Opening Prayer
The sun comes up, It’s a new day dawning, It’s time to sing Your song again, whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing, when the evening comes -Matt Redman (1974- ) (silent reflection) Prayer of the Bible I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together! -Psalm 34: 1-3 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of Sin Lord, I commit my failures as well as my successes into your hands, and I bring for your healing the people and the situations, the wrongs and the hurts of the past. Give me courage, strength and generosity to let go and move on, leaving the past behind me, and living the present to the full. Lead me always to be positive as I ‘entrust the past to your mercy, the present to your love, and the future to your providence’. -Augustine of Hippo (354-430) (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. -John 12: 27-30 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayers for Ourselves and Others But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. -Matthew 5:44 (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing Prayer With you help, Triune God, let me live to the end in faith, knowing that I will not fully receive your promises here on earth; I see them and welcome them from a distance. I am a stranger and a pilgrim here on the earth. I long for a better country, a heavenly one. In this way, you will not be ashamed to be called my God, for you have prepared a city for me. Like Moses, and those who have gone before me, may I esteem reproach for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of this world. -Hebrews 11:13, 16, 26 |