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.
Today as we celebrate Fathers Day, Holy God, creator and sustainer, we thank you for nurturing us as a father, a mother. We praise you that your care and protection surrounds us. We remember all the people who have nurtured us, especially the important men in our lives. We praise you for those who birthed us, who mentored us, those who have seen us, not just with their eyes, but with their heart. God, we give thanks for them. [to share the remainder of this Fathers Day prayer, please see the attachment]
We also pray the words of David in Psalm 139
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you……..
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Thank you God for hearing our prayer. We come as a child to a Father; hold us in your love. 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. For all who are caring for elderly parents, God, may your love flow abundantly and the gift of your grace and patience be sufficient.
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. May God’s love fill them and flow through them to others. God, grant them strength for each day and may Your will be done in their lives. Grant strength and grace we pray.
Amen