Sunday Prayers for Ordinary 18B - August 02

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                  We have gathered in God’s House to praise and glorify His Holy Name.

People:                 We are glad to be in this sacred place and blessed with the Lord’s presence.

Pastor:                  Let us cheerfully worship the One, Triune, and Living God! Amen.

Hymn

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Lord God of hosts, we come to this precious place to honor and magnify Your Holy Power. Your will sustains our lives and Your words strengthen our souls. We humbly come before You to offer our service, devotion, and praise.

People:                 Eternal God, we know that we sometimes push back against Your counsel. We recognize that we are sometimes conceited and selfish, vain and sinful, as well as uncaring and unloving. We foolishly contend against Your faithfulness with our stubborn ways and churlish choices. Hear us now, Gracious Father, as we humbly confess our sins to You.

Silent Confessions

Guide:                  Loving Lord, we seek Your forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Without His Cross, we have no communion with You. Without His Sacrifice, we have no salvation. We therefore make these prayers in the precious Name of Jesus, the Lamb of God and Savior of our souls. In His words, we further pray, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  Many people looked to Jesus throughout His lifetime, in order to experience God’s hope, faith, and love. We are also given those blessings for, by His grace, we are forgiven, and through His mercy, we are restored to God, both now and evermore. 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

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

Praise Song

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 O Sovereign LORD, be favorable to us for Your Name's sake; out of the goodness of Your love, deliver us. When we are poor in spirit and need Your encouragement, heal the wounds of our hearts and grant us Your peace.

People:                 When our health is weak and fear overtakes our minds, deliver us from being consumed by worry, stress, or exhaustion. When we buckle under pressure and lose our strength in troubled times, help us to refocus our faith and look to You for healing.

Pastor:                 Heavenly Father, when others around us are in need of help, be their salvation. When our loved ones suffer illness or injury, insecurity or anxiety, please grant them healing and wholeness, protection and peace. Help us and all whom we pray for, O LORD our God. Save us from all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul. Hear us now as we personally pray.

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

Pastor:                 Through our humble requests, we honor the Lord. Because we are called to be His people, we will praise His holy grace forever. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 109)

Singing of ‘Sanctuary’

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                 Holy Spirit, encourage us with the living words of Christ. Accept us as His devoted disciples, seeking to embrace today's message, as well as understanding the meaning of our Master's teaching. In Jesus' Name, we ask. Amen.                          

Scripture Readings

The Message & the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, You speak to us in many ways - through music, to reach our hearts; through scripture, to feed our minds; and through prayer, to heal our souls. In response, we offer You our gifts. Take and bless this offering for the work of God's Kingdom in this church, across our community, and throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Communion

Closing Hymn

Benediction(unison):  May Christ strengthen our beliefs each day; may the Father approve of our daily deeds; and may the Holy Spirit liberate our souls by encouraging us to freely worship the One, Triune, and Living God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Sunday Prayers for Ordinary 17B - July 26

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                 Lift up your hearts, all you people; shout to God with cries of joy.

People:                 How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the Earth.

Pastor:                 Let us sing praises to God and rejoice; let us worship our Sovereign forevermore! Amen.

Hymn

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                 All Powerful LORD, as we come into Your Holy Presence, we humbly know that You are beyond all that we can ever imagine, as well as beyond all that we can ever experience on Earth. Your Kingdom is limitless and Your Sovereignty over the universe is absolute, complete, and perfect.

People:                 Heavenly Father, we recognize that we are sinful creatures who often fall into temptation, allowing ourselves to be consumed by our ambitions, longings, and greed. We diminish our faith by feeding our desires; we allow hate and bitterness, as well as ignorance and pride to blemish our souls and invalidate our Christian beliefs. Forgive us and pardon us, redeem us and restore us to Your favor, O God. Hear us now as we silently pray.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide:                  Loving God, by the blood of Your Son, You spare us from eternal punishment and everlasting wrath. By His wounds, we are cleansed. By His grace, we are forgiven. We thank You for Jesus, who is our Healer, Savior, and Restorer of our souls. In His Name, we make these prayers and unite our spirits with Him, through the saying of His Holy words,   “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:  Jesus spent His life on Earth fulfilling God’s purpose of salvation. He sacrificed Himself for us, so that we may be totally forgiven by God and eternally restored to His favor. Therefore, let us rejoice and be glad, for Christ our Savior has cleansed our sinful souls, both now and always. 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

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

Praise Song

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 Our hearts are devoted to You, O God; we will rejoice and exalt You with our praises. Our spirits are lifted up by Your love, so our prayers reflect our faith in You alone.

