O God you are our sovereign Lord; you are the Creator of all, the King above all Kings and you are the Lord of Lords. We rejoice as we come to worship and as your children we choose to lift our praise to you. Thank you for your mercy and grace, for the gift of salvation, and for the gift of this day of life.
As a segment of your church worldwide, we proclaim with joy the words of the Psalmist David. “Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvellous deeds; you alone are God.” (Psalm 80)
God, we praise you for the gift of your Son Jesus and celebrate His presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit. Continue to live in us and through us, enable us to honour you with our words and actions, and God we ask for your forgiveness when we fail you. Grant us the courage and faith to pray as David prayed when he said “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me.”
We joy in this opportunity to lift our praise to you, but we also recognize that many of us also come with heavy hearts, with our minds full of the pain, grief, and the challenges that friends, family and loved ones are facing. God, as we pause in silence, hear our personal prayers and cries for your mercy.
Pause………………………..
Thank you for hearing our prayers and we praise you for the way your will is being completed in these situations.
God, we also pray for those who are grieving the death of a loved one, whether their passing was days ago, months, or even years. Thank you for your comfort through your Holy Spirit, for the gift of memories, and for the peace that you offer each of us.
We rejoice with all who have experienced healing and we give you praise. We also pray for those who wait for medical appointments, for test results, or simply for signs of improved health or insight into their medical situation. God, in your mercy, grant strength, perseverance and hope. We also lift up those who are struggling with worry, fear, disappointment or loneliness. Help them to see beyond the immediate and realize your great love for them.
We pray all this in the name of Jesus.
Amen