PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP October 3, 2016
Greeting
We are called upon by the Word of God
to rekindle the gift of God that is within us.
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,
but the spirit of power and love.
Penitential Prayer
Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have faltered in our faith:
when we have tried to rely entirely on our own strength;
when our faith was more like a speck of dust than a mustard seed;
when we allowed anxiety to cloud our minds with a pall of gloom;
when we were too quick to say, “It can’t be done.”
Blessing
“As therefore you received Christ Jesus as Lord,
so live in Him,
rooted and built up in Him
and established in the faith,
just as you were taught,
abounding in thanksgiving.”
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP October 10, 2016
Greeting
It is a good thing to acknowledge the Lord,
and to give thanks to our Redeemer;
to come before His throne with singing,
and to join His people in praise.
Penitential Prayer
Our heavenly Father, we confess that we have not been as grateful as the cleansed leper who returned to give thanks.
Sometimes we forget about You, once the crisis is past. Often we just think we are too busy. At other times we simply fail to see Your hand in our healing. And sometimes we have continued to be preoccupied with the problems that remain instead of being grateful for those which have been solved.
Most seriously, we have often taken our health and our well ordered lives for granted, failing to thank You for the rhythmic beating of our hearts, and for the food on our tables, and for the comforts we enjoy.
Blessing
May the life of Jesus
be your example in all your words and actions.
May the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit
equip you to face each day with anticipation,
live each day in honor,
and close each day in serenity.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP October 17, 2016
Greeting
Those who want God,
very much,
call out to Him day and night:
praising Him,
thanking Him,
worshipping Him.
Penitential Prayer
Humbly we confess to wanting to live in imitation
of Christ
… but not very much!
Wanting to become the kind of person God intends us to be
… but not very much!
Wanting to live as a person for others
… but not very much!
Wanting to show God’s goodness through our service
to others
… but not very much!
Wanting to call out to the Lord, God, day and night
… but not very much!
Wanting to experience the healing presence of a just and
merciful God
… but not very much!
But, now, Lord we are changing all that and, in the spirit of repentance, we humbly confess to wanting Your merciful forgiveness
… very, very much!
Blessing
We go now in search of an even deeper union with God … longing for Him, calling out to Him,
day and night because we love Him
… very, very much!
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP October 23, 2016
Greeting
An overflowing cup cannot be filled,
and a closed hand will hold no blessing.
Therefore let us come in humility
as we seek the face of God.
Penitential Prayer
O Lord of mercy,
We ask for the honesty to accept responsibility
for our errors.
We ask for the wisdom to understand the reasons
for our failures.
We ask for the courage to seek forgiveness
for our offenses.
We ask for the willingness to make restitution
for our dishonesty.
And we ask for the grace to submit our lives
to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Blessing
Rejoice always,
for you are God’s own people.
May your lives daily be filled
with His grace, mercy and peace.
PRAYERS FOR WORSHIP October 30, 2016
Greeting
Let us worship the Risen and Reigning Christ,
who alone is worthy of the praise of our lips
and of the allegiance of our hearts.
Penitential Prayer
Have mercy on us, O God,
according to Your steadfast love.
According to Your abundant mercy,
blot out our transgressions.
Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity,
and cleanse us from our sins.
For we know our transgressions,
and our sins are ever before us.
Blessing
May the God of consolation and holiness
grant us to live together after the pattern of
our Lord Jesus Christ, so that with glad hearts and unblemished lives we may forever reflect His glory.