People:                 We will bless You, O LORD, among our people. We look to You for health and healing. Your grace sustains every day; Your faithfulness casts away our fears. Your goodness and glory are known throughout the Earth, therefore we pray for tenderness and mercy, for health and strength, and for peace and salvation.

Pastor:                 Strengthen us and help all our loved ones. Deliver us from all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul. Hear us now, Precious Lord, as we silently pray.

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

Pastor:                 God speaks to our hearts in this holy place of prayer. His love and grace always endures. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.                 (Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 108)

Singing of ‘Sanctuary’

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                 Holy Spirit, bring Christ's words to us and let them strengthen our souls. Share His teaching, compassion and grace among us so that we may enhance our faith by applying these scriptures to our daily deeds and everyday lives. In Jesus' Name, we humbly ask. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message and the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (in unison – led by pastor): Lord Jesus, You ask each of us to live responsible and faithful lives. You teach us many positive and life-affirming lessons. In gratitude, we gather our tithes and offerings, placing them before You, asking that You may bless them for Your continuing ministry in this church and throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully give and thankfully pray. Amen.

Closing Hymn:

Benediction:      May Christ protect us from all that can harm our spirits; may the Father nourish our souls with His goodness and grace; and may the Holy Spirit keep us focused on glorifying and serving the One, Triune, and Living God. Forever and ever. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Sunday prayers - Ordinary 16B - July 19

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                 God is our refuge and our strength.

People:                 In the midst of all our troubles, the Lord is constantly helping us.

Pastor:                 We will not be afraid, for God is with us. Let us worship His Holy Name. Amen.

Hymn

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Almighty and Everlasting Lord, Ever-present and all-powerful Creator, we come here to worship You and praise Your Holy Name. Your ways are often mysterious to us, and yet Your deeds declare Your Sovereignty over this world. Hear our prayers as we respectfully approach Your Holy Throne.

People:                 Gracious Father, we fall short of Your standards and keep making the same mistakes. We allow pride to strike our hearts and greed to wound our spirits. Sometimes we have no peace in our souls because of our guilt and sorrow, as well as our envy and resentment. We push against our faith and deprive ourselves of Your Counsel by yielding to temptation and falling into sin. Hear us now as we personally and silently confess our faults to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Merciful God, Your Son Jesus was rejected and despised by people just like us. However, He died for them and sacrificed Himself for us. Without His death, our lives would be meaningless. Without His grace, our existence would be hopeless. We thank You for the power of salvation and the completeness of Christ's mission. In His Name and through His precious words, we now pray, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER.” (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  All that Jesus has promised will be fulfilled. When we receive Him in our hearts and confess our faults sincerely, He can and will forgive us instantly. He alone has the authority to cancel out the debt that we owe to God for our sinful past. So let us rejoice and give thanks, for Christ's mercy and grace remains with His people, both now and always. 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

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

Praise Song

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 Let us give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. The LORD redeems us from our troubles and will rescue us from our fears.

People:                 When we worry and wander away from God, He is constantly watching over us. When we are weak and our faith is diminished, He is our strength and the source of our comfort.

Pastor:                 May God deliver us and  all of our loved ones from illness and injury, sickness and sadness, discomfort and distress. Hear us now, O Heavenly Father, as we bring to You our healing requests.

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

Pastor:                 May we give thanks to the Lord and experience His unfailing love. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

(Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 107)

Singing of ‘Sanctuary.’

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                 Holy Spirit, may Christ offer us His grace through these words of scripture. May our lives be filled with hope, encouragement, and strength by all that Jesus taught and said. In His Holy Name, we pray. Amen.   

Scripture Readings

The Message & the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (in unison – led by pastor): Lord Jesus, You have spoken to our spirits in this sacred place and called each of us by name. We present to You our tithes and offerings to honor Your life, ministry, and mission. May our church flourish by the preaching of Your Word and the praising of God's Name. Amen.

Closing Hymn

Benediction (unison):  May Christ continue to feed our souls with the word of God; may the Father cleanse our hearts with His grace and love; and may the Holy Spirit keep us attentive to our faith and free from stumbling into sin. To the Glory of the One, Triune, and Living God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude