter and tears alike.

Guide us, as we continue to grow in appreciation of the many gifts of young people, in the ministry opportunities we offer to them, in the journey of faith we walk with them, in our shared mission as a community called to discipleship in the world.

We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Holy God,

We thank you for all of the days of our lives, especially for the days you bring us together as a family of faith either in this sanctuary or in other holy places.

We thank you for opportunities we are given to grow closer to you as a youth group and as a church.

We also thank you for the people that have been placed in our lives to help us grow into the kind of people we are called to be our adult youth leaders and Sunday School teachers, our parents, and our teachers in school.

Holy God, we lift up our prayers to you for ourselves, our friends, our community, the Universal Church and our world:

For our families brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandparents, godparents and our pets,

for girlfriends, boyfriends, no friends, best friends,

for newborn babies among us

and all who are in need of an extra helping of your grace.

For our nation's presidential election process and that all may treat each other with dignity and respect.

For the men and women of the police department, sheriff's department, fire department and all first responders.

For our educational system in Jackson and surrounding areas and for Vision 2020.

For injured, abused, neglected and lost pets and that all will be responsible pet owners.

For the end of racism.

For us to be better stewards of your creation and for the end of pollution.

For those youth in the juvenile justice system, that they may find hope and healing and lead productive lives.

Loving Lord, we lift up to you all those who are sick or suffering:

For those who live with cancer, addiction, autism, depression, Parkinson's and loneliness

and all of those with physical afflictions.

For those worrying over the health of their loved ones.

For every name lifted as a prayer request, may they know your mercy.

For those grieving the loss of a loved one.

God, we lift up to you those around the world who do not have enough

enough food,

enough access to healthcare,

enough peace,

enough love,

enough joy.

We pray for those looking for work.

Holy Creator, we pray for peace on earth:

For all who live under the threat of war and for victims of war everywhere.

We pray for the men and women who serve our country.

We pray for those impacted by violence for the perpetrators and their victims and all touched by the ripples created by violence.

We pray for our world and her leaders, may they make decisions out of love for all of your people.

Good and gracious God who makes all things new:

We pray that you will be with the new college freshmen as they step out of their high school lives.

We pray for those entering high school, middle school, and elementary school for those who had good school years this year, and those looking to make things better next year.

May we know you are with us, not just in this space but everywhere and always.

Finally, we lift up in your name:

Our church, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and our sister churches in the world that we may offer safety, friendship and a faith community that is inclusive to everyone in their journey with Christ.

We pray all of this in Christ's holy name and we join our voices together to pray the prayer that Jesus taught us, saying, Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Loving Lord, I thank You for all those children and young people who have trusted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Father, I know that there is a vital need for them to grow in the faith and to become established in the truth of the gospel of grace, to be discipled and taught and trained in the things of God.

I pray for all young Christian men and women, that they may develop a spirit of reverence and humility towards You and a desire to walk in spirit and truth as they submit to the Holy Spirit, knowing that the fear of God and reverence towards the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Keep those Young people who are Your children pure in heart and spirit, and develop in them a desire to be clean before You and learn of You so that they too may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

May they grow in grace and be used by You to witness of the truth of Your Word to others. Guard them from all that would cause them to stumble and guide them into all truth. In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen

Loving Heavenly Father, I pray Your loving kindness and gracious mercies be poured out over the many young people of today who have turned their backs on the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ.

Father, in your grace and mercy, You sent Your only beloved Son to take the punishment for their souls, and yet so many have turned the eyes of their heart to the things of this world, and have believed the lies of the enemy, rather than turning to the truth of the Scriptures.

Father, I pray that You would convict many young people of their need of Jesus as their Saviour and draw many into Your kingdom. Speak to their hearts and convict them in their spirit, and may Your name be glorified and heaven rejoice at those that come to trust you as Saviour. I pray in Jesus' name,

Amen.

Dear Heavenly Father, how I thank and praise you for the young men and women who have trusted in the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, and I ask that You would work in the lives of all young people who have stepped out in faith in the Son of God.

Draw ever closer to those who have made a commitment to You. May they grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus in the days that lie ahead. May they learn to walk in spirit and truth and to trust in Your Word, knowing that Your grace in sufficient for all their needs and requirements.

Keep them I pray, from being influenced by the tempting things of the world, and the desires of the sin nature, and protect them from the wiles of the enemy who would seek to disrupt their walk with You.

Give them grace and wisdom as they face the challenges of life, and keep them humble in heart and teachable in spirit. May they learn to look to Jesus day by day knowing that without Him they can do nothing but in His strength He will lead and guide in all things. In Jesus' name,