Family Prayers
August
Table Prayer
Theme: Work and Workers (Labor Day)
God bless all the world’s workers.
Bless children who help their parents work in fields.
God bless people who lift heavy loads,
people who fix and repair our broken belongings.
God bless people who build buildings
and the people who keep them clean.
God bless the people who plant seeds,
and harvest the food for our table.
Bless the people who stock shelves at the grocery store.
Bless all the people who make us comfortable.
Bless me, too, in my work.
Bless me while I learn to share, learn how to ride a bike,
and learn how to read and write and draw.
Let my work show your Glory, Dear God.
Amen.
October
Anytime Prayer
Theme: Pets and Animals (St. Francis)
Thank you, God, for puppies and purring cats.
Thank you for hamsters, goldfish, parakeets and ponies.
Thank you for the pleasure of pets.
Thank you for the animals that give us what we need.
Thank you for their eggs, milk, and wool.
Thank you for creating them and us, too!
Bless veterinarians and all the people who take care of animals.
Help us keep all animals safe and in good health wherever they may live.
Help us always to respect your creation and all living things.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
November
Table Prayer
Theme: Thanksgiving
Loving God, bless this food at our table today and every day.
Thank you providing everything to make things grow.
Thank you for rivers, rain, good soil and sun.
Thank you for our favorite foods
and help us not complain about the food we don’t like.
Bless all of us gathered at this table.
Be with people today, especially children, who do not have enough to eat.
Show us the way to share with those who are hungry.
Help us not to waste food and water.
Show us the way to sow seeds of love, hope and happiness.
Give us the courage to make a difference. Amen.
December
Bedtime Prayer
Theme: Holy Family
God, our Father,
Thank you for my family.
Please watch over us tonight.
Keep us safe and healthy.
Sometimes we get mad at each other.
We’re not perfect.
Give us peace. Help us be patient.
Please, God, especially be with families that have problems.
Comfort families who don’t have a house or enough food.
Bless families that only have one parent, or none.
Be with families whose mother or father has to go away.
Give rest to families that are too busy.
Help us remember that we belong to your family.
Make our home a place where you are welcome.
Help me remember to show your love to other people.
Through our brother, Jesus, we make this prayer. Amen.
January
Morning Prayer
Theme: World Peace and Unity
Thank you, God, for my safe, warm bed.
I know that I will have food to eat today.
Thank you for the people who love me and help me.
Please help children who are sick and cold.
Protect children who hear bombs and bullets.
Keep them safe in their dangerous neighborhoods.
Even if the children don’t know you, please be with them.
Bless grown ups who help children and make decisions for them.
Bless parents who adopt children who are left alone.
Bless people who welcome children to after school programs.
Help me see the face of Jesus in people who are different.
Amen.
February
Anytime Prayer
Theme: Love
Good and gracious God,
We know how much you love us.
You love us enough that you gave us Jesus.
You love us and want us to come back to you.
Help us show you how much we love you.
Help us show love to other people by doing nice things for them.
It’s easy to love people I like.
Teach me to love people I don’t like.
Help me show love even when I have a bad feeling.
Thank you for giving me so many people who love me.
Comfort those who don’t have so many.
We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
March
Table Prayer
Theme: Lent (Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving)
Dear God,
Help me remember to talk to you often.
Help me remember to thank you for all the good things you give me.
Help me ask for your help when I’m in trouble.
Help me give you praise and honor every day.
You didn’t eat for 40 days in the desert. I know you were hungry.
Sometimes I’m hungry when I play too long and forget to eat.
A lot of people don’t ever have enough to eat.
Please take care of the really hungry people.
I know I should help people in need.
Sometimes all I can do is complain about my own needs.
Show me how I can help.
Make me strong and brave so that I can do what is right.
Through Jesus’ Christ, our Lord, Amen.
March
Stations of the Cross
Pilate says Jesus must die.
People said things mean about Jesus.
They were wrong.
Jesus asked God to forgive them anyway.
Help me admit when I’m wrong.
I’m sorry for tattling on others and complaining.
I want to be like Jesus.
Jesus carries a heavy cross.
Jesus didn’t want to carry the cross,
but he didn’t argue about it.
He accepted it anyway.
Help me not to complain.
I’m sorry for wanting someone else to solve my problems.
I know God will help me be strong.
Jesus falls for the first time.
People push Jesus.
He falls because he is tired.
The cross is very heavy.
