The Prayers Of The People

In contemporary worship renewal, the prayers of the people are said after the confession of faith. These prayers are known as the litany (Latin, "to entreat"). In many churches, this practice is replacing the more traditional pastoral prayer.

A litany is a prayer form in which a deacon, priest, cantor, or other worship minister says or sings a petition followed by a congregational response. Litanies were prepared in the early church, spreading from Antioch to Constantinople and throughout the Christian world. The litany form was developed particularly by the church at Constantinople and are found to this day in the liturgies of the East, particularly the St. John Chrysostom Liturgy. In the West the litany form fell into disuse after the sixth century but has been recovered since Vatican II. Consequently many new litany prayers have been developed for both Catholic and Protestant worshiping communities. In addition to the forms for the prayers of the people found in the major worship books of various traditions, there are a number of very good contemporary collections. See the section on prayers in the bibliography at the end of chapter 9 of this volume. Examples of the Litany Prayer An Early Church Litany We beg you, Lord, to help and defend us. Deliver the oppressed. Amen. Pity the insignificant. Amen. Raise the fallen. Amen. Show yourself to the needy. Amen. Heal the sick. Amen. Bring back those of your people who have gone astray. Amen. Feed the hungry. Amen. Lift up the weak. Amen. Take off the prisoner's chains. Amen. May every nation come to know that you alone are God, that Jesus Christ is your Child, that we are your people, the sheep that you pasture. Amen. (Clement of Rome, first century) Contemporary Litanies Father, we pray for your holy catholic church; That we all may be one. Grant that every member of the church may truly and humbly serve you; That your Name may be glorified by all people. We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons; That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments. We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world; That there may be justice and peace on earth. Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake; That our works may find favor in your sight. Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble; That they may be delivered from their distress. Give to the departed eternal rest; Let light perpetual shine upon them. We praise you for your saints who have entered into you; May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom. Let us pray for our own needs and those of others. Silence. The People may add their own petitions. The minister proceeds to the confession of sin when Communion is celebrated, unless a confession has been made in the Preparation. Otherwise conclude with the following prayer: Lord, hear the prayers of your people; and what we have asked faithfully, grant that we may obtain effectually, to the glory of your name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer) or On behalf of all and for all, in peace, let us pray to the Lord … Saying, "Lord, hear our prayer." 1. For peace from on high, for the salvation of our souls, and for the fulfillment of creation, let us pray to the Lord … 2. For good weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, for the protection of our homes, the safety of our neighborhoods, and for a clean and healthy environment, let us pray to the Lord.… 3. For our civil authorities, the mayor of this city, the president of the United States, for _______________, and for all world leaders, let us pray to the Lord … 4. For the pope, John Paul; our bishop, _______________; our priest, _______________; and for all the holy servants of God, let us pray to the Lord … 5. For those who have done good for us; for our parents, relatives, and friends, especially: _______________; and for all who celebrate birthdays and anniversaries this week, especially: _______________, let us pray to the Lord … 6. For those who are visiting with us for the first time: _______________ and for all those who are recorded in (your parish's) Book of Life, let us pray to the Lord … 7. For _______________ let us pray to the Lord.… 8. For the poor, the hungry, the homeless and imprisoned; for exiles and refugees; for the aged, the lonely and the bereaved; especially: _______________ and for all those who are in need, let us pray to the Lord.… 9. For the sick, especially: _______________ and for all those who are in need, let us pray to the Lord.… 10. For those who have departed from this life, especially: _______________ and for all who lie asleep in the Lord, let us pray to the Lord.… 11. For all the people of this parish, both living and dead, especially those who were baptized or married here, and those who were buried from this holy church, and for all present here this day, let us pray to the Lord.