Prayer of Praise 

(in part from Prayers for God’s People Year B p109 and 110)  

Almighty God, we gather together with joy to offer you our thanks and our praise, we gather together in humbleness to acknowledge you as our LORD. 

  You have shown your supreme power and incomparable abilities through what we see and experience around us, by and through what you have created.  The Universe has been set in its place through the Laws of the Cosmos which you have determined.  Our World follows patterns and cycles of Nature which you have decreed.

  You have expressed your nature of kindness and graciousness by the way you sustain all of life.  You have provided for the needs of the smallest of bacterium that inhabit our soil as well as of the largest of whales that swim in our oceans.  You provide the necessities of life for all things, you provide rain for those who acknowledge you as their God and for those who don’t, but should.

  You have expressed your love for us so clearly through the sending of your son into the World so as to undertake your work of redemption and reconciliation with Humanity.  We recognise the brokenness of our lives and the barrenness of our own abilities to rebuild our relationship with you and to repair our relationships with others.  We recognise the sacrifice you made in sending Jesus Christ into the World and of his willingness to suffer on the cross.  We acknowledge your power over sin and death through his resurrection.  We praise you for making possible the forgiveness of our sins and the complete cleansing of our souls from all that is impure and ungodly.  We submit to your will and purpose in the World and individually in each of our lives.

  May our worship here today be tied to a renewed commitment to serve you daily in thought, word and deed.  May each moment of our lives be an expression of our love for you and of our gratitude for what you have done and continue to do for us.  To your glory we pray,

Amen.

Prayer of Confession 

(from Prayers for God’s People Year B p109, 116, 118, and A Year of Prayer p72, 73) 

We come acknowledging our failures and our faults, our sins and our stumblings. 

We come confessing the wrong things we have done and the right things we have not done.

We confess that we have often sought meaning in the trivialities of the attractions of this World, and have been enticed away from your path by this World’s values. 

Forgive us, we pray.

We confess that we have often neglected your Word and have sought meaning and understanding from what the World tells us. 

Forgive us, we pray.

We confess that we have compromised our witness to your love for the World by uncharitable thoughts and actions. 

Forgive us, we pray.

We confess that we have devalued our relationship with you by depending on what we can accomplish by ourselves. 

Forgive us, we pray.

We confess that we do not readily welcomed into our fellowship those who are different or who challenge our level of comfort. 

Forgive us, we pray.

We confess that we tend to act in competition and not by co-operation. 

Forgive us, we pray.

Cleanse us from the defilement of our sins, deliver us from the evil that leads us astray. 

May we be guided daily by your Word of truth and nourished by that which endures to eternal life.  In your name we pray, Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Romans 8: 30) 

The Apostle Paul writes that those whom God has called, He has put right with Himself.  Having confessed our sins before god, we have the assurance that God has listened, that god has forgiven, and that has cleansed us of all unrighteousness.

Prayers for Others

Let us come before God with our cares and our concerns.

For the Church:  that God will pour out the Spirit in a new and abundant way to renew all believers and strengthen us to further the mission of Jesus

For healing of the human family: that God will heal the divisions between women and men, poor and rich, and every race so that we may work together for the good of every person and the fulfillment of God’s plan

For a flourishing of the fruits of the Spirit: that we may manifest love, joy, peace, and all the fruits of the Spirit in our lives

For the grace to live in the truth: that the Spirit of God will lead us into a greater understanding of who we are and of what God is asking of us 

For all gathered here: that we may fully use the gifts of the Spirit to encourage one another on our journeys of faith and build up the Body of Christ

For all who announce the Good News: that they may faithfully, fearlessly, and joyously announce God’s loving presence and generous forgiveness

For all young adults: that the Spirit will help them recognize their gifts and talents and stir up within them a desire to use their gifts for God’s glory and the  good of the Christian community

For a renewed sense of mission: that the Spirit will inspire us in confronting the watered-down values of society and in building a society of justice and peace

For all who have been initiated into the new life of Christ this Easter season: that they may continue to listen to God, build up the Church, and grow in love

For Christian unity: that the Spirit will bring forth forgiveness for past wounds, a new spirit of trust, and opportunities to work and pray together for God’s glory

For all who are ill: that the Spirit will heal all who are suffering, restore them to their loved ones, and give strength to all who care for them

 For inspiration and insight: that the Spirit will guide all who are working to end the pandemic, particularly in Brazil, India, and Southeast Asia, and develop effective plans for administering the vaccine

For all who are being ordained this spring: that God will guide and sustain them as they serve the people of God

For all who are graduating this spring: that God will guide them in using their gifts and talents so that they will enrich the world and spread hope and peace through their efforts

For Peace: that God will curtail the violence, protect the innocent, and open dialogue between opposing groups, particularly in the Holy Land

Copyright © 2021. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.<br> Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/ 

Loving God, we bring these prayers to you, trusting in your compassion and care.  To your glory 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.