Prayers for Secular Holidays

Almighty and gracious God, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; Thank you especially for the blessings you have given us in this past year, especially ((X. and X.).

We thank our families, friends and neighbors especially (N.. and N.) who have enriched our lives.

We thank you for the challenges that we have faced in this past year. We are grateful that you have walked with us at our side in these difficult moments.

Though now departed, we thank you for (N.), While no longer among us, we thank you for how they continually enrich our lives.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

Almighty and everlasting God, we remember (this day) all those who have risked their lives to pursue peace and preserve the freedoms we enjoy. Bless, sustain and strengthen the veterans who have provided military service to this nation. By the power of the Holy Spirit, encourage and bless them going forward in their lives (especially N.).

We pray for your mercy to surround those who have suffered injury and permanent disability in body, mind, or spirit. Empower those doctors, mental health professionals and physical therapists who labor alongside those in rehabilitation. By your wounds, o merciful Christ, touch the woundedness of those who suffer, and strengthen their families to walk with them day by day.

Now let your peace fill the hearts and minds of our veterans and inspire the people of this nation to encourage and support them. Amen.

O God of all mercy, You are our Guardian in times of peace and in times of war. We give thanks for the willing sacrifice of all members of the five branches of the United States Armed Forces in the defense of this nation against all enemies who would harm us. At this time, we remember before You all those who have given their lives in service either at home or abroad. We bring before You especially those soldiers, sailors, pilots, and all doctors and nurses who have given their lives while in active duty in every war since the American Revolution, whether they are remembered or unknown. We give thanks to You for their selfless offering for the freedoms we enjoy. Make us mindful of our call to honor those who have gone before, and to hold in prayer those whose lives are now at risk in various places around the world. We bring these persons before You in the name of Jesus Christ, who offered himself in sacrifice for our salvation, and in the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit, this day and always. Amen.

Almighty God, ruler of all in heaven and earth, the source of human authority and government: we bless and praise you for the freedoms we enjoy in the United States of America.

We give thanks for the courage and perseverance of those who, in wisdom, shaped the Constitution that has shaped our national life, and the lives of all who are citizens. We honor the memory and the presence of those who inhabited this land long before others came to these shores from distant lands, people seeking freedom, and enslaved people whose freedom was righty given.

On this Independence Day, send your Holy Spirit to use our freedom with wisdom and compassion. Help us to understand the rights we have as citizens, knowing the sacred responsibility in exercising these rights.

Make us mindful that we have a citizenship in heaven that guides us in the stewardship of the land in and on which we live, and our mutual love for our neighbors and communities; in the holy name of Jesus Christ, who governs our souls now and evermore. Amen.

(Note: Please personalize this prayer as God calls you to do.)

Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good. We pray especially for N. and N. in their workplaces. May those places be safe, secure, and productive.

We ask especially to bless those places that innovate and create, that there may be growth in employment, and availability of workers and the training they may need.

As we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.