Public Prayers 4

 

Loving Lord, we thank you for the grace and mercy that brings us to another day. We thank you for fresh opportunities to live and love for Jesus; to shine as beacons of hope in a dark and despairing world.

While we live in the middle of crisis, and while we fight increasing despondency and despair all around us, we rejoice that there is never a time when we may not set our hope in God.

 

We bless and praise you for the many promises in the Scriptures that enrich, encourage and enlighten our faith. Keep us resolved and refreshed by these promises so that we may be fully equipped in the battles we face against the world the flesh and the devil, and always remaining victorious. We thank you that we need fear no battle when you are by our side, and fear no darkness when you are there to guide.

To that end, mould and make us, fashion and frame us in the image and likeness of your dear son, so that we may reflect and radiate his beauty and glory in our walk and talk.

 

Lord, Enable us always to grasp the eternal truths of your word, so that we may know and experience continually the joys of sin forgiven, and the joys of walking with God.   It is the word that keeps us buoyant in the storms of life and the word that will make us strong in faith.

It reminds us that …

You are the great “I am”, the Ancient of Days, the Shelter in the time of Storm, the Good Shepherd of the sheep, the Light of the world, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Yours is Love, unequalled, unmeasured, unending, and undeserved, so help us rest and rejoice in such awesome assurances.   In this hour of worship, … open our eyes now to see you more clearly, and our hearts to love you more dearly.

And we ask all these our prayers and petitions, for the precious cause

and church of the Lamb, even Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Amen

 

 

Public Prayers & Intercessions 4

 

Lord God, the light of your love shines continually upon our darkened world, even though most have failed to see it, or appreciate it. As we bow in awe and worship before your great and glorious majesty today, we are mindful of those dark, difficult and dangerous places in our world where terror and fear reign and where freedom is only a dream.   We know that in such places it is because Satan has blinded the eyes of many lest the light and liberty of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ might shine through and bring deliverance and hope.   There are many places of pain and problem, Lord you know them, where Children cry, where heart ache never goes away, where fear reigns and where death is present every hour.   Places of great darkness into which you have called and commissioned your Church to go. Give us courage Lord to go where others fear to go, to walk where others fear to walk, and to speak when others fear to speak. Give us strength to do what we cannot do,

apart from you.

We confess today Lord, that for too long our focus has been on ourselves and our own needs, while we have often abandoned and sometimes ignored the cries of those who live every day in horrible places. We have sometimes turned away from the hurts of others only to discover that in so doing we have hurt ourselves. We have denied help to them, when we were able to help, only to realize that when we needed help ourselves, there were none to help.   We may cover our eyes, but we cannot cover our consciences.

So then dear Father, hear our confession and accept the sorrow of our hearts for our sins and failings, and grant us grace to mend our ways, and meet our responsibilities.

Lift from our eyes the scales that hinder our sight, and enable us to see what Jesus could see, and do what Jesus would do.

We are your workmanship, created for your good pleasure, so then may our work as well as our worship always be pleasing in your sight.

For we ask all these things in the name of Jesus, our Saviour,

who taught us when we pray to say         … Our Father …