Invocation
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Pause for reflection
Good morning, heavenly Father.
We worship you as the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Good morning, Lord Jesus.
We worship you, Saviour and Lord of the world.
Good morning, Holy Spirit.
We worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Opening sentences
One thing I have asked of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His temple.
Who is it that you seek?
We seek the Lord our God.
Do you seek Him with all your heart?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek Him with all your soul?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek Him with all your mind?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek Him with all your strength?
Amen. Christ, have mercy.
Declaration of faith
To whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life,
and we have believed and have come to know
that You are the Holy One of God.
Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ,
King of endless glory.
Hebrew Bible reading
Psalm 110:1-4
This is the declaration of the Lord
to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
The Lord will extend your mighty sceptre from Zion.
Rule over your surrounding enemies.
Your people will volunteer
on your day of battle.
In holy splendour, from the womb of the dawn,
the dew of your youth belongs to you.
The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back:
“You are a priest forever
according to the pattern of Melchizedek.”
New Testament Reading
Hebrews 9:11-14
But Christ has appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation), he entered the most holy place once for all time, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works so that we can serve the living God?
Pause for reflection
Prayer of Confession
God of love, we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed:
we have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbour as ourselves.
But you have kept faith with us.
Have mercy on us; strip us of all that is not worthy;
and help us to live up to our calling.
We confess to you, Lord, what we are:
we are not the people we like others to think we are;
we are afraid to admit even to ourselves
what lies in the depths of our souls.
But we do not want to hide our true selves from you.
We believe that you know us as we are,
and yet you still love us.
Help us not to shrink from self-knowledge;
teach us to respect ourselves for your sake;
give us the courage to put our trust in your guiding power.
Raise us out of the paralysis of guilt and fear
and take us into the freedom and energy of forgiven people.
And for those who through long habit
find forgiveness hard to accept,
we ask that you break their bondage
and set them free.
Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Angola and Mozambique
We are thankful for:
- the rich natural resources in these countries, which God intends for the good of all
- the positive developments experienced since years of civil war
- village committees that seek to protect livelihoods and food security of the poor
- how the Lutheran World Federation and partners have pursued land rights in Mozambique.
We pray for:
- better sanitation, health services, and protection of the environment in these lands
- a healing of the lingering scars and memories from colonization and civil wars
- protection of the land rights of the people
- governments that are transparent and further the good of all the people, rather than being captive to foreign and business interests.
We pray for:
- our governments, world leaders, and the needs of our world
- our senior church leaders, ministers, pastors, teachers, and missionaries
- our denomination, its ministers, staff and volunteers
- all the churches of our city or region
- our local congregation and all its ministries
- the needs of our families and friends
- our own personal challenges and opportunities
Pause for reflection
Personal prayer
May I live in the peace that comes from you.
May I journey toward your city,
sailing through the waters of sin untouched by the waves,
borne serenely along by the Holy Spirit.
Night and day may I give you praise and thanks,
because you have shown me that
all things belong to you,
and all blessings are gifts from you.
To you, the essence of wisdom,
the foundation of truth,
be glory for evermore. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Loving God, in upper rooms and downtown condos,
in suburban bedrooms and country churches,
your people wait and pray.
Send your Spirit that I may know
the truth revealed in Christ,
that I may believe he is the Son of God
and experience life in his name. Amen.
(Prayer based on the Canons of Dort, Question 3/4.11)
The Lord’s Prayer
Matthew 6:9-13, NIV
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.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.
Pause for reflection
Sending Prayer
Heavenly Father, we pray that we may live this day in your presence
and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, we pray that this day
we may take up our cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, we pray that this day you will fill us with yourself
and cause your fruit to ripen in our lives:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God,
have mercy upon us. Amen.
Canticle
Christ, as a light
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
Blessing
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sources:
– John Stott, quoted in Basic Christian: The Inside Story of John Stott (Downers Grove: IVP, 2010).
– Northumbria Community Trust, Celtic Daily Prayer (London: HarperCollins, 2015), https://www.northumbriacommunity.org/offices/morning-prayer/
– Philip F. Reinders, Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible Through the Year (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2013), https://seekinggodsface.org
– World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/prayer-cycle
– Sandy Boyce, “Prayers of Confession/Prayers of who we are,” https://pilgrimwr.unitingchurch.org.au/?p=400
– Trevin Wax, Psalms in 30 Days (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2021).
– Jeanie Gushee & David P. Gushee, A Morning and Evening Prayerbook (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2012).
Image source: Strength for the Weary
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