Prayer of Praise    

Almighty God, you are full of love and compassion, known for your gift of grace and the truth of your words.  We can only express our deepest gratitude for the loving kindness that you show to us and to all people.

  We praise you O God for our life and being, for the love of family and friends.  We praise you for the beauty of the World that we see around us and for the wonders of your Creation.  We praise you for all things that are true and honest, just and good. 

  We praise you O God for the gift of Jesus Christ, your Son, for his obedience unto death upon the cross so that our sins can be completely removed.  We praise you for his glorious resurrection and ascension so that his life-giving work can continue in all the Earth for all of time.

  We praise you O God for the Holy Spirit, our comforter and encourager, for the support and strength that is so freely given to us.  We praise you for your Word contained in the holy Bible, the Word through which you reveal yourself to us, the Word that details your work of salvation in the World, the Word that guides our interactions with others and with your Creation.

  Almighty God, we acknowledge that although you are the personification of glory and holiness, your deepest desire is to walk beside us and to talk with us as you had done with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  For these things we offer you our adoration and praise.  Amen.

Prayer of Confession 

  Loving God, we humbly acknowledge and confess before you our sinful nature, how quick we are to make errors and how slow we are to do good.

  We confess our shortcomings and our offences against you and against your will.  We confess the hurt we cause to others by our actions and by our inaction.

  We confess, O God, that we have wandered from your path, that we have become distracted by the transient pleasures of the World around us, that we have been enticed away from the true path that gives life by unfulfilled promises of happiness and meaning.

  Loving God, have mercy on us and forgive our sins.

  We confess, O God, thatwe have wasted your gifts, we are too lazy or too hesitant to use our abilities to further your Kingdom, we wastefully use the resources of the World around us, not thinking of the consequent harm for us and for others, nor for our responsibility to ensure that our children’s grandchildren have sufficient for their needs.

  Loving God, have mercy on us and forgive our sins.

  We confess, O God, that we have forgotten to love as you love us, we pass by those in need, looking the other way so as not to get involved, blaming them for the trouble that they find themselves in, and accusing them of laziness or of wantonness.

  Loving God, have mercy on us and forgive our sins.

  Loving God, you know our faults, those that are obvious to those around us and those that we hide from the sight of others.

  We are ashamed and truly sorry for all that we have done that displeases you and for all that we have not done that has upset you, for all that makes you turn away from us.

  Loving God, have mercy on us and forgive our sins.

  Help us to live in your light and to walk in your ways, that we may delight in your will and bring glory to your name.  Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness 

(from 1 Corinthians 1: 18, 25 & 30) 

The Apostle Paul tells the Church in Corinth that it was not a demonstration of God’s weakness that allowed Jesus to be crucified on the cross, but that it was a demonstration of God’s power.  For it was through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that our sins have been forgiven and that we are put right with God.  Let us hold onto this assurance that, having confessed our sins before God, He has heard our prayers and has forgiven us.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers for Others

Loving God, knowing your love for all of Humanity, especially 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.

Gracious Lord, we see and hear about much suffering in the World. 

We pray for help and for hope for those affected by disasters.  We pray for healing and wholeness for the sick and the ill.  We pray for peace for those troubled in mind and spirit.  We pray for those who feel forgotten and lonely, for those who are bereft of someone to show compassion, may they experience your comfort in their lives and may they be given the confidence to move forward in life.

Gracious Lord, we pray for your Church. 

We pray that it may readily discern those who seek to mislead people away from the truth of your Holy Word, may it be a leader in the struggle to overcome misunderstanding and discrimination and oppression, may it be a guiding voice for leaders of Government, Business and Communities, may it be a teacher of that which is good and pure.

Gracious Lord, we pray for those who tend to our own illnesses and pains, for those who minister to us and supply us with all of our daily needs, for those who sit beside us as friends and companions, for those who love us as we are. 

We give you thanks for them, praying that you will tend to their pains, that you will minister to their needs, that you will be their friend and companion, that they will be assured that you continue to love them.

Gracious Lord, we pray for ourselves. 

May we seek to live in harmony and co-operation with those around us.  May we seek more to understand than to be understood.  May we seek to know how to give rather than how to receive. 

We pray for the Church, that we may be a light to our World and that our words and deeds may be instruments of healing and transformation for our society.

We pray for courage, that we may be salt and awaken our Society from complacency as we bring the insights and challenges of the Gospel into our neighbourhoods, workplaces, and public discourse.

We pray for the grace to be salt and light, that our faith will guide our participation in the issues of Society and in our political discourse so that the Gospel values may open new possibilities for the common good.

We pray for freedom of spirit, that you will remove from our hearts any sense of entitlement and help us to recognize all that we have and are able to do as gifts from you.

We pray for conversion of heart, that you will help us recognize the social impact of sin and guide our efforts to heal our Society of racism, consumerism and violence.

We pray for all who reach out to the poor and those in need, that they may see the face of Christ in those whom they serve and never grow weary in offering love and compassion.

We pray for leaders of business, that they may bring forth the gifts and talents in those around them and help all to use their gifts to advance our Society.

We pray for those who speak prophetic words, that their cry may be like salt, raising our awareness and stirring our desire for peace, justice and solidarity.

We pray for a healing of the wounds of selfishness and violence, that you will bring wholeness to our hearts and spirits as we attend to the pain and suffering of others.

We pray for Ministers, leaders, and volunteers who face burnout, that you will heal their exhaustion, restore their spirits, and help them to encourage others to use their gifts.

We pray for inspiration, that you will give insight to all who are working to control the spread of the coronavirus and guide them in their search for remedies and vaccines.

We pray for greater care for our common home, that we may grow in our respect for the Earth as your gift to us and work to preserve it for future generations.

We pray for World leaders, that they will continue to search for ways to heal ancient wounds and find ways of promoting peace and justice for all.

We pray for all levels of our Governments, that you will give them wisdom to guide their deliberations and help them to effectively address the important issues before them.

(Copyright © 2019. Joe Milner. All rights reserved.  Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.  https://liturgy.slu.edu/5OrdA020523/ideas_other.html)

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

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.