Easter 4 Sunday Prayers - April 26th

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                  We come here to offer God our worship, our devotion, and our lives.   

People:                 Let the light of Your Face shine upon us, O Lord.

Pastor:                  May we be blessed by God’s presence and Christ’s Spirit throughout this sacred time. Amen.

Hymn

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Everlasting Father, whose deeds throughout the generations have sustained our people and whose ways across the centuries have enhanced our faith, we worship You this day and adore You forever. Your purposes are never upset and Your plans are always fulfilled, therefore we look to You for favor and blessing, as well as mercy and grace.

People:                 Immortal Lord, we know that we are weak and human, that our bodies are frail and our minds are constantly distracted. Forgive us when we allow our wants and desires to overcome our souls, causing damage to our spirits. Deliver us from deceitful and dishonorable deeds; pardon us for making poor choices and disregarding Your influence over our lives.  Hear us now as we silently confess our sins.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Almighty God, refresh us with Your loving kindness and restore us to Your Holy Son. May Christ claim authority over our lives, with the cleansing our souls and the renewing our faith in You. We make these requests in Jesus' Name and with His own holy words, we continue to pray, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER.” (debts/debtors)

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  Our Lord Jesus placed Himself in harm's way and died upon a lonely Cross, so that we can be forgiven and restored to God's love. We deserve God's punishment for our disobedience and defiance, yet Christ shields us from God's wrath and brings us back into His Holy Presence and Everlasting Favor. Therefore, let us rejoice and glorify 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)

Time for Stewardship

Encountering God

Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 Let us approach the Lord with praise and thanksgiving, for He has done marvelous things. The Lord has made His salvation known to us and revealed His righteousness to all our people.  May God remember His love for us as we present our petitions; may His faithfulness grant us courage and hope.

People:                 O Lord, listen to our prayers and have compassion for our lives. Heal our sicknesses and re-strengthen our health by Your gracious love. Be near to us and all our loved ones. Heal us from all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and spirit. Hear us now as we quietly pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor:                 Let our hearts confidently resound in faith; let our hopes be realized through God's favor and blessing. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.            (Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 98)

Singing of ‘Sanctuary.’

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                 Holy Spirit, may Christ speak to us through the words of the Gospel. May all that You inspired to be written about Jesus become holy and sacred, as well as meaningful and mighty in each of our lives today. In Jesus' Name, we ask. Amen

Scripture Readings

The Message and the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, may we excel in faithfulness, as we give these gifts to build up the church. May we eagerly serve You with our time, talents, and treasures, as we contribute our resources, lives, and money to You this day. Bless this offering and guide us to use it wisely for the life, work, and ministry of Your Kingdom here on Earth. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Hymn

Benediction (unison):    May Christ write His ways across our hearts; may the Father teach us to worship Him reverently; and may the Holy Spirit empower us to continually confess our faith in the One, Triune, and Living God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Sunday Prayers for Easter 3 - April 19th

Approaching God

Gathering Time

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                  Let us come before our righteous God and bring to Him our praise and prayers.

People:                 We come to glorify God by setting apart this sacred time in our lives.

Pastor:                  May the light of God shine upon us; may we be ever blessed by His amazing love. Amen.

Hymn

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Everlasting 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 mostly mysterious to us and yet Your love is known by all. Today we glorify Your greatness and meet to magnify Your Holy Name.

People:                 Gracious Father, You know that we struggle with temptation and wrestle with sin each day. You know all of our weaknesses and can list every mistake that we have ever made. In Your patience and benevolence, have mercy upon us. Forgive our sinful and self-centered ways. Hear us now as we silently confess to You.

- SILENCE – Time of Confession

Guide:                  Almighty God, we know that cannot earn salvation for ourselves. We depend upon Jesus to grant us complete and everlasting forgiveness. Only He can save us from our sins. Only He can restore us to Your eternal love and favor. Hear us now as we unite our hearts with 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 can restore us to the riches of God's grace. May we 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)

Encountering God

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 The LORD reigns, let us all be glad; let those both near and far rejoice. Our petitions are made directly to Him, for righteousness and justice are the foundations of His love. Let us place our prayers before God, knowing that He receives all of them from our hearts.

People:                 O Lord, light up our lives with Your favor and blessings; let us experience Your strength and know that You care. We acknowledge Your righteousness and ask for Your compassionate healing 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)

Choir Anthem

Singing of ‘Sanctuary’

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 and ministry, both now and always. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message & the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, we have experienced Your teaching through the preaching of Your word. In return, we gather before You our lives and offerings. We do this to please You, asking that You bless all of 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 helping us to remember 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 & Postlude

Sunday Prayers for Easter 2 - April 12th

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                  Let us come into the presence of the Lord and call upon His glorious Name.

People:                 We will lift up our hearts and voices to praise our God.

Pastor:                  Let us truly worship cheerfully glorify the Lord, our God, forevermore. Amen.

Hymn:

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Almighty and Everlasting King, we gather in this place of peace and praise, as one family of faith, seeking to honor and bless Your Holy Son. We continue celebrate the victory of our Savior Jesus Christ. We proclaim His power over all of our lives, as well as His authority to forgive our mistakes, and His ability to change our lives.

People:                 Gracious Lord, we know that we have been foolish, selfish, and sinful at times. We recognize that we have made mistakes, bad choices, and even faithless decisions. We are sorry for those moments when temptation has caused us to get angry, be bitter, remain proud, and become insensitive to those around us. Hear us now as we confess our sinful faults and silently pray.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Eternal Lord, we claim the victory of Christ over sin and death. His sacrifice has eradicated the eternal consequences of our mistakes. His grace both can renew and bring rebirth to our lives. We make these confessional prayers in the Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                  Christ has called us to be His disciples, yet He still has to deal with our sinful nature and human failings. Thankfully, Jesus has overcome both death and sin, so our lives and souls can be resurrected into a new beginning. Let us rejoice and give thanks, for Christ has blessed us with an everlasting hope and He has saved us 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)

Encountering God

Choir Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 Let us praise the LORD with new hearts; let us rejoice with all the Earth and glorify His Name. Each day, we will proclaim the Lord's salvation. Each week, we will come to Him with our praises. The Lord has done marvelous deeds among His people, therefore let us boldly ask Him to heal our lives.

People:                 O LORD, You are great and most worthy of our worship; You are above and beyond all that we know. You made the heavens and sustain the nations; be merciful to us and grant us healing from all that harms us in body, mind, heart and soul. Listen to our prayers and attend to the needs of our loved ones who are ill, distressed, worried, or depressed.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor:                 We will continue to worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness. We will give thanks throughout this day for answered prayer. In Jesus’ Name, we ask. Amen.    (Healing Prayer based on words from Psalm 96)

Singing of ‘Sanctuary.’

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                 Holy Spirit, release us from our fears and restore us to God's loving heart. Open our minds to this glorious message of hope, so that we may gladly receive Christ as our King and share His beautiful words with all of our people. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message & the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (in unison – led by pastor): Lord Jesus, through the act of cheerful and thankful giving, we offer You our precious gifts. Bless them for service to Your wonderful ways that continue to change the world. Enable us to rededicate our lives this day, in the holy service of Your Kingdom. Both now and forever. Amen. 

Communion

Hymn

Benediction (unison):    May Christ inspire our faith as the Lord of our lives; may we know the Father's compassion and grace throughout our days on Earth; and may the Holy Spirit keep us glorifying and worshipping the One, Triune God, both now and always. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Sunday Prayers - Lent 5 - March 22

Approaching God

Welcome and Announcements

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor:                  Let us approach God faithfully, offering Him our love and devotion.

People:                 We will sing praises to His Name and glorify God from our hearts.

Pastor:                  Come, let us truly worship the One, Triune, and Living God. Amen.

First Hymn

Guide:                  Loving Lord, whose mighty acts reveal to us Your divine power, creativity, and sovereignty over the entire universe, we praise and adore You as our Creator and King. Your ways have been conveyed to our people across the centuries and throughout all the nations, therefore we approach You with awe and reverence, as well as dedication and devotion.

People:                Gracious God, each day of our lives You seek to instruct us and guide us by Your holy counsel. Sometimes we rebelliously ignore Your advice and seek to do our own sinful and selfish things. Forgive our foolish and faithless ways. Pardon us for making bad choices and self-centered mistakes. Hear us now as we silently confess our sins to You alone.

