Sunday Prayers - Easter 5 - April 24

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                 Loving God, You have gathered us as Your people so that we may rejoice in Your presence.

People:                 May You bless us with Your grace, O Lord, and grant us Your promise of salvation.

Pastor:                 Come, let us humbly approach our God to worship and glorify His Sacred Name. Amen.

First Hymn

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Almighty God, Your dynamic wonders surround us and Your glorious works inspire our souls, therefore, we gather before You to praise and honor Your majestic ways. Your peace calms our restless spirits and Your love strengthens our faithful hearts, so we cheerfully worship and gladly adore Your holy Name.

People:                Gracious Father, we regret our past mistakes and lament the sinful ways we have lived. We seek pardon for all our faults and Your mercy for all our misdeeds. Helps us to heal the wounds we have caused and enable us to forgive the injuries we have experienced. Pardon our foolish prejudices and stubborn pride. Absolve us of our ungrateful and unloving ways. Hear us now as we silently pray to You for forgiveness and reconciliation.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide:                  Loving Lord, accept our admissions of failure and receive our repentant prayers. Wash our souls in Christ's blood and cleanse our spirits from all our sins, for He alone can save and restore us. In Jesus' Name, we make our confessions and continue to pray, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide: Christ inspired His people to repent and return to God. His teaching and words often expressed the reality of God’s everlasting love. Today, we receive Christ’s blessings of mercy and grace, as well as pardon and forgiveness. Let us rejoice and exalt in the name of our Savior Jesus, both now and forevermore.  Amen.

Gloria Patri (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

Minute for Mission

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

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 Let us trust in the Lord, whose love and strength endures forever. May He surround and embrace us in the midst of our worries and cares. May He heal us of our broken ways and help us to reconcile our differences. May God bless us with His peace and allow to begin again.

People:                 May the Lord's goodness touch our lives and all whom we love. May our heartfelt prayers and innermost pleas be compassionately answered. May God strengthen our loved ones, and all for whom we now pray.

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

Pastor:                  As we turn to the Lord for help and healing, may He banish all our fears and grant us His peace. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.    (Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 125)

Singing of 'Sanctuary’.

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                Holy Spirit, help us to receive these sacred words and consider their lessons carefully. Enable us to recognize what challenges these words reveal to us, as well as the changes that need to be applied in our daily lives. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray.  Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison- led by pastor):         Lord Jesus, we bring before You our personal gifts and humbly ask that You will bless them for the life, work, and ministry of our church, in this community and throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Closing Hymn

Benediction (unison): May Christ inspire us to be His disciples each day; may the Father bless us for being His people; and may the Holy Spirit help us to faithfully serve and love the One, Triune, and Living God, both now and forevermore. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Sunday prayers - Easter 2 - April 03

Approaching God

Welcome & announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                 The Lord embraces the weak and needy; He watches over those who are poor and oppressed.

People:                 God presides over all the Earth; He judges the nations justly and fairly.

Pastor:                 Let us humbly enter the presence of the One, Triune, and Living God, to give Him our praises. Amen.

First Hymn

Guide:                  Lord of hope and blessing, God of peace and joy, we gather in Your sacred house to offer You our worship and adoration, as well as our prayers and petitions, knowing that You gladly hear and receive them. In the midst of anxious and troubled times, You embrace and care for us in many mysterious and personal ways.

People:                Gracious God, we often struggle to overcome temptation and there are moments when we fail to respect or honor You with our thoughts, words, and deeds. Forgive us when we forget to heed Your guiding Spirit, or when we neglect to follow Your commands. Hear us now as we personally confess our sins to You.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide:                  Heavenly Father, we begin each day with the best of intentions, but always seem to fall short of Your expectations. Today, we ask forgiveness from Jesus Christ, Your Holy Son, whose sacrifice purchased our salvation, and whose blood cleansed our guilty past. In His Sacred Name, we make these prayers and continue with His words, saying, "Our Father …THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  Jesus often confronted the people of His time with God’s Truth, which they did not always want to embrace or understand. Today, we are given His same message, which seeks to challenge and change our ways. Christ forgives us of all our sins, but He also expects us forgive one another. Let us rejoice in His grace and praise His Holy Name. 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.

Anthem

Minute for Mission?

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

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 Let us rejoice in God's sacred house; let us receive His strength and blessing. This is where we come, as people of God, to praise His name and glorify His greatness. We pray for His peace to come into our lives; we await His holy presence.

People:                 O Lord, we seek Your mercy and grace; hear us as we pray. We need Your compassion and care. Heal us, and all for whom we pray, from all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul.

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

Pastor:                  May there be peace and hope, strength and recovery for each of our lives. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.                  (Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 122)

Singing of 'Sanctuary’.

