Prayer of Approach

Welcoming God,
we come to you with open hearts
and with open hands.
We come with our faith and hope,
and with our doubts and fears.
Send your Holy Spirit to work among us,
filling us and changing us
to become more like Jesus. Amen.

Prayer of confession

When we turn away from you, O God,
and go our own way:
forgive us, and turn us back to you.
When the way ahead is not clear,
when everything feels too much
and we turn our backs on you:
forgive us, and turn us back to you.
When we make wrong decisions
and our actions hurt others:
forgive us, and turn us back to you.
When we want to give up because it’s too hard:
forgive us, and turn us back to you.
When we cannot see beyond ourselves and act selfishly:
forgive us, and turn us back to you.
When we do not put you and others first:
forgive us, and turn us back to you.
Turn us back to you, O God.
Amen.

Assurance of forgiveness

 In the knowledge that we are truly forgiven we can say:

 Despite going our own way and not following you,                                            
despite our doubts and fears of your presence,
you are there gently leading us,
reaching out your arms of healing and forgiveness.
Thank you, eternal God.
Thank you that you are our rock and our salvation, our strength and our high tower.
Thank you that as we choose to go on this journey with you,
as we make decisions and plans,
you are there, gently leading and guiding, always present.
Praise you, Lord, for your constant love and faithfulness.   Amen.

Prayers of the People

O God, who answers prayer, we hear the words of Paul the apostle.
You exhort us to pray on all occasions and with all kinds of prayers and requests.
We pray for communities that have seen tragedy.
For vulnerable people who struggle to face what life throws at them.
May they be built up in your love and strength.
Lord, we pray in your Spirit.

We pray for people who suffer for their faith.
For ministers and evangelists who seek to spread your word.
For us all as we share the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May they, and may we, be built up in your love and strength.
Lord, we pray in your Spirit.

We pray for people who feel bound by chains of unemployment and poverty,
chains of disability or illness, chains of sorrow.
Lord, we pray in your Spirit.

We pray for ourselves when we feel vulnerable.
May they, and may we, be built up in your love and strength.
Lord, we pray in your Spirit.
Amen.

We join together as we pray 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.

Words of Encouragement.                                                                                

Lord Jesus Christ, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life, and we have come to believe and know
that you are the Holy One of God.

We go into your world. with your generosity, your love, your inspiration to live life in all its fullness, offering our lives back to you.

We go in your strength putting on the whole armour perfectly fitted for each one of us. Amen