These prayers can be used for parish meetings or other occasions when a prayer is needed. Stewardship “Gift” Prayer Lord, you alone are the source of every good gift,
of the vast array of our universe,
and the mystery of each human life.
We praise you and we thank you
for your great power and your tender, faithful
LOVE. Everything we are and everything we have
is your gift,
and after having created us,
You have given us the greatest of all gifts, your son,
JESUS CHRIST. Fill our minds with His truth
and our hearts with His love,
that in His Spirit
we may be bonded together into a community
of faithful, caring people. In the name and spirit of Jesus,
we commit ourselves to be good stewards
of the gifts entrusted to us,
to share our time, our talent
and our material gifts as an outward sign
of the treasure we hold in Jesus.
AMEN.
A Stewardship “Meal Blessing” Good and gracious God,
As we gather together for this meal, we
pause from the normal routines of our daily lives
to give thanks and praise for the abundant
blessings you have bestowed upon us.
You have entrusted us with the wonders of your
creation and given us the freedoms and
opportunities to creatively collaborate
in your divine plan.
Bless all of us who gather here in your name.
Give us the grace to be good stewards of your
bounty, the courage to proclaim the Gospel in
word and deed; and the wisdom to claim nothing
for ourselves, but return all to You with increase.
Bless this food we are about to share and
all those who brought it to our table.
Bless our loved ones, family and friends who are
not with us this day; and on those who travel, that
they may reach their destinations safely.
And in a special way, bless those who are less
fortunate than we are today. Grant that we
who are filled with Your abundance never
close our hearts to those most in need of Your
mercy, particularly the hungry, the
homeless and the poor.
We ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your
Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God forever and ever.
Amen.
Stewardship “Blessings” Prayer Generous and loving God, You call us to be disciples
of your son Jesus and good stewards of all your many gifts. Open our minds and hearts to a greater awareness
and deeper appreciation of your countless blessings. Transform us through the power of your Spirit to nurture
a stewardship way of life marked by faith-filled prayer,
service to our neighbor and generous sharing.
Teach us to be faithful servants of your gifts. With Mary’s help,
may we return ten-fold the gifts entrusted to us. Bless our Parish with a deepening
devotion to prayer, a growing commitment for service,
and increasing levels of generosity as we work to
advance the mission of both our parish and diocese. We pray through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Stewardship “Faith Journey” Prayer Creator God, at Baptism, we accepted the call to follow Jesus.
Be with us as we move along on our faith journey. Send us your Holy Spirit, that we might have wisdom for the journey. Help us to develop and share our gifts as good stewards, that we may use them in love and service in your Kingdom. We ask this through Christ, our Lord,
Amen
Stewardship “Way of Life” Prayer PRESIDER: Let us pray that we will make stewardship a way of Life with God.
PART A: Because of our faith in You, O Lord, we acknowledge You as the source of all we have and all we are.
PART B: Help us place You, our loving Creator, first in our lives by becoming more prayerful, more focused on loving and caring for our families and our neighbors in need, and by becoming less preoccupied with material things.
PART A: Help us, Lord, find the true source of happiness and fulfillment that we all seek and that You, alone, can provide.
PART B: Help us to hear Your call to be good stewards, caretakers, and managers of all Your gifts by sharing them for Your purposes.
PART A: Help us make Your priorities our priorities.
PART B: Help us challenge each other, as disciples of Jesus Christ, to put our faith into action.
PRESIDER: Let us pray that as good stewards we will plan our sharing.
PART A: As we plan the things in our lives that are most important to us, Lord, help us plan our sharing of time with those in need.
PART B: Help us plan how to “give back” the talents with which we have been blessed. PART A: Help us plan how to share our treasure to do Your work.
PART B: Our planning and sharing demonstrates the great importance that You and the truth of the Gospel has in our lives.
PART A: Help us plan to serve our church, our community, and our world with Your Gifts.
PRESIDER: Let us pray that we will share in proportion to what has been given us.
PART B: Help us, Lord, return a portion of all You have given us.
PART A: We do this, O Lord, as a sign of our love and in thanksgiving for the many blessings we have received.
PART B: We offer not only the “first fruits” of our financial resources, but a generous portion of our time and talents as well.
PART A: Giving proportionately means it is equal for all of us according to what You have given us. You ask the same of each of us.
PART B: As we give proportionately, help us to put our trust, security and faith in You.
PART A: As good Christian Stewards, we pray we have a joyful spirit of mind and heart.
Stewardship “Creation” Prayer
All powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks.
All things are of your making.
All times and seasons obey you.
You chose to create us in your own image,
and set us over the whole world in all its wonder.
You made us the stewards of creation,
to praise you every day for your wisdom and power.
May we imitate your Son, Jesus in his life of service.
May we be faithful stewards of all your gifts
among the people of God. Amen
Stewardship “Gathering” Prayer Good and loving God source of every grace and blessing,
We bring you thanks as we gather today for the many gifts you have given us.
We seek to be good stewards,
Lord! Bless us as we gather here to share Your gifts.
Send us Your Spirit and be present among us — in the mouth of all who speak, in the ears of all who listen at the heart of all we say and do.
We ask in Jesus' name.
Amen
Stewardship “Follow Me” Prayer Walk with us our God.
Help us on our spiritual journey so that we may constantly renew our relationship with you and all the good people in our parish.
Renew in us your Spirit. Give us the strength and courage
to become a better followers of Jesus, to be a disciple.
Help us hear the call to "Come Follow Me".
We give glory to you, our God,
as we make stewardship a way of life.
Amen
Stewardship “Generosity” Prayer Leader: Dear Lord, we come before you today to ask you to help us be more generous. We pray: Side A: Gracious God, give us generous hearts so we may fully appreciate all your many gifts to us. Side B: Gracious God, give us generous hearts so we may give without counting cost. Side A: Gracious God, give us generous hearts so we may share without expecting something in return. Side B: Gracious God, give us generous hearts so we may know the joy that comes from helping others. Side A: Gracious God, give us generous hearts so we may share all that you have given us. Side B: Gracious God, give us generous hearts so we may hold all our treasures in an open hand. Side A: Gracious God, give us generous hearts so we may recognize the many blessings in each new day. Side B: Gracious God give us generous hearts so we may learn the difference between what we need and what we want. Side A: Gracious God, give us generous hearts so we may ever thank you and serve you. Leader: Lord, we ask all of this, knowing that you will always give us all that we need. Please bless the work we do for you today and always. All: Amen
Stewardship “Commitment” Prayer Lord Jesus, Create in us a new heart.
Pour your Spirit upon us
so that we may do the will of the Father.
Nourish us with your Eucharist
and heal us of sin.
Let our commitment
to stewardship be a sign
of our love for you.
Amen
Stewardship “Growth” Prayer Bless us Lord as we, your humble servants, come before you on our Stewardship journey to grow in your likeness.
May we be ever mindful of the blessings that you have bestowed upon us on a daily basis. Help us to understand that as we grow in Stewardship together as individuals, faith communities and as a nation, we grow only because of your benevolence. May we use this time on earth that you have given us to make a difference, to open our eyes to the little things of life, to not be overwhelmed to the point that we delay our journey. When we accept the challenge of Stewardship and see your face in the downtrodden, in the sick, in the dying, in the unborn, may we know it is only because of your grace that we are able to accept that challenge. Dear Lord, thank You for earthly sustenance that gives us the strength of body to do our work. But, more so, thank you for Your spiritual food that fills us with the grace and knowledge that we are indeed Your people. Be with us, touch our hearts, invigorate our minds and give us the energy to go forth and grow in your image.
Amen.
Stewardship “Kingdom” Prayer God, life is your gift to us. Through Baptism, you invite us to share
the gift of life in service to others. Be with us as we chose each day
to show your presence in our world. Give us the courage and generosity
to respond to your love and your call. We pray especially for those
who serve you in all ministries here in our parish.
May they bear the Good News
to those in need and keep them close to you. Open the minds and hearts of many that they may accept your challenge to build the Kingdom in our parish.
Lord Jesus, You tell us that the meaning of life consists in giving.
Help us to realise It is not riches or fame or power that gives life meaning. Rather it is generosity and service to You and others that brings fulfilment and makes life worthwhile. May all our activity help us to build Your Kingdom. Amen.
Stewardship “Grace to Share” Prayer We give thanks Lord,
For You are a generous and gracious God.
Mindful of all Your blessings,
We ask You to give us the grace to share Your love
and the many gifts You given us.
We pray for all Your creation,
That through our stewardship,
all may be aware of Your loving care.
We ask for Your peace and protection.
Blessed Be God Forever
Stewardship “Petition” Prayer Lord, we thank You for bringing us together in Your name. We have come to speak and to listen, to pray and to share, that we may better understand what it means to be Your disciples, to be the stewards of Your many gifts. We believe that You are present among us as You promised, Lord; and so with confidence, we bring our prayers before you: That like the good steward in the Gospel, we may be ready when the Master comes, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, hear our prayer
.
That we may know and do what You ask of us, and so be found trustworthy, we pray to the Lord. . .
Lord, hear our prayer. For our parish, that we will be a beacon of Your love in this community.
Lord, hear our prayer For all the people of our parish, that our work may touch them and help them to live out more fully Your call to discipleship.
Lord, hear our prayer For our pastor and leaders of our parish, that they will have the strength and wisdom to shepherd Your people.
Lord, hear our prayer For all those who work at our parish, that we may work effectively in concert with them.
Lord, hear our prayer For all those who serve on councils, commissions, and committees here in our parish, that working together with them we may faithfully bring your message to all in our parish.
Lord, hear our prayer For all those who are touched by the ministry that our efforts support, that they will recognize you as the ultimate source of that help.
Lord, hear our prayer For all of us on this council/commission/committee that we may together and in harmony fulfill our mission to help people be better stewards of the gifts You give them.
Lord, hear our prayer "That the Holy Spirit, whose gracious action guides us to Jesus Christ and to the Church, will enlighten us all and help us to renew our commitment as the Lord's disciples and as stewards of his bountiful gifts," we pray to the Lord. . . Lord, hear our prayer. (All are invited to add their own intentions)
Stewardship “Countless Blessings” Prayer Generous God, you have blessed us immeasurably.
We are eternally grateful for your many blessings. The beauty of the world we live in,
the wonder of creation,
and the miraculous gift of life itself. The loving support of family and friends,
their caring sympathy during troubles
and their sharing happiness during our joys The challenge of the tasks we work at,
the satisfaction of our accomplishments,
the enjoyment of our hobbies and diversions
and the meaningfulness of our volunteering. The gift of shelter,
the nourishment of food and sustenance,
and the warmth and comfort of our clothes. The trials and tribulations that each one of us faces,
that cause us to acknowledge our dependence on God. The ‘little things’ –
a good book or great movie,
chocolate chip cookies,
arriving home safely,
and all those other things we take for granted but which are really blessings. The love of a God who cares for each one of us,
the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
and the continuing presence of the Holy Spirit May we always remember to live as grateful stewards of your countless blessings.
We share our gratitude to you now and forever.
Amen.
Stewardship “Abundance” Prayer Gracious and Loving God, You call us to be stewards of Your abundance, the caretakers of all You have entrusted to us. Help us to always use Your gifts wisely and teach us to share them generously.
Send your Holy Spirit to work through us, bringing Your message to those we serve.
May our faithful stewardship bear witness to your enduring love of all creation. We pray with grateful hearts, in Jesus’ name.
Amen
Stewardship Giving Prayer Good and gracious God,
We thank you for all we are, and all we have.
Everything is a gift from your infinite generosity.
We marvel how bountiful is your kindness.
We rest in appreciation of your enduring mercy.
As we explore our responsibility to be good stewards,
Fill us with the compassion of Jesus, your Son. Give us eyes to see the needs of those around us,
In the faces of our neighbours near and far.
Give us hearts that are moved by the pleas of those who cry out.
On behalf of the children, the refugees, the sick, and the suffering.
Give us hands that are eager to share what has been entrusted to us.
For the homeless and those alone in their homes.
Give us feet to venture wherever the Spirit leads.
For the mission to bring your good news to all. As we resolve to be mindful of the needs of others, we pray that
You instill in us your generosity, your kindness, and your mercy.
Free us from all attachments to the things of this world.
Keep us focused in our mission of good stewardship. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
Stewardship “St Paul” Prayer Gracious God
You sent us St Paul
To preach the Gospel,
Inspire us in faith,
And show us the way
To be good stewards of Your grace. In our time together
Show us how to be
Fervent ambassadors of Christ, Your Son. Grant us the wisdom
To recognize that
Through his gift of the Eucharist
There is one bread, and we are one body. Give us the courage
To proclaim the Good News in word and deed. And in the spirit of St Paul
Teach us to live,
No longer for ourselves, but in Christ Jesus
Who lives and reigns with You
And the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever.
Stewardship “Promises” Prayer Lord Jesus, you have challenged us with your holy words in sacred scripture:
That the one who "seeks to save his life will lose it;"
That the one who "loses his life for your sake will save it for all eternity;"
That the "greatest among us is the one who serves the rest;"
That it is "harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle;"
That our "true treasure is in heaven." Lord, you have given us your generous promises:
That you treasure greatly the sacrificial spirit of the widow’s mite;
That you will reward with hundredfold harvest those who sow in the rich soil of faith;
That you will not be outdone in generosity;
That you will not give us burdens that we cannot bear. We thank you, above all, for the joy-filled gift of faith and the inspirational witness of generous saints of ages past. Lord, give us the strength and the faith to respond to your challenging words.