… 12. Remembering the Holy Mother of God, Saints (of day and coming week) ____________________________ and all the saints, we offer to you, O Lord, our whole lives, on behalf of all, and for all, let us pray to the Lord … (final response is "To you, O Lord!") (Modern Liturgy, 12, 9 [1985]:9) Preparing Litany Prayers 1. Develop a prayer or prayers for each of the four traditional areas of intercessory concern. "¢ the church "¢ the world and nation "¢ the poor, the oppressed, and the sick "¢ the work and needs of the local church 2. Prepare responses that are specific to the intercession. 3. Responses should be short. The Bidding Prayer Many renewing congregations are using the ancient bidding prayers for the congregational intercessions. In the bidding prayer the prayer leader introduces an area of prayer concern and the congregation then prays the concerns of that particular area. This form of prayer has the advantage of eliciting congregational participation in prayer and has been used very successfully in congregations that have been taught to pray. In smaller congregations or cell-based worshiping communities, the intervention prayer model is being used as a modification of bidding prayers. The leader would begin the prayer time with instruction, stating that after an opening prayer, those in the congregation are free to offer publicly those concerns that are on their hearts. After the concern is voiced, either the one who shares the request or another leads in a short prayer focused on that need. If the persons are present, laying on of hands by the ministers or members of the body during the prayer time is recommended. Directed Prayer Another variation of the bidding prayer is the directed prayer model. It is usually practiced in larger churches or in churches that also practice a ministry time at the platform during Prayers of the People. In Directed Prayer, the minister leads the people in an opening prayer and then begins to mention various areas of prayer focus. After mentioning the need, time is given for the congregation to pray silently or quietly about that specific need. The minister can then list another need or end the prayer by simply saying, "Lord, hear our prayer." This more quiet version of bidding prayer offers time for counsel and ministry to take place in the front of the church during the prayer time, where people can be anointed for healing or prayed for by prayer team members who have gathered to support them. A Form for a Extemporaneous Bidding Prayer Leader: Please stand together for the Prayers of the People. I will announce topics of prayer and ask you to respond with short sentence prayers. After each prayer, please end the prayer with the word "Lord" so that the congregation may respond "Hear our prayer." Leader: Let us pray for the church universal, for all its people and especially for those who work and minister in the church. People: (Prayers are offered.) Leader: Let us pray for the needs of the world, for those who lead the nations and for this nation. People: (Prayers are offered.) Leader: Let us pray for the poor, the needy, and the sick. People: (Prayers are offered.) Leader: Let us pray for the needs and the work of this local church. People: (Prayers are offered.) Leader: (May close with a prayer, a confession of sin, or the Lord's Prayer.) or The following form may be used to supplement the preceding prayers or the entire prayers of intercession may be developed in a fashion similar to this prayer and placed as an insert in the bulletin for congregational prayer. The constant supplication for people that this prayer presents emphasizes a growing sense of community. Leader: Let us pray for the needs of … Michelle, Diane, Pat, Elizabeth, Michael, Zachary, Rachel, Laurie, the McKain family, all prisoners and hostages … any others) People: Lord in your mercy … hear our prayer. Leader: Let us remember those who are shut in, especially … (Virginia, Frances, Bob … any others) People: Lord in your mercy … hear our prayer. Leader: Let us remember those needing prayers for health and healing … (Frances, Cynthia, Agnes, Margaret, Hazel, Gertrude, Norah, Dick, Madoka, Dana, Stan, Sandy, Helen, Pauline, Sarah, Bunny, Pat, Erin, Frank, Christopher, Mary Ann, John … any others) People: Lord in your mercy … hear our prayer. Leader: Let us pray for those who celebrate their birthday this week … (Steward Ruch Robert Frederick Michael Horn Marjorie Benolken) People: Thanks be to God. Leader: Let us give thanks for the life and witness of those who have died and pray for the strengthening of their families.… (Jean Huff Kirstein, Shina Kadoyama, George Watanabe, Frank Kastner) People: Lord in your mercy … hear our prayer. Leader: Let us give thanks for God's blessings in our lives … (Spontaneous prayer) Leader: (Closing prayer.) (From Church of the Resurrection, West Chicago, Illinois)