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, 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 41:1-3, 13
Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.
The Lord protects and preserves them —
they are counted among the blessed in the land —
he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed
and restores them from their bed of illness…
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
New Testament Reading
Acts 13:4-12
4 So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant. 6 When they had travelled the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (that is the meaning of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 But Saul—also called Paul—filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at Elymas 10 and said, “You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery, you son of the devil and enemy of all that is right. Won’t you ever stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord? 11 Now, look, the Lord’s hand is against you. You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
12 Then, when he saw what happened, the proconsul believed, because he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
Pause for reflection
Prayer of Confession
Jesus, the one fully engaged in life,
Forgive us for our ‘whatever’ attitude.
Forgive our nonchalance in the face of your call.
Forgive the indifference we show in regard
to the suffering and life needs of others.
Forgive our apathy to join wholeheartedly in your work
for justice and the common good.
Forgive our hesitancy in giving more of ourselves
in loving service to people who need it from us.
Forgive our fear of really following you which we mask with false confidence in doctrine and surface spirituality.
Forgive our attempts to defer guilt from not truly living out your way through Sunday religion and weekly religiosity.
Awaken real faith in us again.
Startle us anew with the power of your love.
Engage us once again your work of love and grace.
Call us back to the transformative power of loving service
and faithful witness to you,
That we might know that you are in our lives, and the lives of all people,
Working for good no matter whatever we do.
But calling us to do whatever we can to work with you
To do whatever is needed for the good of all
Whatever the cost.
Whatever can be,
We pray. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Today, we are praying for Liberia and Sierra Leone.
We are thankful for:
- the natural resources in these countries, that they might benefit the peace and welfare of all
- the diverse ethnic and religious groups who long have lived together in peace and harmony, especially the Muslims and Christians in Sierra Leone
- democratic election of leaders who have brought political stability and accountability
- how diseases such as Ebola have been brought under control.
We pray for:
- the churches in these countries, for their evangelism and social outreach, faithful witness and action in times of conflict, and for interfaith cooperation with others
- the majority of the people who are still impoverished, that adequate services and policies will be provided that enable them to live with dignity and good health
- more just governance, free of corruption, accountable to the people, and that manages resources in ways that benefit all.
We pray for:
- world leaders, and justice and peace for our world
- our federal, state and local politicians
- our senior church leaders, ministers, pastors, teachers, and missionaries
- our denomination, ministers, staff and volunteers
- all the churches of our city or region
- our local congregation and its ministries
- our local communities, businesses, and schools
- the needs of our families and friends
- our own personal needs, challenges and opportunities
Pause for reflection
Classic Prayer
I am not worthy, Lord and Master,
that you should come under the roof of my soul:
nevertheless, since you desire, O lover of mankind,
to dwell within me, I am bold to draw near.
You invite me to open the door which you alone have made,
that entering in there you alone bring light into my darkened mind:
I do believe that you will do this.
For you did not throw out the prostitute when she came with tears,
neither did you reject the tax collector when he repented,
nor did you reject the thief when he sought to enter your kingdom,
nor did you reject the persecutor when he repented.
But you treated all who came to you in penitence as your friends.
You alone are to be blessed, now and for ever. Amen.
John Chrysostom (c.347-407)
Contemporary Prayer
God of wonders, there are days I’d like to see a miracle, something supernatural that would finally nail down any doubts and certify my faith. Help me rest in the miracle of salvation, the wonder of faith, and how they are confirmed in me through the signs that reveal your love and power — your Word and sacraments. Amen.
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
– “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).
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