We ask you to help us to be responsible stewards of your gifts.
We ask you to bless us with the courage, generosity, and selflessness to help us multiply your gifts among us for the glory of your name.
Stewardship “Our Lady Help of Christians” Prayer Gracious and Loving God, We praise You
for the gift of Your love
made manifest in Your Son,
and for the gift of Your Holy Spirit,
who binds us in unity through
the richness of our diversity. We praise you for the
gift of Our Lady
Help of Christians
whom we honour
as patroness of Australia. Give us the wisdom
to follow her example;
to be good stewards
of our faith, our church
and of all those in need
of Your loving care. Teach us how to respond
generously,
with courage, prudence
and hope. And guide us on our pilgrim journey
with Our Lady,
who shows us the way
to Your Son in justice and peace. We pray this through Christ, Our Lord, Amen.
Stewardship “Service” Prayer Gracious and loving Father,
we rejoice in the gifts of love
we have received from the heart of Jesus your Son.
Teach us to see Christ in the lives we touch,
to offer him living worship
by love-filled service to our brothers and sisters.
Help us to always use Your gifts wisely and teach us to share them generously.
Send your Holy Spirit to work through us, bringing Your message to those we serve. May our faithful stewardship bear witness to the love of Jesus Christ in our lives. We pray with grateful hearts, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Stewardship “Litany of Generosity” Prayer Leader: Gracious God,
We come before you to ask you to affirm our gifts of generosity ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts… Leader: ...so we may fully appreciate all your many gifts to us. ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts… Leader: ...so we may give without counting the cost. ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts… Leader: ...so we may share without expecting something in return. ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts… Leader: ... so we may know the joy that comes from helping others. ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts… Leader: ...so we may share all that you have given us. ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts… Leader: ...so we may hold all our treasures in an open hand. ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts… Leader: ...so we may recognise the many blessings in each new day. ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts… Leader: ...so we may learn the difference between what we need and what we want. ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts… Leader: ...so we may ever thank you and serve you. ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts… Leader: Lord, we ask all of this,
knowing that you will always give us all that we need.
Please bless the work we do for you this night and always. ALL: Amen
Stewardship “Trust” Prayer Almighty and ever-faithful Lord,
gratefully acknowledging Your mercy
and humbly admitting our need,
we pledge our trust in You and each other. Filled with desire,
we respond to Your call for discipleship
by shaping our lives in imitation of Christ.
We profess that the call requires us
to be stewards of Your gifts.
As stewards, we receive Your gifts gratefully,
cherish and tend them in a responsible manner,
share them in practice and love with others,
and return them with increase to you. We pledge to our ongoing formation as stewards
and our responsibility to call others to that same endeavour.
Almighty and ever-faithful God,
it is our fervent hope and prayer
that You who have begun this good work in us
will bring it to fulfilment in Jesus Christ,
our Lord. Amen
Stewardship “Lenten” Prayer God of mercy,
You have given us this special time
to reflect on our lives,
believe in the Good News
and draw closer to You.
May this season of Lent
help us use this time
to fast and pray,
be more generous
and show others
how to live in Christ.
Let us see each day of this season
as a new opportunity to renew
our lives
and gain a deeper appreciation
of Your active presence
in us and our community of faith.
Give us the grace to see Your
face in others,
especially the poor
and those who suffer.
And through your Spirit,
enkindle in us the fire of Your love
so that we may be better stewards
of Your
redeeming work throughout
the world.
We ask this through Jesus, Your Son.
