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.
Psalm
Psalm 55:1-2a, 4-8, 2
Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;
hear me and answer me…
My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.”…
Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.
Hebrew Bible Reading
Exodus 32:1-6
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
Pause for reflection
Prayer of Confession
We are ashamed, Lord, and we blush to lift up our faces before you. Our sins increase over our head, and our trespasses rise up unto the heavens. When our eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts, we have reason to cry out, “Woe unto us, for we are undone!”
We know that we have sinned, Father, against heaven and before you, and are no more worthy to be called your children. But there is forgiveness, mercy, and redemption with you. You will not despise a broken and a contrite heart.
Though heaven is your throne, and the earth your footstool, still you will look to the poor and humble person who trembles at your word. You revive the spirit of the humble, and the heart of the contrite.
The ones who cover their sins will not prosper, yet those that confess and forsake them will find mercy. You have said that if we confess our sins, you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Amen.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714)
Prayers of Intercession
Today, we are praying for Benin, Ivory Coast, and Togo.
We are thankful for:
- the beauty, natural resources, wildlife and different cultures in these countries
- the produce that small farmers continue to grow amid environmental and other hardships
- the spiritual vitality and growth of the churches and how they are cooperating with each other and those of other faiths and practices
- the relative peace and stability that prevails after long years of civil war and political struggle.
We pray for:
- more democratic governments that are free of corruption and that prioritize what the people most need
- those working to alleviate the poverty, illiteracy and hunger that so many in these countries still experience
- churches faithfully bringing the gospel to, and serving, all people with greater respect for how those of other faiths express their spirituality
- emotional and physical healing, and restoring hope in people who are victims of conflict, disease and human rights abuses
Peace prayer for Ivory Coast
Lord, eternal Father, creator of the skies and of the universe,
creator of this land of the Ivory Coast,
your intention was to make it a paradise,
like the one entrusted to Adam and Eve.
But the people have strayed from you.
Lord, have mercy on the Ivory Coast.
Look upon the suffering of its people, the wounded hearts, the families torn apart and destroyed.
Look upon the distressed children, the young people with nowhere to turn to for help!
Look upon the efforts to restore peace, and make each one a peacemaker.
We pray for political leaders,
that you will grant them your wisdom.
Raise up men and women full of love, of justice and of truth,
able to guide your people to complete fulfilment,
courageously, impartially, and generously.
Bless and protect all the inhabitants of this country!
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit
to the end of the ages. Amen.
Awa Foucher Cisse, Ivory Coast
In our part of the world, 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
Almighty God,
who in Thy wisdom hast so ordered our earthly life
that we needs must walk by faith and not by sight;
grant me such faith in Thee that,
amidst all things that pass my understanding,
I may believe in Thy fatherly care,
and ever be strengthened by the assurance
that underneath are the everlasting arms;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Anonymous
Contemporary Prayer
One true God, the notion of images and idols seems so primitive,
yet they still threaten to steal the worship of my heart.
I set out to worship you but end up adoring my own experience,
or I take greater pleasure in the music than you.
Forgive me for all my misguided worship;
renew my focus on you alone. 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
– Arthur Bennett (ed.), The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1975).
– 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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