Prayers of the People, OT15B

​Good Shepherd,
show compassion for your people, we pray:
for those who lead with great sincerity,
but fail to rest
or to care for their physical, emotional,
or spiritual needs.
In your mercy,
grant respite in the form of competent substitutes,
courage to set appropriate boundaries,
humility to accept human limitation,
and wisdom to step away from the chaos
to be fed by your Spirit.
Show compassion, we pray,
to those who are lost,
alone,
and afraid.
In your mercy,
speak words of inspiration and hope
to families that are separated by distance or by force,
to those without shelter in the heat, in the fire, or in the storm,
to those suffering from mental illness
and those who love and care for them.
Show compassion
on the sick, Lord.
In your mercy,
place your healing hand
upon all who are injured or ill,
in pain and in despair,
restoring balance of body, mind, spirit, and emotion,
and restoring them to complete wholeness and health.
Reform your Church, O God,
that we might go out to serve
as the Body of Christ at work in the world.
In Jesus' name, we pray.
Amen.