Public Prayers 6
Heavenly Father, your word bids us come every day and find rest and refreshment in your holy and awesome presence. You have told us that your eye is on both the good and the evil, and that nothing escapes your attention. In that light we feel sorry today that we have deeply wronged you and failed miserably to live and love for Jesus as we ought. We have not been the “salt of the earth” nor “the light of the world” for we have often hidden our light, and failed to challenge the evils around us. We have abandoned the good and godly influences left us by past generations and have become inward looking and selfish in our ways, and have not loved our neighbour as ourselves.
We have taken for granted the multitude of your tender mercies and failed to appreciate the good things you have provided for us. Most of these good things have come to us because of Christian influence and because Jesus came first.
Yet while we have so much good to enjoy, we acknowledge that there is also much evil to deplore. Every day we witness mans inhumanity to his fellow man, in the abuse of power, the abuse of privilege and the abuse of the person. None of these evils within our society find their root in God but rather in the Devil, whose only aim is to steal kill and destroy us. So dear Father …
Enable us to be strong in our fight with these evils, and to persevere in the battle for good and for God. Assure us of the Victory that is already ours in Jesus Christ, and enable us to rest on and rely in Him, who has promised strength to the weak, courage to the faint-hearted, and glory to those who overcome. We thank you today that in His mighty and powerful name, doubts must fly, demons must flee and devils must fall.
So help us to walk in the triumph and testimony that is rightfully ours
as believers, and to impact our world into this new week, that your Kingdom might come, and your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
We ask these things for your dear names sake
Amen
Public Prayers & Intercessions 6
Heavenly Father, we feel privileged to dwell in your presence and to delight in your word. Blessed to walk in your will and way and strengthened by your Holy Spirit to do those things which otherwise without you we could not do.
Yet we are mindful of those today who know about you, but do not know you. Those who are still strangers to your grace, outside of your family and far from the Church. Those who in the crisis and difficulties of life have no hope in God, and no Saviour to turn to. Yet Jesus has died for them all, and they don’t know it, or don’t believe it, or don’t receive it, and prefer and presume to live in ignorance of what could and should be theirs. Open their eyes Lord to see the glories of the Kingdom of God and the good of the Purposes of God already prepared for their taking. Enable and empower your Church to deliver the Kingdom Mandate and Message in time, before it is for ever too late.
We think especially today of those who are ill, either at home or in Hospital and those who are caring and ministering to their necessities. Comfort and Heal their physical hurts, Calm and Help their mental distress, and Cure and Advance their spiritual well-being, so that they might know a speedy recovery to better days ahead. Mend the broken hearted and dry the tears of those who mourn, grant hope in the midst of despair, and light in their time of darkness and show to us all the way
to peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Grant to those who lead and govern us, the wisdom that is heavenly and holy, so that in these present times of crisis, we might see our way out and our way forward. Forgive our lack of compassion and care for the needy and the poor, and give us a generous and grateful heart to reach out in practical and prayerful ways to them all.
Watch over us and our dear ones into the days of this new week, and protect us in our going out and coming in, for we ask all these things, with thanksgiving, in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray and say …. Our Father …