Faithful Budget Prayer Service

Washington Interreligious Staff Community

Faithful Budget Prayer Service

Offered by the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness

100 Maryland Avenue, NE, Washington, DC

June 27, 2012

Since Monday, June 18, the Faithful Budget Campaign has gathered daily on the front lawn of the United Methodist Building, across from the US Capitol, for prayer vigils in solidarity with the Nuns on the Bus tour. Today's prayer vigil was offered and led by the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness.



OPW Fellow Blair Moorhead reads scripture during Wednesday's prayer service.

Reader 1: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?” (Luke 15:3b-4)

Reader 2: We are inspired by a common spiritual conviction that God has called on all citizens of the United States to protect the vulnerable and promote the dignity of all individuals living in our society.

All: With the help of our Creator, we aim to protect those struggling to overcome poverty in the U.S. and abroad and to exempt programs that protect people in poverty from the budget deficit debates. Help up Lord, we pray. 

Sung by all:   Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God fall afresh on us. 

Reader 3: Let us pray: We thank you for this day that you have made, O God. Your love upon all humanity is awesome. We pray that you will help our Congress understand the need to be just as loving toward those who are poor and rejected by our society. We pray for women and children who are made vulnerable through domestic cuts in SNAP, WIC and Head Start. We pray for college students whose federal loan interest rates are being debated. Let their interest in pursuing education be increased by accessible and affordable education. We pray for men and women who are trapped in a world that expects them to be providers, but instead builds more for-profit prisons to house them when the economic plight of our country is in turmoil.

All: Help us Lord, we pray.

Sung by all:   Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God fall afresh on us.

 Reader 4: We pray for our nation’s commitment to aid the most vulnerable people in our global community around the world. We call upon Congress to see through the eyes of the poor in other nations whose stomachs are swollen from hunger; those persons across the globe whose bodies are wracked with diseases that can be healed with common medicines; and persons outside of our borders who seek a renewal of hope through the international humanitarian assistance offered by our nation. 

 All: Help us Lord, we pray.

Sung by all:   Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God fall afresh on us.

 Reader 5: We pray for the Supreme Court and its anticipated decision on health care. May their decision represent our willingness as a nation to demonstrate a concern for each other, and especially for persons who cannot afford health insurance. Be with those persons who are sick and dying right now because they cannot access adequate health care. 

All: Help us Lord, we pray.

 Sung by all:   Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God fall afresh on us.

Reader 6: We pray for our Sisters who are traveling the country, spreading the message that a just and faithful budget is needed in these times. May our collective efforts to inform, instruct, and involve persons across this nation be for your glory. Keep us mindful that we do our work for You and not for ourselves.  

All: Help us Lord, we pray.

 Sung by all:   Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God fall afresh on us.

 Reader 7: Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.” For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’ (Luke 18:1-8)

A Parting Reminder – J. Herbert Nelson

 Sung by all:   Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God fall afresh on us.