“Come Holy Spirit: Thy Kingdom Come”
Almighty
God, your ascended Son has sent us
into the world
to preach the good news of your
kingdom:
inspire us with your Spirit and
fill our hearts with the fire of
your love,
that all who hear your word may be
drawn to you,
through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
The
following selection of Scripture Readings
and Prayers is adapted from a prayer
booklet developed by Thy
Kingdom Come, an annual
ecumenical global prayer initiative which
takes place between Ascension and
Pentecost. These prayer resources can be
used by individuals, families,
communities, and churches. Feel free to
use this shortened version adapted by
Living Bulwark or the
longer version available online -
ed.
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Introduction:
“All Christians are
encouraged to seek the fresh
empowering of the Holy Spirit so that
we may live out our calling to be
witnesses to Jesus Christ.”
Thy
Kingdom Come is an annual
ecumenical prayer initiative which
takes place between Ascension and
Pentecost. It originally began in the
Church of England in 2016 and has
since grown into a global ecumenical
prayer movement. The nine days between
Ascension and Pentecost have always
been infused with expectation and
anticipation. When our Lord Jesus
Christ ascended into heaven forty days
after his resurrection, he promised
his disciples the gift of the Holy
Spirit to enable them to be his
witnesses.
As those first followers waited for
the promise to be fulfilled by
constantly devoting themselves to
prayer (Acts 1:11), so the renewed
call across the church is to set these
days apart to pray. In the gospels we
read again and again how people would
bring friends, loved ones, family
members, and children to Jesus.
There is a recommended focus for
prayers in these nine days — most
particularly to bring to God five
individuals, that they might have an
encounter with Jesus Christ. >
Click here
for the
evangelism prayer journal and
action plan.
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ASCENSION DAY - THURSDAY - May 30
Scripture
Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human
hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered
into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God on our behalf.
Hebrews 9.24
Prayer
Almighty God, your ascended Son has sent us into
the world to preach the good news of your kingdom:
inspire us with your Spirit and fill our hearts
with the fire of your love, that all who hear your
Word may be drawn to you, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Collect for Thy Kingdom Come
Intercession
‘Thou that hast given so much to me, Give one
thing more, A grateful heart.’
George Herbert
FRIDAY AFTER ASCENSION - May 31
As it is, we do not yet see everything in
subjection to human beings, but we do see Jesus,
who for a little while was made lower than the
angels, now crowned with glory and honour because
of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of
God he might taste death for everyone. It was
fitting that God, for whom and through whom all
things exist, in bringing many children to glory,
should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect
through sufferings.
Hebrews 2.8b-10
Almighty God, who sent your Spirit to be the life
and light of your Church: open our hearts to the
riches of his grace, that we may bring forth the
fruit of the Spirit in love and joy and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
‘God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say.
Yes, to be sure, but He does what is still more
wonderful: He makes saints out of sinners.’
Soren Kierkegaard
SATURDAY AFTER ASCENSION
- June 1
I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things
to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Romans 8.38,39
O King enthroned on high, Comforter and Spirit of
truth, you that are in all places and fill all
things, the treasury of blessings and the giver of
life, come and dwell with us, cleanse us from
every stain and save our souls, O gracious one.
Amen.
an Orthodox prayer
‘ We need to find God, and he cannot be found in
noise and restlessness. God is the friend of
silence.’
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
SUNDAY - June 2
On the last day of the festival, the great day,
while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let
anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one
who believes in me drink. As the scripture has
said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow
rivers of living water.”’ Now he said this about
the Spirit, which believers in him were to
receive.
John 7.37-39a
Blessed are you, creator God, to you be praise and
glory for ever. As your Spirit moved over the face
of the waters bringing light and life to your
creation, pour out your Spirit on us today that we
may walk as children of light and by your grace
reveal your presence. Blessed be God, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit.
‘The right way to pray is to stretch out our hands
and ask of One who we know has the heart of a
Father.’
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
MONDAY - June 3
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord
is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of
the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his
understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to
the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even
youths will faint and be weary, and the young will
fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord
shall renew their strength, they shall mount up
with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be
weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40.28-end
Come, O Spirit of God, and make within us your
dwelling place and home. May our darkness be
dispelled by your light, and our troubles calmed
by your peace; may all evil be redeemed by your
love, all pain transformed through the suffering
of Christ, and all dying glorified in his risen
life. Amen.
‘Be who God made you to be and you will set the
world on fire.’
St Catherine of Siena
TUESDAY - June 4
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same
Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but
the same Lord; and there are varieties of
activities, but it is the same God who activates
all of them in everyone. To each is given
the manifestation of the Spirit for the common
good.
I Corinthians 12.4-7
Father, let your Spirit come upon us with power to
fill us with his gifts. May he make our hearts
pleasing to you, and ready to do your will. We ask
this through Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for
ever and ever.
Prayer from the Office of Readings
‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so
much.’
Helen Keller
WEDNESDAY - June 5
I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons
and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men
shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see
visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in
those days, I will pour out my spirit.
Joel 2.28,29
Almighty God, who called your Church to witness
that you were in Christ reconciling men to
yourself: help us so to proclaim the good news of
your love, that all who hear it may be reconciled
to you; through him who died for us and rose again
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever.
‘ Come, Lord, stir us up and call us back. Kindle
and seize us. Be our fire and our sweetness. Let
us love. Let us run.’
Augustine of Hippo
THURSDAY - June 6
Jesus said, ‘Ask, and it will be given to you;
search, and you will find; knock, and the door will
be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives,
and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone
who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there
anyone among you who, if your child asks for a
fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the
child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If
you then, who are evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more will the
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask him!’
Luke 11.9-13
O God the King of glory, you have exalted your
only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your
kingdom in heaven: we beseech you, leave us not
comfortless, but send your Holy Spirit to
strengthen us and exalt us to the place where our
Saviour Christ is gone before, who is alive and
reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
To pass through the door that leads to God’s
kingdom, we must go down on our knees.’ Catherine
Doherty
FRIDAY
- June 7
In Christ every one of God’s promises is a ‘Yes’.
For this reason it is through him that we say the
‘Amen’, to the glory of God. But it is God who
establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed
us, by putting his seal on us and giving us his
Spirit in our hearts as a first
instalment. 2 Corinthians 1.20-22
Almighty God, you have broken the tyranny of sin
and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our
hearts whereby we call you Father. Give us grace
to dedicate our freedom to your service, that all
mankind may be brought to the glorious liberty of
the sons of God; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
SATURDAY - June 8
The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with
unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as
though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed
into the same image from one degree of glory to
another; for this comes from the Lord, the
Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3.17,18
God of power and mercy, send your Holy Spirit to
live in our hearts and make us temples of his
glory. We ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Prayer from the Office of Readings
‘ The music of the gospel leads us home.’
Frederick Faber
THE DAY OF PENTECOST
- June 9
Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has
sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he
breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the
Holy Spirit.’
John 20.21,22
Father of light from whom every good gift comes,
send your Spirit into our lives with the power of
a mighty wind, and by the flame of your wisdom
open the horizons of our minds. Loosen our tongues
to sing your praise in words beyond the power of
speech, for without your Spirit man could never
raise his voice in words of peace or announce the
truth that Jesus is Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one Go, for ever and
ever.
Prayer for Pentecost Day from Office of Readings
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