This morning as we gather to worship, we give thanks oh God for the gift of your presence and leading in our lives, both as individuals and corporately. We praise you for your love; your faithfulness and for your grace, demonstrated by the fact that you call us your children. We come to you this morning to worship, to give praise, and to ask for your faithful work in our lives.
We echo the words of David in Psalm 117 “Praise the Lord, all you nations, extol Him, all you peoples. For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.”
We also praise God along with David as we pray portions of Psalm 145
“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.
5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b]
6 They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you, LORD; your faithful people extol you.
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.[c]
14 The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
God, strengthen our faith, give us wisdom and courage to live lives of obedience and faithfulness to you. We pray this in the name of your Son, Jesus.
We pray for all who are caregivers for aging parents and loved ones.
We pray for all who grieve. Continue to draw near to the broken-hearted with comfort and peace.
Surround and keep safe our loved ones in long-term care.
For needs that have been named and for those which we carry deep in our hearts we pray.
We pray for our Households of Faith that God’s peace and presence would be evident in and through the lives of these families and individuals. We praise God for each of you and rejoice in God’s blessing on your lives.
Amen