Prayers

With the Order for Baptist Ministry

 

The following prayers are taken from the Daily Offices of the Order for Baptist Ministry (OBM). All are available on open access at: orderforbaptistministry.co.uk/daily-office/.

A Daily Office is a sequence of prayers for daily use, using given or written prayers in a regular format, and those for OBM also give space for extempore prayer and use the Common Lectionary for three readings of Scripture — from the Psalms, the Old Testament and the New Testament.

In OBM we have a different Office for each day of the week, with a focus in each upon a different season of the Church year (such as Christmas, Lent and Passiontide, Easter and Pentecost.) There are in addition Alternative Offices for each day, and a shorter Office, giving variety for those who use the OBM Daily Office regularly. You can also find a similar sequence of Mid-day Prayers, and others for use at the end of the day, all on the website.
With a theme of discipleship for this edition of Baptists Together, the sequence of prayers here reflects the typical OBM Daily Office format, but draws material from a range of different days of the week.

The Order for Baptist Ministry is now over ten years old, and was formed from the desire to help Baptist ministers remain faithful to their calling as disciples in baptism and as ministers through ordination.

Members, and others, use the Daily Office as their form of daily prayer, are part of a small accountability group called a ‘cell’ (as in ‘cell group’) meeting every few weeks, and attend a gathering of the whole community for 36 hours annually in Convocation.
 
A founding document entitled ‘The Dream’ gives shape to our life together, and that, together with the searching questions we ask of ourselves in cell groups, can all be found on the OBM website. We always welcome enquiries about our life, and for further information please contact Paul Goodliff, who convenes the Core Group of the Order.

Visit: orderforbaptistministry.co.uk

Read more about the history of OBM – and whether, as a minister, you would like to join.
 

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Becoming present to God

Holy God,
whose power is known
through wind, fire
and still small voice,
be present with us now,
that as we pray
our hearts may burn within us.
 

Celebrating the presence of God

Radiant God,
in Jesus, your Son,
you have made yourself known
to those who are near
and those who are far off.
We give you praise
that no-one is beyond the reach
of your love
and that you desire everyone to be drawn to your light.

We give you thanks
that your light shines
in all places and towards all peoples
and that your light
has shone in our hearts.
Help us this day
to walk in the light of your Spirit
as we seek to live for your glory.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
 

Acknowledging our Humanity

Lord Jesus, you call us
to take up our cross and follow.

When we forfeit our soul
to gain the whole world:
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy

When we are distracted
from prayer and watchfulness:
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy

When we are unfaithful
to the Gospel through denial, betrayal or aggression:
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy

When we shrink
from the implications of love:
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy

Merciful God,
pardon our sin,
and renew in us,
as in all God’s people,
the desire to follow Christ’s way.
Amen.
 

In the Daily Office we read Scripture here.

Reflecting on our roots

Living God, enable us this day
to be pilgrims and companions:
committed to the way of Christ,
faithful to the call of Christ,
discerning the mind of Christ,
offering the welcome of Christ,
growing in the likeness of Christ,
engaging in the mission of Christ,
in the world that belongs to Christ.
 

Bringing our concerns

We pray for the world
in which good and evil flourish together
like tares amongst wheat,
until the end of the Age
and Christ’s coming ushers in
a new heaven
and a new earth.
We recognise the presence of
injustice, oppression, violence,
hatred, indifference and vengeance,
in a world which you created very good.

Until the day arrives when all will be put right
and suffering, death and tears will be no more,
until then may your Kingdom come
through loving service;
courageous witness to truth;
faithful standing with the poor;
and selfless hunger for the good.

May your Kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Amen


Extempore prayer follows, and finally the Lord’s Prayer

 

Going to love and serve

Holy God, may we live this day
with Christ’s call to discipleship
ringing in our ears.

And should this day bring us pain,
we pray that we may meet it
with honesty and hope,
grounded in the knowledge
that even in the darkest place
we may be touched
and changed by your love.

So may we grasp,
with all your people,
how wide and long, how high and deep
is the love of Christ,
and be filled with the very nature of God.
Amen.

Optional:
+  In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit

Click here to download a pdf version of this article

 

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