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                Holy Spirit, You bless us with guidance and encouragement, as well as comfort and counsel. Open our hearts and minds to the message of these scriptures and enable us to apply their lessons in our daily lives.  In Jesus' Name, we ask.  Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, You have risen from the dead to show us the way to eternal life. You have given us absolutely everything from God; we know that we can never repay our debt to You. With grateful spirits and cheerful hearts, we bring before You our treasures, talents, and time. Take these gifts for the work of Your ministry, the spreading of the Gospel, and the glorifying of God’s Name.  Amen.

Communion

Closing Hymn

Benediction:      May Christ come into our hearts to challenge our ways and change our lives; may the Father bless us with joy and love; and may the Holy Spirit continue to refresh our souls and renew our commitment to the One, Triune, and Living God, both now and forevermore.  Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Holy Week Devotions & prayers

For the past three years, I've written a special daily devotional book for Holy Week. Each book contains poems, prayers, and devotionals exclusively written by me. I wrote for Christian folks who may be too busy at work, school, or other places to join in the traditional services and masses that take place during Holy Week.

The books can be read on a daily basis, which helps the reader cultivate a sense of the sacred in her or his life during Holy Week. The following books are all available for those interested in Holy Week devotions.

 

Sunday Prayers - First Sunday in Lent - Feb 14

Approaching God

Welcome and announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                 May the Lord's unfailing love come among us; may we know of His promised salvation.

People:                 We come here freely to praise God and to seek His wisdom and teaching.

Pastor:                  Let us lift up our hearts and spirits as we worship the Lord, whom we eternally adore. Amen.

First Hymn

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Loving God, whose power sustains all that lives and whose promises remain unbroken across the centuries, we worship You with our hearts and seek to serve You with our lives. Your ways are infinitely beyond our own, and Your works are gloriously displayed throughout the universe. Today we pledge our faith and confidence in You.

People:                Gracious Father, we still have sinful desires and selfishly make bad choices. We sometimes neglect Your holy words and choose to act upon our own understanding. Forgive us for being foolish and inconsistent, insensitive and ungrateful. Pardon all of our sins, and forgive us for allowing our pride to dictate our thoughts and deeds. Hear us now as we sincerely pray.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide:                  Merciful Lord, we look to You for salvation through Your Son Jesus Christ. In Him, we find peace and pardon, as well as redemption and restoration. We are thankful for His sacrifice and we glorify His Holy Name. Hear us now as we continue to pray, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD'S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  Jesus could truly judge us and cast us out of God's Kingdom forever. We rely upon His mercy and grace to restore us to God’s love. Without them, we are lost forever, but with Christ we are given God's everlasting favor. To Him be the glory and power, forever and ever. 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)

Praise Song

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 O Loving Lord, within our hearts we know that You are with us. In each of our lives, we experience Your compassion and grace. Look favorably on us, O Lord, and help us to understand Your ways. Have mercy upon us as we pray and seek Your blessing.

People:                 As we turn to You for help, Heavenly Father, calm our spirits and subdue our fears. When we call upon You for healing, release us from any anxiety, illness, or pain. When our strength is at its lowest, grant us Your presence. When our health is weak and fragile, sustain us with Your love and grace. Hear us now as we silently pray for ourselves and others.

Silent Prayers. A candle is lit.

Pastor:                  May the Lord restore us physically and mentally, as well as emotionally and spiritually. In Jesus' Name, we ask of God. Amen.    (Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 14)

Singing of “Sanctuary”

Prayer of Illumination

Reader:                Holy Spirit, You have brought us here to be in church today. You want us to receive God’s message, so that we may apply His teachings in our daily lives. Open our hearts and minds to all that God gives us through these sacred words. In Jesus' Name, we pray.  Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, You have called us to follow You and to faithfully serve Your Church on Earth. Through worship, in service, and with faith, we give to You our lives, as well as these tokens of our gratitude. Take and bless them for the sacred work of Your ministry and mission in our congregation, community, and around the world. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Closing Hymn

Benediction (unison): May Christ make our lives effective testimonies of faith; may the Father's love keep us focused on His Kingdom; and may the Holy Spirit grant us wisdom and grace. To the glory and honor of the One, Triune, and Living God, both now and forevermore. Amen.        

Doxology & Postlude

Lent devotions: A 40 Day Journey of Renewal

My latest Lent devotional e-book has just been published on Amazon. It contains daily devotions, prayers, suggested Bible readings, and reflective questions for every day of Lent. It's a simple and beneficial way to keep Lent, in order to become prepared for Holy Week.

Click the link below to check out a copy. Other links for different countries can be found here:

In US http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BGREW2M

In UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BGREW2M

In Canada  http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01BGREW2M

In Australia  http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B01BGREW2M

.