Gracious, loving God, we come to you this morning with praise and rejoicing on our lips as we have walked through this post-resurrection week. “Jesus is Risen. He is Risen indeed.” Thank you God for the gift of salvation, the gift of forgiveness through your Son Jesus. We praise you that we have a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the grave. Death has been defeated and life eternal granted. For this we lift our praise.
However, we also confess that there are times when hope dims, we take our eyes off you Jesus and we stumble and fall. God, in those moments help us to cling to the promise of your Word that if we confess our sins, you God are faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. We give you praise.
We would also echo the prayer of David as he cried out “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51
Oh God, as we see the renewal of creation all around us during this Spring season, our prayer is that you would also renew our hearts so that we may truly live in Hope and walk in obedience to you as Jesus did. May your re-creation power be at work in us.
Hear our prayer of confession:
For failing to love others as you have loved us,
God of grace, forgive us.
For wasting your gifts and hoarding our goods,
God of grace, forgive us.
For plundering the earth and abusing the planet
God of grace, forgive us.
For fearing those who are strange to us and ignoring those in need,
God of grace, forgive us.
For losing heart at times, and abandoning Hope,
God of grace, forgive us.
For all the ways we turn from you,
God of grace, forgive us.
We offer our prayers in the name
of the One who saves us, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen