Prayer of Praise: – 

Gracious and bountiful God, source of all good things, we are in awe of your generosity towards us; we are thankful to you for the everyday things that we need to live.  We are also thankful for the special things that come our way that makes our life bright and cheerful.  We fill our bodies with rich food and sweet drinks yet we still hunger and thirst for more – for you.  And, so, we praise you for taking the initiative to replenish and renew our lives.  We acknowledge that you are the maker of all that is, seen and unseen, of all that is on Earth and all that is in the Universe around us, of all that is simple and of all that is complex, of all that we can understand and of all that is beyond our comprehension.  We come honouring you as the one true creator God.  You established a new and everlasting covenant of grace in the person of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.  Through him we seek you and find you, O God.  Through him we call on you and know that we are heard.  For, through him, the distance between your thoughts and our thoughts, your ways and our ways, is spanned by your divine love. 

God of compassion, source of true tenderness, we are in awe of your loving kindness towards us; we are thankful to you for your care in our times of need, we are thankful for your protection of us in times of strife.  We rely upon your promise to be the source of our strength and to be there beside us to support us.  With gladness and rejoicing we acclaim you as our God.  We praise and adore you, as we offer this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord and our Saviour. Amen. 

Prayer of Confession: –  

  Merciful God, we come before you knowing that we have failed you in so many ways.

  We confess that there is so much in our lives, in our thoughts, in our words, and in our actions, that displeases you and saddens you.

    Forgive us for when we have failed to listen to you, when we have turned away from you and pretended that we can no longer hear your voice.  When our thoughts are not your thoughts and our ways are different from your ways. Forgive us for when we have refused to take your advice, when we have turned away from you and pretended that we knew all the answers. And yet your mercy is so great that you keep giving us another chance to cultivate our identity as people shaped by your thoughts and your ways.

  Forgive us, O God when we are tempted to shape our behaviour and our lifestyles by other than the way, the truth and the life of Jesus.  for when we have failed to trust you, when we did not have the courage to obey you, when we have turned away and rejected your love. 

    Forgive us for when we have failed to be your witnesses to the World around us.  Forgive us for when we were more afraid of stepping on people’s toes than on challenging their self-assurance. When we have adapted or lowered our standards

  Forgive us for when we have failed to be your calming voice in the surrounding turmoil, for when we have failed to be your revealing light in the surrounding darkness.  Have mercy on us.

    Forgive us for our pride that prevents us from stooping low to help someone or from getting our hands dirty.  Forgive us for not being regular in reading your Word or spending time in prayer with you.

  Forgive us for when we are not excited when a new day dawns, because each day is a gift from you to be treasured. When we use the stress of daily ‘busy-ness’ as an excuse to turn away from examining what discipleship really means for us personally  and as members of a faith community.

    In your mercy forgive us our sins and our shortcomings. Provide ways for us to turn our lives around so that we might daily bear the fruits of repentance. Merciful and gracious God, strengthen us with your Spirit so that we willingly turn towards you, thinking your thoughts and following your way in our conversations and our relationships.

Help us to bring forth fruits worthy of our calling as followers of Jesus Christ. This we pray in his name. Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness   

The prophet Isaiah calls on the wicked to give up their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to God who will have mercy on them and abundantly pardon them. (Isaiah 55:7)  And we  believe that –  “ Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners”  (1 Timothy 1:15) The good news therefore is this: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

Lord God, we come before you now thinking of others, near and far.

Our hearts are heavy as we think of so much conflict in various parts of the world. We ask Lord God, that You would stir in the hearts of those who have control over negotiations regarding Ukraine and Russia.   May Yor Spirit move there and have  control over  negotiations.   We pray especially for those who have lived with suffering and death for so long.

   Lord , hear our Prayer.

We think as well, of course of Israel and Gaza – you know the situation there.  Move in the hearts of those controlling decisions and negotiations. And also Lord God, may the ordinary folk – the ones who have experienced the loss of their families and loved ones, be given a resilient spirit to enable them to look forward to a more peaceful future.

            Lord , hear our Prayer.

Lord God, we think of the countries where Your Name is not known.  We pray for the safety of those who are committed to spread Your Name.  Keep them safe, especially in countries where Your Name is not wanted, as Your Holy Spirit touches their hearts.

            Lord, hear our Prayer.

Father God, we pray for our own country – our governments, as decisions are made promoting the best outcomes for the various segments of society.   We pray for those on the land… that their well being and stamina might be encouraged as they battle harsh climatic extremes at times.  We pray that their personal health and well being might be maintained and we give thanks for organisations such as Frontier Services, that we support, where chaplains and others travel many kilometres each day to encourage and support these folk and remind them of Your close presence.

            Lord, hear our Prayer.

Father God, we pray for our younger generation who are going to be the leaders of tomorrow.   Fill their hearts with determination to have peace, understanding and tolerance  within our families.   Guide the parents who are struggling in this regard.   May loving support and guidance be found for both parties that the family units in our country, can be places of love and understanding.

We ask all these prayers in the name of Christ, our Saviour, Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

Now and forever.  Amen.