Sunday Worship Prayers - 5th Sunday in Easter - Easter 5 - May 2

Approaching God

Announcements & A Word of Welcome

Gathering Song & Prelude

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer

Guide: Almighty God, whose power controls the Universe and whose kingdom never ends, we humbly approach You as servants and children of Your grace, as seekers and followers of Your ways. You know all of our secrets and see all that happens in our lives. At this sacred time, we focus our minds on You alone; we devote our hearts to Your divine will.

People:  Merciful Father, we have failed to live by our faith. We have neglected to support the needs of other people. We have omitted to set aside time to worship You each day. We have followed our own selfish ways and have chosen to fulfill our sinful desires. Have mercy upon us and forgive our foolish deeds. Be patient with us and pardon us for the mistakes that we make, the faults that we have, and the sins that we commit. Hear us now as we silently make our personal confessions.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Compassionate Lord, instead of causing us to hide from Your anger and flee from Your wrath, You graciously allow us to seek forgiveness from Jesus Christ, Your Holy Son. His mercy endures forever and we are thankful for His grace. In Christ's name, we pray and through His own precious words, we unite our hearts saying, “Our Father…” (THE LORD’S PRAYER – debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:  Christ is our shelter from sin and we abide in His mercy. He deletes our past mistakes and opens our lives to the love of God. He calls us by name, so that we may celebrate, feast, and rejoice in His goodness, grace and glory. So let us be truly glad and worship our Savior 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.

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

Teacher Appreciation

Choir Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: The LORD reigns over all the nations. He sits enthroned above the earth. Great is the LORD throughout the earth. He is exalted above all others.

People:                        We praise the great and awesome name of God. We seek His holiness and healing. The LORD is our mighty King. We pray for His favor, help, and strength

Pastor:  As we exalt the LORD, may He hear and bless our prayers. As we worship His ways, may He heal us by His love. O LORD our God, we ask that You will answer our prayers. Release us from our restless ways. Save us from sickness. Deliver us from distress and disease. Heal us and all our loved ones from all that harms us in body, mind, heart and soul. Hear us now as we quietly pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor: Let us praise and worship our God in this holy sanctuary, for He is gracious and merciful, benevolent and compassionate. In Jesus' Name, we ask. Amen.

                        (Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 99)

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close’

Prayer for Illumination:

Reader:             Holy Spirit, may we take our stand with Jesus, the King of all the Earth. May these scriptures help us to gather our thoughts together, so that we may focus on His teaching, His Truth, and His Life. In the name of Jesus, our Lord, and Anointed One, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message & the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison): Lord Jesus, You have spoken to us through Your Gospel. We have interpreted Your words and seek to apply Your ways in our daily lives. In response, we bring to You our gifts and tithes. We ask that You will bless these tokens of gratitude for the purpose, work, and ministry of Your Kingdom in this community and throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Communion

Hymn

Benediction (unison):  May Christ enable us to give our lives to Him alone; may the Father keep us accountable for all that we seek to do in His Name; and may the Holy Spirit lead, guide, and counsel us each day, so that we may glorify the One, Triune God both now and always. Amen.

Doxology         Praise God, from whom all blessings flow  & Postlude

Sunday worship prayers: Third Sunday of Easter - Easter 3 April 18

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Gathering & Prelude

Hymn:

Confessional Prayer

Guide: Immortal God, who brought Life into being and whose will sustains the entire universe, we approach You as the children of Your Grace and as servants of Your Kingdom. Your  ways are mysterious and yet Your love is known by all, therefore we glorify Your greatness and magnify Your Holy Name.

People:  Merciful Father, You know that we struggle with temptation and wrestle each day with sin. You know all our weaknesses and can list every mistake we have ever made. Have mercy upon us. Forgive our foolish ways. Acquit us of our indifference and insensitivity. Pardon our neglect of being faithful to You. Hear us now as we silently pray.

- SILENCE -

Guide: Everlasting God, we cannot earn salvation for ourselves. We depend upon Jesus to grant us mercy and grace. Only He can save us from Your wrath. Only He can restore us to Your favor. Hear us now as we sincerely unite our hearts to His, through the saying of Christ's own words: “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:  Christ forgives us, even when we betray and deny Him. He has the power to cleanse us of the past and restore us to the riches of God's grace. So let us be thankful and rejoice in the Lord, for He has saved our souls and returned us to the eternal love of 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.

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

(Elementary school students leave for Enrichment)

Encountering God

Choir Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor: The LORD reigns, let us all be glad; let those both near and far rejoice. Our prayers and petitions are made to the LORD, for righteousness and justice are the foundations of His love.

People :           Loving God, we place our prayers before You, knowing that You receive the cries of our hearts. Light up our lives with Your favor and blessing; let us see Your compassion and make us fully aware that You care for us.

Pastor:              Our fears melt our courage and our worries meddle with our faith, yet we will still ask the Lord for the healing of all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and spirit. Heavenly Father, we proclaim Your righteousness and ask to see Your glory in the lives of our loved ones, who are suffering from sickness and injury, unease and fear, worry and discomfort.  Hear us now as we quietly pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor: The light of the Lord's love is shed upon us; His joy is showered upon our hearts.

In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

                        (Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 97)

Singing of ‘Jesus, Draw Me Close’

Prayer for Illumination:

Reader:             Holy Spirit, may the words of our Sovereign Lord, Who made the heavens and the earth, penetrate our minds and enter our hearts. May we gladly receive the blessings of Christ as He teaches us through His life, actions, and ministry, both now and always. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message & The Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory:

Dedication (unison): Lord Jesus, we have grasped the meaning of Your giving through the preaching of Your word. In return, we gather before You our tithes and offerings. We do this to please You and to ask that You bless all these resources for the building up of Your church, the proclaiming of the Gospel, and the praising of God's Name.  Amen. 

Hymn

Benediction (unison):  May Christ keep us from judging other people's mistakes by reminding that He has forgiven our own; may the Father bless us with tolerance and compassion for one another; and may the Holy Spirit bring us to God's judgment seat as faithful and dutiful servants, both now and forevermore. Amen.

Doxology         Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; & Postlude