Prayer of Praise  (from Psalm 118: 19 to 29) 

  Almighty God, we give thanks to you because your love is eternal.  We give thanks to you because you have opened your heart to us by your unending grace.  We give thanks to you because you offer forgiveness of our sins through the humble death of Jesus on our behalf.  We give thanks to you because you have opened a pathway to live for us through the resurrecting power of Your son, Jesus.

  Almighty God, in your wisdom and power you prepared a way for us to obtain that which we could not achieve by ourselves, to remedy that which we spoiled by our actions and neglect, to undo that which had bound us to a life of separation from yourself, to remove the barriers between us that prevented reconciliation with you.

  Almighty God, in the same manner that the people in 1st century Judah could enter the gates of the Temple to be in your presence, so too do we have the confidence of now being close to you, confident of the guarantee of your welcome and greeting to us, confident in knowing that we can experience the wonder of your blessing for us, confident in knowing that we will experience the peace and assurance that you freely give to those who honour you.

  Almighty God, we celebrate your coming to us, we celebrate your goodness and majesty, we celebrate your righteousness, we celebrate your wonder above all that you have made in Heaven and on Earth.  Almighty God, we give you our praise and worship, because you are good, and you love is eternal.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession 

(from Psalm 36: 1 to 4, 38: 18, 39: 8a & 7b, and 40: 11) 

Merciful God, we come humbling ourselves before you, recalling our negligent behaviour and our shortcomings. 

We recall your Laws and your standards and acknowledge that we fall short in so many ways.

How many times have we listened to the Sin that resides deep within our hearts, as it speaks to us enticingly?

Merciful God, forgive us and remove the sin from our lives.

How many times have we shown a lack of reverence for God in our interactions with others?

Merciful God, forgive us and remove the sin from our lives.

How many times have we boasted of our own goodness?

Merciful God, forgive us and remove the sin from our lives.

How many times do we excuse our foibles and our mannerisms, rather than seek to look at them in the light of the way God desires for us to live?

Merciful God, forgive us and remove the sin from our lives.

How many times have we acted foolishly and neglectfully?

Merciful God, forgive us and remove the sin from our lives.

How many times do we lie to or mislead others and justify it to ourselves?

Merciful God, forgive us and remove the sin from our lives.

How many times do we seek to hide our sins from God rather than confess them and open ourselves to God’s judgement?

Merciful God, forgive us and remove the sin from our lives.

I confess my sins to you, O God, they fill me with anxiety.

Save me from my sins, O God, I put my hope in you.

Lord, I know that you will never stop being merciful to me,

Your love and loyalty will always keep me safe.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

The Prophet Isaiah, in describing Jesus Christ as God’s “suffering servant”, writes that “He was arrested and sentenced and led off to die.   He was put to death for the sins of people … even though he had never committed a crime or ever told a lie.”  (Isaiah 53: 8 & 9) 

Having confessed our sins before God and having put our faith in the truth that Jesus Christ died for our sins once and for all, let us be assured that God has heard us, that God has forgiven us, and that God welcomes us into His fellowship.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

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

Almighty God, we pray for the Church, that we may commend our lives to you each day and be renewed in spirit by your faithful presence.

We pray for the grace of humility, that we may allow you to empty ourselves of selfish desires and the need to control so that you can raise us to a fuller life.

We pray for all who have been abandoned or accused unjustly, that they may know your presence with them, have the strength to hold to the truth, and find support in the Christian community.

We pray for the leaders of Government, that they recognize in Jesus, the King of the humanity, the model for leadership and follow the example of Jesus in serving those entrusted to their care.

We pray for all people of Good Will, that every heart may reject violence and force as ways to resolve conflicts, offer support to all who have been injured, and seek new means of reconciliation and healing.

We pray for all who have failed to live up to their commitments, that they may recognize their failures and, like Peter, repent and begin anew.

We pray for all who are grieving, that they may experience your presence with them and your abiding peace.

We pray for all who experience bigotry, violence, or discrimination, that you will heal their spirits, protect them from harm, and help them find new communities that offer support and acceptance.

We pray for all who are ill, that your healing love will bring healing to the sick, protect the human family from the covid virus, and assist all who are working to deliver the vaccine.

We pray for all who are suffering, that you will give courage to those recovering from storms, hope to those seeking employment, strength to caregivers, and protection to the vulnerable.

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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.