Prayers
Stacking Ring Intercession Prayer
Begin by thinking about current global issues and international needs which you could pray about. Using a child’s stacking ring toy, take each ring off one by one, saying a one sentence prayer each time you remove a ring. For the smallest ring start with those immediately around you and their needs (your family, flatmates or neighbours), the next smallest ring for those slightly further away from you, but still people you see routinely (your workmates, your school friends, your neighbours, the local shopkeeper etc). With each ring go further and further away from yourself, your own community, your country, your neighbouring countries, people at the far ends of the world from you.
If you wanted to use this prayer in a group setting you can project the downloaded slideshow images of a set of stacking rings. Show the photo of the stacking rings, then remove a ring and pray together before moving on to the next ring. As you project these images for your larger group, invite participants to pray where they are seated or pre-plan for different voices to lead prayers either from the front of your space or spread throughout your meeting.
Paper Towel Confession Prayer
Confession Prayer Excerpt from “Five Senses to Prayer” by Caroline Bindon (Publication date 2017)
“Take a couple of paper towels and fold them into a pad. Place the paper towel pad in in front of you. Now dip your fingers into the bowl of water. While your fingers are in the water, contemplate things that are not right in your life. Tell Jesus about the things that they’ve done wrong and are sorry about as a prayer of confession. When you have finished praying take your hands out of the water. Let your fingers drip water onto the paper towel. Watch as the paper absorbs the moisture and stops it from getting the table wet. This is like Jesus absorbing the things we do wrong. Our confession makes us clean again. Give thanks to Jesus for the grace and forgiveness he provides.”
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
Inspired by Pope Francis' encyclical to 'every living person on this planet' in August 2015 and responding to his call to make the 1st September a World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, this Avenues resource is a 'takeaway' or 'take home' set of prayers to be used by an individual or a group of friends or family.