Sunday Prayers - Pentecost - May 15

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                  The Holy Spirit has called us to be here in God’s House today.

People:                 We have come to worship the Lord and glorify His works of salvation.

Pastor:                  Let us open our hearts to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let us be filled with His power and love. Amen.

First Hymn

Prayers of Adoration & Confession

Guide:                  Holy Spirit, whose sacred presence brought the Church into being, and whose divine power continues to inspire our faith, we approach You with humility and reverence. Your ways are often mysterious, but Your works have blessed our people for generations. We applaud Your wisdom and seek to serve God and be at Your bidding.

People:                Holy Spirit, before we knew Jesus Christ, You afflicted our souls and convicted our hearts. You made us aware that we had sinfully squandered our time, and thoughtlessly wasted parts of our precious lives. We constantly surrendered to temptation and often gave way to our fears. Even today, we still do immoral things and act in selfish ways. Forgive us from damaging our relationship with God and others, as well as diminishing our service to Christ. Hear us now as we seek the gift of Your mercy and grace.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide:                  Holy Spirit, through knowing Jesus as our Savior, our lives can begin again and experience a fresh start with You. Thank You for coming among us, so that Christ’s promise to His disciples could be fulfilled and His Church on Earth could be established. We make our grateful prayers in the Name of Jesus and through His own words, we continue to pray, saying, ‘Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER’ (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  The Holy Spirit descended among us to continue God’s work of salvation. We have been given His eternal blessings of faith, hope, and love. Let us rejoice and be glad, for through the Spirit we know that Jesus is our Savior and we are accepted by God. Amen.

Gloria Patri (sung in unison): Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

Choir Anthem

Family Sermon (parents and all children, including Elementary school students come forward)

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 Let us humbly come before the Lord in prayer and seek His blessings. May God send forth His Holy Spirit to grant us health and healing, as well as strength and support. May our faith be deepened, allowing us to increase our devotion to Him. May the Spirit bring peace to our souls, health for our hearts, and assurance for our minds.

People:                 Holy Spirit, favor our prayers as we ask for healing. May we experience a new confidence and be restored physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Hear us now as we silently pray, for our loved ones and neighbors, as well as for our families and ourselves.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit.

Pastor:                  May the LORD allow us His blessings of health and strength. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 128)

Singing of 'Sanctuary’

Prayer of Illumination

Reader:                Holy Spirit, You inspired the disciples of long ago to spread Christ's Good News and to proclaim the advancement of God's Kingdom over all the Earth. Lift up our spirits in those same ways and rekindle our faith. In Christ's Name, we pray.  Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, we have sang Your praises and received Your holy message for our lives. We have been empowered by Your Spirit and embraced by God. Take these gifts, tokens, tithes, and offerings as our cheerful response to Your Word, as well as our grateful thanks for Your Love. Bless them for the continuing work of the Gospel, the glorifying of God's Kingdom, and the praising of Your Wonderful Name. Amen.

Closing Hymn

Benediction (unison):                    May Christ continue to welcome and encourage us as His flock; may the Father enhance our faithful relationship with Him; and may the Holy Spirit challenge our daily lives, so that we may glorify, worship, and serve the One, Triune, and Living God forevermore. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Pentecost Sunday Prayers - May 24

(You can also find some of my bulletin cover art for Pentecost at this link: Pentecost Art.)

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Gathering

Call to Worship

Pastor:                  Let us come before the Lord with cheerful hearts and voices filled with praise.

People:                 We will worship God freely and openly, as well as humbly and faithfully.

Pastor:                  May our songs of faith and devotional prayers be acceptable to You, O Living Lord. Amen.

Hymn

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Everlasting Majesty and Lord of all Creation, we come here to praise Your Holy Name. We lift up our hearts to cheerfully rejoice in Your sacred presence. Throughout the Earth, billions of people are blessing and glorifying Your presence in their lives. Today, we gladly join them in the worship of Your ways and the praising of Your deeds.

People:                 Gracious Father, we know that our lives are imperfect and that we make disappointing mistakes. We confess to being selfish, proud, and faithless; stubborn, greedy, and insensitive; as well as angry, bitter, and spiteful.

Guide:                  Heavenly Lord, forgive us when temptation troubles our souls and sin separates us from You. Pardon us for neglecting our responsibilities, as well as carelessly casting aside our faith. To You alone, we bring our personal confessions and seek Your mercy through Your Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Hear us now as we silently pray.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Loving God, without Christ’s sacrifice, we would have no one to restore us to Your favor. We would still be subject to Your wrath, with no hope of entering Your everlasting Kingdom. Humbly and thankfully, we make our confessional prayers in the Name of Jesus, our Only Savior and True Lord. In His precious words, we unite our hearts, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors).”

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  Jesus, through the amazing love of His Father, gives us the key to Heaven. By Christ’s wounded body, our broken ways are healed; through His perfect obedience, we are reclaimed by God. So let us cheerfully rejoice, for our sins are completely forgiven, both now and forever. Amen.

Gloria Patri (sung in unison): Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

Children’s Sermon

Encountering God

Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 Be merciful to us, O God, for in You our souls take refuge. We cry out to You, O God Most High, for You both create and fulfill the purposes of our lives. Release us from our fears through the power of Your faithful love. In the midst of our anxieties and troubles, grant us peace. From the discomfort of our illnesses and the suffering we endure, heal us, O Lord.

People:                 Let Your goodness and grace be experienced in our lives and those of all our loved ones as we seek healing from all that damages us in body, mind, heart, and spirit. Deliver us and all whom we pray for this day from distress, disease, depression, or despair. Hear us now as we silently pray.

Silent Prayers for ourselves and others. A candle is lit

Pastor:                 Great is Your love, O Lord, reaching from the farthest heavens into the very core of our lives. In Jesus’ Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.              (Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 57)

A Time to Remember & Silence

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                Holy Spirit, may we embrace these Scriptures and be led into Your beautiful presence. May we be filled with wonder and thanksgiving by all that Christ has done. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message and the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, we all have special gifts and talents, just as we all have different resources and treasures. When we combine them by gathering them before You, we glorify Your work and continue to proclaim Your Name. Take all that we offer this day, along with our lives, and bless them for the life, work, and ministry of this church, which You have called us to support and advance in Your Holy Name. Amen.

Hymn

Benediction (unison):    May Christ keep us united to His body so that we may accomplish great things together in His Name; may the Father sustain us as members of Christ’s church, so that we may honor His Kingdom; and may the Holy Spirit grant us a new vision, so that we may proclaim the purposes of God for this church and community, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude