Praying Together About Relationships

We’ll continue our look at the Twelves Steps, and particularly in the area of Steps 8 and 9 which are all about restoring broken relationships.  We’ll focus our time on just praying and applying God’s word to these very important aspects of our daily living.  After all, Jesus taught us that the foundation of everything we try to get right is that we would love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and then love others as we love ourselves. 

When he taught His followers what to pray for, very prominently in that prayer are the words:

Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Matthew 6:12

We can’t do it on our own but thankfully, Jesus has done what is necessary so any two warring people or groups can come to Jesus for healing and restoration because he breaks down barriers – dividing walls of hostility.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.  Ephesians 2:14

Heavenly Father, thank you that you made all things, and in you all things hold together. Through your blood, Lord Jesus,  you have made it possible for there to be reconciliation between humans and God and with one another.  Thank you for being life in us that breaks down whatever walls of irritation and resentment that keep us away from others in our families, our work, our community, our church. 

You have given us the same ministry of reconciliation and we know that getting our own relationships in order so we can live in unity before You is foundational to any other work of peace making and reconciliation we feel is important. Where each of us have relationships that have become difficult, fill us with faith in Your ability to do whatever is necessary in all of us so these relationships can be healed.  Give us willing hearts to do all in our power to bring about peace and reconciliation.

Help us to work to build up where things have been broken down. We want to get way past who started whatever led to the rift or who had the last word.  We want to love others as You have loved us.  We even want You to work in us so we can bless those who have despitefully used us because You’ve told us that’s where we will find blessing.  Amen

Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too.  Matthew 5:44-45

With your church around the world we pray:

O God, the Creator of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you in Jesus Christ; in whose Name we pray.  Amen.

O God, you forgive when we deserve punishment, and in your wrath you remember mercy: We humbly ask you, of your goodness, to comfort all those who have wronged us and us of those we have wronged.  Give all of us a right understanding of ourselves, and of your promises, that trusting wholly in your mercy, we may not place our confidence anywhere but in you. Relieve the distressed; deliver the innocent; bring the guilty to repentance; and as you alone bring light out of darkness, and good out of evil, grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit we may be set free from the chains of sin, and brought to newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

We draw our prayers together in the prayer You taught us Lord Jesus:

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil,

For thine is the kingdom and the power

And the glory, forever. Amen.