This week, until 27 December, you can purchase Prayers for All Seasons (book 1) from Kevin Mayhew Ltd at a 10 per cent discount, using the code ALLSEASONS10 when ordering the title from the company’s website. With the book normally retailing at £27.99, that’s a saving of £2.80. Just type the code into the relevant box at the online checkout between the dates given.
Here, meanwhile, is the fourth of the prayers I’ll be posting this week from the book, to run alongside this promotion.
CHRISTMAS EVE INTERCESSION
God of love,
we pray for all those many people
who will be celebrating Christmas this year,
enjoying presents, parties, food and fun,
yet not having heard or accepted or understood
what Christmas is all about.
Speak to them now,
and help them to respond.
We pray for those who have never heard the Gospel,
or received a distorted picture of its message,
or failed to recognise it is good news for them.
Speak to them now,
and help them to respond.
We pray for those who have closed their hearts and minds to Christ,
refusing to listen or consider further,
rejecting your Son as so many rejected him at his coming.
Speak to them now,
and help them to respond.
We pray for those who have come to faith
but barely realised what that means,
seeing perhaps just a small part of all you have done,
or seeking to know more but troubled by doubts and questions.
Speak to them now,
and help them to respond.
God of love,
come again to our world this Christmas,
breaking through our cosy traditions,
our narrow horizons,
our neatly packaged celebrations.
Speak to us now,
and help us to respond.
Help us and all people
to glimpse the wonder of your awesome love –
a love revealed in the Christ who came and lived among us,
who suffered and died on the Cross,
who rose and reigns with you,
and who shall come again to draw all things to himself.
Speak to us now,
and help us to respond.
For in his name we pray.
Amen.