Prayers of the People, A4C

God of mercy and compassion,
hear our prayers this day:
for those who wait with longing
for a child to call their own,
who month after month
and year after year
are disappointed
to the point of heartbreak.
Pour out your grace upon those
who long to be parents
and end their suffering,
granting them their wish
according to the your perfect will. 

God of the ages,
hear our prayers this day:
for those who wait with longing
for your covenant to be fulfilled,
for peace on earth,
for your kin-dom to be realized
in this world
as in the next;
for food for the hungry
and shelter for the homeless,
for community for the lonely
and comfort for the grieving,
for welcome for the stranger
and inclusion for the outcast,
for the mighty to be brought low
and the lowly to be lifted up.
Let justice roll down like water
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

God of miracles,
hear our prayers this day:
for the young mother whose pregnancy
cannot be easily explained
or borne,
for the unconditional love
of those who see
and support her,
for the challenges she faces
and the fortitude with which 
she gives birth
in a broken and weary world.
May her child, too, be greeted 
with angel song
and celebration
and may the world be present 
to help raise that child and nurture it
in the love of all that is holy.

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