Nine Days of Prayer for Discipleship 2014 Pocket Prayers Friday 30th May to Saturday 7th June
From the Bishop of Lincoln April 2014 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, This new resource has been produced to help us in Lincoln Diocese pray together in these precious days between Ascension and Pentecost. 2015 will be a Year of Discipleship in the Diocese and exciting things are being planned to mark this special year. These prayers have been specially written to help us begin to prepare for that year. Jesus prayed that his disciples would be one, and I hope that you will use these prayers knowing that you are united with your fellow anglicans across the Diocese, that together we will live and pray with faith, confidence and joy. Please use the Diocesan Prayer as you begin each day: Almighty God, source of our hope and of all good things; you call us in love to share in the work of creation in making all things new. Bless our diocese: may we be faithful in our worship, confident in our discipleship, and joyful in our service, that through us, the world may catch a glimpse of the love you have for each one of us, made known in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. With every good wish,
The Right Reverend Christopher Lowson
faithful
Day 1
Psalm 1.1-3 Blessed are they... whose delight is in the law of the Lord.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your people. Adoration: Faithful God, your constant love for us is beyond our understanding. Confession: for when we have intentionally gone against the way of God’s law. Thanks: for those who encourage us to be faithful to you. Seeking:
to share our delight in following Christ.
confident
Day 2
John 1.5 The light shines in the darkness.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people. Adoration: Christ our light, with you is the well of life and in your light do we see light. Confession: for times when we have made choices that lead us further into darkness. Thanks:
for those who keep your light shining for us.
Seeking: to be confident in your love when we are tempted to be overcome by darkness.
joyful
Day 3
Genesis 1.13 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people. Adoration: Creator God, all creation sings to you, sings praise to your name. Confession: for our abuse of your creation. Thanks:
in wisdom you have made all that exists.
Seeking:
to recognise the goodness of God in all people and places.
faithful
Day 4
Matthew 25.3 1-46 Jesus said, ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did it to me.’
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people. Adoration:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Confession: for when we could have helped someone in need but turned our backs. Thanks:
for those who serve people in need in the name of Christ.
Seeking:
that we may see Jesus in the faces of those around us.
Confident
Day 5
John 8.1-8 The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your people. Adoration: Generous God, nothing in life or death or in all creation can separate us from your love in Jesus Christ. Confession: for meanness of heart when observing the generosity of people. Thanks: for occasions when we are surprised by the generosity of others. Seeking:
for opportunities to be generous.
joyful
Day 6
John 4.11-14 Jesus said, ‘The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up into eternal life.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your people. Adoration: Living Lord, you are the giver and the gift. Confession: for times when we have quenched your life-giving Spirit. Thanks: for people, places, activities, sacraments and silence, which refresh us in Christ. Seeking:
to humbly share with others our joy of living in Christ.
faithful
Day 7
Mark 1.16-20 Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your people. Adoration: God who is Mystery, great is your steadfast love to all people. Confession: for when we have kept silent about our faith for fear of what others will think of us. Thanks: for those who have pointed us to Christ by their words or by their deeds. Seeking:
to be a loving sign of God’s grace to those around us.
confident
Day 8
Mark 16.15-16 Jesus said to them, ‘Go into the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.’
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your people. Adoration: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, for by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world. Confession: for times we have put obstacles in the way of those seeking you. Thanks:
for those newly baptised or confirmed.
Seeking:
your church to be a place of welcome for all people.
joyful
Day 9
Acts 2.1-4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your people. Adoration: Holy Spirit, you blow where you wish to blow, inside and outside the fences. Confession: for those times when we have behaved selfishly, to the detriment of others. Thanks: for the fruits of the Spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Seeking:
to live by the Spirit and to be guided by the Spirit.
Novena of Prayer The nine days of prayer between Ascension and Pentecost provide us with an opportunity to open ourselves to God’s love and energy so that, like the early disciples, we become both individually and corporately the people God calls us to be. These pocket prayers are provided to help you pray daily, whenever and wherever you can. You will be joining individuals, groups, schools and churches praying together for discipleship in our Diocese. Pray expecting the Holy Spirit to come in new ways, waiting for God’s renewal and encouraging one another as we seek to be more faithful, confident and joyful in our witness as Christians. Additional prayer resources can be found at http://lincoln.dioce.se/discipleship
We are very grateful to the artist Elsbeth Gardiner-Crehan from St George’s Church Swallowbeck for the use of her paintings. Elsbeth is available to show and speak about her paintings in parishes. Please contact ergcrehan@yahoo.co.uk. We also want to thank Sister Maureen at San Damiano for her work on developing this resource.