Amen
Stewardship Prayer Creator God, giver of life and source of our freedom, We recognise that yours “is the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it”. It is from your hands that we have received all we have…and are ...and will be. Gracious and loving God, you call us to be the stewards of your abundance, the caretakers of all you have entrusted to us. Help us to use your gifts wisely and to share them generously. May our stewardship be a genuine reflection of our discipleship, a tangible sign of our commitment to Christ. We pray with grateful hearts, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Stewardship Prayer Almighty and every faithful Lord, gratefully acknowledging Your mercy and humbly admitting our need, we pledge our trust in You and each other. Filled with desire, we respond to Your call for discipleship by shaping our lives in imitation of Christ. We profess the call requires us to be stewards of Your gifts. As stewards, we receive Your gifts gratefully, Cherish and tend them in a responsible manner, Share them in practice and love with others And return them with increase to the Lord. We pledge to our ongoing formation as stewards and our responsibility to call others to that same endeavour. Almighty and ever faithful God, it is our fervent hope and prayer that You who have begun this good work in us will bring it to fulfilment in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Stewardship Prayer Father, I know that I can help in the needs of my parish, Your church. I am having trouble deciding how and where to serve You. I want to help, but the immediate needs of my family and job seem to be ever more demanding. Please help me search myself. Please help me take a good look at what I can do, both in my personal life and through Your church. Help me to steward Your gifts wisely, to cherish them lovingly, to tend to them responsibly, and to share them willingly with those in need. And most importantly Lord, help me to be that steward in a helpful way knowing that whatever I do for the least of your people, I do for you. All caring, all loving and almighty God, I pray that You will bring me to a fulfilment of good stewardship through your grace and direction. In Your holy name we pray. Amen.
Stewardship Prayer Loving God, I come to you in thanksgiving, knowing that all I am and all that I have is gift from you. In faith and love, help me to do your will. I am listening, Lord God. Speak your words into the depth of my soul, that I may hear you clearly. I offer to you this day all the facets of my life, whether it be at home, at work, or at school – to be patient, to be merciful, to be generous, to be holy. Give me the wisdom and insight to understand your will for me and the fervour to carry out my good intentions. I offer my gifts of time, talent and possessions to you as a true act of faith, to reflect my love for you and my neighbour. Help me to reach out to others as you my God have reached out to me.
A Litany of Generosity Dear Lord,
We come before you today to ask you to help us be more generous.
We pray:
ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts…
Leader: ...so we may fully appreciate all your many gifts to us.
ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts…
Leader: ...so we may give without counting the cost.
ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts…
Leader: ...so we may share without expecting something in return.
ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts…
Leader: ...so we may know the joy that comes from helping others.
ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts…
Leader: ...so we may share all that you have given us.
ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts…
Leader: ...so we may hold all our treasures in an open hand.
ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts…
Leader: ...so we may recognize the many blessings in each new day.
ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts…
Leader: ...so we may learn the difference between what we need and what we want.
ALL: Gracious God, give us generous hearts…
Leader: ...so we may ever thank you and serve you.
Leader: Lord, we ask all of this, knowing that you will always give us all that we need. Please bless the work we do for you today and always.
ALL: Amen
Stewardship Prayer O Lord, giver of life and source of freedom, I know that all I have received is from your hand. Gracious and Loving Father, You call us to be stewards of Your abundance, the caretakers of all You have entrusted to us. Help us to always use Your gifts wisely and teach us to share them generously. Send the Holy Spirit to work through us, bringing Your message to those we serve.
Stewardship Prayer Creator God,
Life is your gift to me.
Through Baptism, you invite me to share
the gift of my life in service to others.
Be with me as I choose each day to show
Your Presence in our world.
Give me the courage and generosity to
respond to Your love, to Your call.
I pray especially for those who serve you
in ministry at St. Michael Parish. May we bear the Good News to those
in need. Keep us close to you.
Open the minds and hearts of many
other men, women and young people
that they may accept Your challenge to
build the Kingdom at St. Michael Parish.
We ask this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen. "Following Jesus is the work of a lifetime."
Stewardship: A Disciple's Response, US Council of Catholic Bishops
Stewardship Prayer Generous God, I give thanks to you for the gifts you have given me -
my life, my family, my friends - time, talents, and material possessions.
All that I have comes from you.
Help me to remember this and rejoice in your goodness.
Walk with me, my God.
Help me on my spiritual journey, so that I may
constantly renew my relationship with you
and all the good people in
our parish and throughout Long Island.
Renew in me your Spirit.
Give me the strength and courage
to become a better follower of Jesus, to be a disciple.
Help me hear the call to "Come, Follow Me."
I give glory to you, my God, as I make stewardship a way of life.
Amen.
Stewardship Prayer My church is composed of people like me. I help make it what it is. It will be friendly, if I am. Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them. It will do great work, if I work. It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver. It will bring other people into its worship and fellowship, if I invite and bring them. It will be a church of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith, and a church with a noble spirit, if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these same things. Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to the task of being all the things that I want my church to be.
Amen
Archdiocese of Rochester
Prayer of St Ignatius God, Take and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will – all that I have and call my own.
You have given it all to me;
To you, God, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me.
Amen
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