Prayer of Praise  

(from A Year of Prayer p68, p69,p116, p117 ) 

God of Heaven and Earth, we come as People who marvel at your creative power, who marvel at the way things have been made and the way they function, who marvel at the way animal and plant interact, who marvel at the cycles of life that provide the oxygen and water that is necessary for life.  We come as People who are ourselves created beings, yet we experience the closeness with you that you have sought from us from the beginning of Time.

  Holy and righteous God, we come as People who are easily tempted and prone to wander, yet we are thankful that you are faithful to your promise to forgive those who truly repent of their sins.  We are thankful that you embrace us with your love and grace, and transform our hearts.  We are thankful that you are the light for our life’s path, illuminating a way for us that is safe and reassuring.

  Caring and compassionate God, we come as People who stumble and fall, who face trials and troubles in daily life, who are challenged by World events beyond our comprehension, far less our control, who are utterly helpless to manage things that can’t be seen by our eyes nor held in our hands.  Yet, we are truly thankful that you promise to be the strength to get us through each day, to support us in the hard times, to carry us when all seems too hard to handle. 

  Almighty God, we come to offer you our praise and adoration, for you are our God, our God who gives wisdom to our mind, renewal to our heart, and life to our spirit.  We come trusting in your power over the forces of darkness to bring about Your Kingdom in Heaven and on Earth, we come as obedient servants, who seek to live out your will for their lives.

Prayer of Confession   

Merciful God, you know our hearts and our thoughts, our motives and our actions.  You know them better than we know them ourselves.

We come before you merciful God, knowing that we have not obeyed your Word, and that we have not sought after your will for our lives.

Merciful God, we confess that we tend to judge others by outward appearances and by what is deemed to be socially acceptable.

In humbleness we seek your forgiveness.

Merciful God, we are too prone to live for the moment, to let our passions and emotions rule our lives, rather than bring these things into wholeness under your control.

In humbleness we seek your forgiveness.

Merciful God, often we are overtaken by events and sink into despair.  Rather than cry out to you, we prefer silence and self-pity.

In humbleness we seek your forgiveness.

Merciful God, our priority, many times, is for a comfortable existence, but one where we are slow to see opportunities to witness or are indifferent to the needs of others.

In humbleness we seek your forgiveness.  Breathe new life into your Church that meets in this place, and give us a renewed sense of purpose and hope so as to be a voice that proclaims Jesus Christ as the resurrection and the life.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness  (from Psalm 130: 4a) 

The Psalmist declares their trust and confidence in God, by saying, “but you, God, forgive us”.  Having confessed our sins before God, let us share with the Psalmist the hope that was theirs in the grace and mercy of God, that God has heard our prayers, and that our sins have been forgiven.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

Loving God, knowing of your love for all of Humanity, especially of your compassion for the needy, we come to you with our cares and our concerns.

We bring to you our prayers for the World around us and for people individually.

Holy Father in Heaven, we pray for the sick and the infirm, for those who feel abandoned or despondent, and for the hungry and the needy.  We pray for those with troubled minds or despairing with concerns and cares. 

Please give to them the peace of mind and soul that only you can provide.  Comfort those who mourn, please console them with your divine comfort.  Please renew the spirits of those who are broken with sorrow.

Caring God, bless and protect all programs that seek to bring aid to famine-stricken lands or that seek to aid those in our neighbourhoods who are unable to feed and clothe their family. 

Please encourage them with the knowledge that in serving others they are serving you.

God of all, you have ordered us to live lives as loving neighbours.  Though we are scattered over the Earth in different lands, speak different languages and are from different races, give us a loving concern for all people. 

May greed, war and a lust for power be curbed, and may all people desire to enter into a loving community, under your guidance and teaching.

Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed, kindle in the hearts of all people the true love of peace.  Please guide with your wisdom the leaders of nations, so that they may agree and settle disputes peacefully, and use their knowledge and resources for the advancement of all and the elimination of need. 

Protect them from false accusations and the assassin’s attack.  Give to them patience and resilience in the face of abuse and provocation.

Merciful God, breathe new life into your Church.  Break through our sloth and indifference, giving us power to proclaim Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life for which all people are to seek. 

Free your Church from being shackled to the limited truths of political systems and secular philosophies.

(from Amish prayers p 59, Uniting in Worship Red Book p627 no. 12 and p628 no. 15, Raymond chapman in Leading Intercessions p17, Prayers for the Seasons of God’s People Year A p82)

  God of justice and peace, may we be your justice makers and your peacemakers, feeding the hungry, tending the sick, planting goodwill and sowing justice.  May your words give nourishment to the roots of our faith so that in our words and actions we can give nourishment to those in the Community in which we live and move.

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.