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 147:1-7
Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the exiles of Israel.
He heals the broken-hearted
and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.
The Lord sustains the humble
but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
make music to our God on the harp.
New Testament Reading
Philippians 3:7-14
7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ – the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.
12 Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.
Pause for reflection
Prayer of Confession
God of mercy,
we have sinned against you and against others.
We have sinned in what we have done,
and in what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who died for our sins,
forgive us all that is past
and raise us to newness of life. Amen.
Almighty God, who pardons all who truly repent,
forgive your sins, strengthen you by the Holy Spirit,
and keep you in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Today, we are praying for East Timor (Timor Leste), Indonesia, Philippines.
We are thankful for:
- the vital witness of churches in this region
- the diversity of ethnicities, cultures and religious beliefs, and especially those in Indonesia who have built bridges between them
- those who have resisted bravely and worked for human rights, justice, peace and reconciliation, especially the National Council of Churches in the Philippines
- those who protest exploitative mining, deforestation and other environmental damage.
We pray for:
- governments in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste, that they will eradicate corruption, establish justice and peace, and work effectively for the wellbeing of all their people
- victims of violence, torture, drug and human trafficking, and human rights violations, that those responsible might be held accountable
- all those affected by earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters, and for the rebuilding of communities afterwards
- ecumenical and interfaith cooperation to bring justice, peace and sustainability to these lands.
In our own place in the world, we pray for:
- all whose decisions involve questions of justice, mercy and peace
- federal, state and local politicians
- church leaders, ministers, pastors, teachers, and missionaries
- 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 personal needs, challenges and opportunities
Pause for reflection
Classic Prayer
Almighty God, more generous than any father,
we stand amazed at the many gifts You shower upon us.
You give freely and willingly, always with regard to our ability to receive.
You give daily gifts, teaching us to trust You for tomorrow.
You give us gifts through one another, so that we may learn to share.
You give through our own effort, respecting our independence.
How thoughtfully You offer all Your gifts!
So continue, Lord, in Your goodness.
Amen.
Contemporary Prayer
Father, never let your salvation,
your free choice of me,
make me lax or arrogant toward others.
Never let me forget that you’ve chosen me
for both a special relationship as your child
and a special service, becoming a channel
of blessing for all. In Christ’s name. 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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