Help me keep trying.
I’m sorry for giving up so easily.
I want to finish what I start.
Jesus meets his mother.
Mary is sad to see Jesus suffer.
Her heart is breaking.
Jesus is glad to see a friendly face.
Thank you for my parents.
I’m glad they’re there when I need help.
Please bless my parents. I love them.
Simon helps Jesus carry his cross.
Simon wasn’t exactly happy to help.
The soldiers made him do it.
Jesus was glad to have his help anyway.
Sometimes I pretend not to notice someone who needs help.
I look the other way, or I just say no.
Show me how to help without being asked.
Veronica wipes Jesus’ face.
Jesus is sweating. He is dusty and dirty.
His hair is wet and clinging to his face.
Veronica tries to help him. She wipes his face with a cloth.
Thank you, Jesus, for the people who are nice to me.
I want to go out of my way to be nice, too,
even if I can only do a small thing to help.
Jesus falls a second time.
The cross is getting very heavy.
It’s so heavy, Jesus can hardly go on.
He hurts all over.
Sometimes I have to do things that are hard.
I have to learn how to do something I’ve never done before.
Sometimes I want to give up.
Help me keep trying like Jesus did.
Jesus sees some women who are crying.
Some women saw Jesus walk by carrying his cross.
It made them cry to see their friend in so much pain.
Jesus tried to make them feel better.
Dear Jesus, show me how to help others, too;
Even if all I can do his help them cry.
Help me remember that other people have problems, too.
Jesus falls the third time.
Jesus can hardly get back up.
Some people aren’t very nice to him.
He is so tired and sore, but God helps him.
Sometimes I make the same mistake over and over,
especially when I’m learning something new
I want to keep trying, but I get lazy and quit.
Help me like you helped Jesus.
Jesus’ clothes are taken away.
Jesus has come to the place where he will die.
Some mean men tear away his clothes.
They played a game to win his clothes.
I know that sometimes I want everything for myself.
I know that I can be selfish and not care about another person.
I know from Jesus that we can still have love even when everything else is gone.
Jesus is nailed to the cross.
The mean people keep teasing and tormenting Jesus.
He is thirsty and they give him something bad to drink.
He asks God to forgive them.
People hurt me sometimes.
I want to be mean back to them and hurt them.
Instead, please help me be like Jesus and forgive them.
Jesus dies on the cross.
Jesus finally died.
He suffered so much.
The world became dark.
Some people knew they had made a big mistake.
It’s hard for me to admit I’m wrong.
Help me be nice to others when they make mistakes.
Thank you, Jesus, for showing us how to love.
Jesus is taken down from the cross.
Jesus does not hurt anymore.
His suffering is over.
But his friends still miss him. They cry.
There are some people I miss, too.
Help me make the people happy who are with me now.
Help me make this a good day for them.
Jesus is buried.
One friend named Joseph gave Jesus his tomb.
Jesus is put in the tomb and a big stone is rolled in front of it.
Everyone says good-bye to Jesus.
I want to share like Joseph did.
Help me not to be selfish with things that belong to me.
Jesus, we know that new life comes from death.
Help us always to have hope.
April
Anytime Prayer
Theme: New Life
Dear God, our creator,
You made the soil of our Earth.
You give us tiny seeds to plant.
You give us rain and sunshine to help things grow.
We know that all new life comes from you.
I’m like a seedling; just beginning to bud.
Something new grows in my life every day.
Help me not to waste all that you give me.
Help me remember people who do not have as much as I do.
Help me know that always, I stand on holy ground.
Amen.
May
Morning Prayer
Theme: Mary, Mother of God
Lord God,
Thank you for giving us Mary.
Thank you for blessing her above all other women.
She is our Mother in heaven, too.
Sometimes people see Mary. She gives them a message.
She asks them to remind the world to love each other,
to be fair to each other, and to live in peace.
Mary trusted you.
Help me trust you, too.
Help me follow Jesus like Mary did.
Amen.
June 3, 2009
Bedtime Prayer
Theme: Vacation
Dear Jesus,
Keep us safe this summer.
Protect us and all people who travel.
Bring us home safely.
We know we are always in your care.
We trust to your care pilots and drivers.
Jesus traveled a lot. He stayed with many people.
Help us welcome visitors.
Help us bring happiness and peace to those we visit.
Bless our family this summer.
Help us relax together.
Help us use our vacation time to grow closer as a family.
Amen.
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