Prayer of Praise    

  God of love, we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus, for through Him You have released us from the bondage of sin.  We praise You for your foresight and Your dedication to planning the salvation of Humankind.  We praise You for Jesus Christ who willingly offered Himself to be the means by which our sins can be removed forever.  We praise you for Your Holy Spirit who blesses us by being our guide and comforter in all moments of our life.

  God of light, we are assured of Your power to act in the World.  We are assured of Your love for all people, and of Your readiness to embrace all who come to You on bended knees, acknowledging their desperate need for forgiveness and healing.  We are assured of the reality of Your closeness to us when we humble ourselves in penitence and prayer.  We are assured of your abundant grace and mercy because you promised that it is so.

  God of new life, we acclaim You as our God, and praise You in the presence of all people because you have brought us out of darkness into the light of our salvation.

  Spirit of truth and peace, you lead us in the right paths and correct our wanderings.  You recall to us the promises of God’s grace.  You bring to us an understanding of God’s Word.  In the silences you refresh our souls and renew us for the coming day.  In the storms of life, you uphold us and support us so that we will not fall.

  We worship and adore you God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Our desire is to be in your presence and experience your love.  Holy God, we declare our love for you and offer you our praise, now and always.  Amen

Prayer of Confession

(from Romans 12: 21) 

Merciful God, we come to you confessing our shortcomings and our weaknesses.

We come confessing the times when we have not followed your decrees, for when we have not obeyed your instructions.

We are called to love others sincerely and with warmth.  Forgive us for when we have not shown respect or concern to those whom you love so dearly.

Merciful God, hear us.

We are called to hate what is evil and to hold on to what is good.  Forgive us for when we drift away from what is good towards those things that we should avoid.

Merciful God, hear us.

We are called to let our hope in you keep us joyful and to be patient in our troubles.  Forgive us for when we despair and do not lay our burdens at the foot of the cross.

Merciful God, hear us.

We are called to share the material things with which you have blessed us with those who are in need.  Forgive us for putting ownership of things before relieving the suffering of others.

Merciful God, hear us.

We are called to live humble lives and to humbly serve others.  Forgive us for when our pride or our concern for our self-image obstructs our serving of others.

Merciful God, hear us.

We are called to do everything possible to live in peace with everyone.  Forgive us for when we seek to repay a wrong, to take revenge when we are wronged, and to hold onto grudges.

Merciful God, hear us.

We come before you God confessing our wilful disobedience to you and for following the standards of this World.

Merciful God, hear us we pray and forgive our sins.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from Hebrews 13: 20) 

The writer to the Hebrews states: “God has raised from death our Lord Jesus, … by whom the eternal Covenant (with us) is sealed”.  We have this assurance, then, that by the power of Almighty God and through the grace of Almighty God, our sins are forgiven.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others 

(from Prayers For The Twenty-first Century” “© B.D. Prewer, and NZ Common Worship (C of E), Rev Bosco Peters liturgy.co.nz, Richard Emerson Prayers of the People Year B, 2015 Christmas Bowl Worship Resources) 

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

  Come to us, Healer of hurts, touch us with your fingers and we shall be made whole.  We come with broken hearts and grieving spirits, we come with deep concerns and dark anxieties.

  Come to us, Healer of hurts, mend us and we shall be whole.  We come experiencing rocky relationships with others, we come with sleepless nights and lost self-confidence.

  Come to us Healer of hurts, mend us and we shall be whole.  We come with broken dreams and painful memories, of betrayed values and lost opportunities.

  Come to us, Healer of hurts, mend us and we shall be whole.  We come with broken wills and dried-up love, with abandoned hopes and lost faith.

  Come to us, Healer of hurts, mend us and we shall be whole.  Come to us with your holiness, and let our reordered lives express the beauty of your peace.

   Our gracious, eternal God, we are deeply aware of the fleetingness of time and of life.  Life is precious and we are also aware that it is precarious.  We thank you that you have enriched our lives by the support of loving family members.  Life for many though may be punctuated by the unexpected and the unwanted.  So we ask for strength, comfort, and courage for them in these times.  Help us to be sensitive to those who are hurting and grieving and to stand with them in these days.

   We pray for those who, unlike ourselves, don’t have access to fresh water.  May they know the benefits of good health through the provision of new water resources and facilities.  We thank you for those whose vision and dreams have caused these projects to become a reality and for the improvements they have made to the lives of many people.

   Foremost in our minds is the uncertainty of the present and of the future.  Our self assurance and comfort has been disrupted by the recent acts of hatred and religious bigotry in Israel, in Afghanistan, in Syria, in Ukraine.  We hear about and see the waves of displaced persons escaping from their homelands riven by violence and persecution and sit back powerless to comprehend it.  Those in authority seek to act with justice and compassion yet appear overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation.  What the future holds for us and for the World is unknown and this disturbs us to our core.  It is your peace and guidance that is needed, yet the World seeks answers by military force and the exercise of political power.

  Almighty Father, whose will it is to restore all things in your beloved Son, the King of all, govern the hearts and minds of those in authority throughout the Earth, and bring the families of the nations, divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin and hate, to be subject to His just and gentle rule.  May your church be the guiding light to the World in that it is only by our submission to your will and by the confession of our sin that true healing and wholeness can take place.  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.