At sundown today
we begin to celebrate the second Sunday of Advent,
a season to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christmas
and to prepare our hearts for the day when Christ will come again
at the end of our lives and in the fullness of time…
Each Saturday night in this season, Night Prayer will focus
on lighting one or more candles on the Advent wreath…
Last week we prayed for peace, this week we pray for faith…
If you have an Advent Wreath at home, pray for faith this week
as you light the first candle each day.
If you don’t have an Advent Wreath
– light any candle and pray for faith.
If you have no candle,
use the virtual candle above and pray for faith
each night this week…
As we light the second candle on the Advent wreath,
we pray for the gift of faith…
– for the deepening of faith
in the hearts of all believers…
– for deeper personal faith
in trying, troubling times…
– for the gift of faith
for those who seek it…
– for the strengthening of faith
when in we’re in doubt…
– for faith to sustain us in
worry, fear, anxiety and grief…
– for the faith we need just to make it
from day to day and through the night…
– for any whose faith
is tenuous, shaken or broken…
– for faith to help us survive
unexpected crises and change…
– for faith to embolden our words and deeds
with courage and conviction…
– for the prudence of faith to help us discern
with clarity and compassion…
– for the wisdom of faith to anoint our thoughts
with reason, vision and truth…
– for faith that leads us to love one another
with integrity, justice and honor..
– for the faith we need to share our faith
with humility, freedom and joy…
– for faith that seeks to live in peace
with people of other faiths…
We pray for faith to lead us
to respect and reverence the gift of creation,
to respect and reverence the gift of creation,
to work for a harvest of justice and peace,
to share what we have in serving the poor…
Give us faith in you and your love, Lord,
in your mercy, your word and your truth,
in our neighbor
and in ourselves…
Protect us, Lord while we’re awake
and watch over us while we sleep
that awake, we might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace…
Amen.
We walk by faith and not by sight
No gracious words we hear
Of him who as none e’er spoke
Yet we believe him near
No gracious words we hear
Of him who as none e’er spoke
Yet we believe him near
We may not touch his hands and side
Or follow where he trod
Yet in his promise we rejoice
And cry « My Lord and God »
Help then, oh Lord, our unbelief
And may our faith abound
To call on you when you are near
And seek where you are found
That when our life of faith is done
In realms of clearer light
We may behold you as you are
In full and endless sight
We walk by faith and not by sight
No gracious words we hear
Of him who spoke as none e’er spoke
Yet we believe him near