- Silent Confessions -

Guide:                  Merciful Father, You have allowed Jesus, Your Holy Son, to reclaim our lives, to teach us Your ways, and to save our souls. His perfect obedience and supreme sacrifice has won our salvation. We thank You for restoring us to Your everlasting love, and in the words of Christ our Lord, we continue to pray saying, "Our Father …THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                 Jesus is the King of our lives, the Anointed and Holy One of God. He alone has the authority to forgive our sins. Solely by His grace, we are cleansed of our sinful past and returned to God's favor. Let us rejoice and be glad in Him, our King of Kings and Lord of lords, both now and forever. Amen.

Gloria Patri (sung-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)

Encountering God

Choir Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                 We call upon the Lord, in the midst of all our troubles, and He faithfully answers us. We ask Him to save from false ways and self-deception, clinging on to His eternal Truth. He is source of all our hope and the One who brings us healing. May the Lord have mercy upon us, for we are frail and fearful. May He grant us strength and renewal.

People:                 In Your Holy Presence, Lord, we live our lives. We often need Your help and long for deliverance from sickness and suffering, pain and discomfort, as well as anxiety and stress. We seek Your peace this day and pray that You will heal us, including our loved ones, from all that harms us in body, mind, heart, and soul.

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

Pastor:                  Loving Lord, speak Your peace to us at this precious time and fill our hearts with Your hope. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.                 (Healing prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 120)

Unison Singing of ‘Sanctuary.’

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                Holy Spirit, may Christ speak to our hearts, permitting God to resurrect our hopes through these sacred scriptures. May we receive and share the blessings of faith, strength, and love that we encounter throughout these biblical texts.  In Jesus' Name, we ask.  Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message and the Apostles' Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Prayer of Dedication

(In Unison – led by pastor)          Lord Jesus, all that we are has been accomplished by Your grace. Take our tithes and gifts that we freely offer to You, and use them for the preaching of Your Word, the enhancement of Your Church, and the glorifying of Your Name. Amen.

Closing Hymn

Benediction (in unison):               May Christ urge and inspire us to advance His ministry with our lives; may the Father's great and everlasting love be treasured in our hearts and conveyed by our deeds; and may the Holy Spirit keep us loving and serving the One, Triune, and Living God, both now and evermore.  Amen.

Doxology & Postlude

Sunday Prayers - lent 4 - March 15

Approaching God

Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Gathering

Call to Worship

Herald:                 This is the day that the Lord has made.

People:                 We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Herald:                 Let us worship and glorify God! Amen.

Hymn

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

Guide:                  Lord of our lives and Creator of all that exists, we proclaim You as our One, Triune, and Holy God. At this sacred time and in this holy place, we seek to serve You as Your called and chosen people.

People:                 Gracious Father, we want to please You and faithfully follow Your Son’s ways. However, we confess that we sinfully let our pride and anger hurt other people. We selfishly strive to have our own way, or to fulfill our selfish desires. Forgive us for rejecting Your words and damaging our faith by our unloving, unholy, and un-Christian actions. Hear us now as we humbly admit our sins to You alone.

- SILENCE -

Guide:                  Merciful God, You have the power to judge and punish us for our sins. Instead, You graciously gave us Your Son Jesus to die for our failures, faults, and fallen ways. By His wounds, we are healed. By His sacrifice, we are forgiven and restored, therefore we gratefully unite our hearts with Him, saying, “Our Father…THE LORD’S PRAYER” (debts/debtors).

Promise of the Gospel

Guide:                   Jesus saves us from being eternally separated from God. He wants us to choose life over death, faith over fear, and obedience over defiance. When we sincerely come to Him for forgiveness, He grants us mercy and grace. So let us rejoice and be glad, for Jesus our Savior rescues our souls and redeems us forever. Amen.

Gloria Patri (sung – 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)

Encountering God

Choir Anthem

Prayers for Health and Healing

Pastor:                  The LORD reigns; He is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. God establishes our world and sustains our lives. We, in contract, are finite and frail, in need of help, healing and wholeness. Therefore let us lift up our voices of prayer to God, from our anxious hearts and troubled minds.

People:                 Loving God, have mercy upon us and heal us of all that harms us in body, mind, heart and spirit. We also bring to You our families and friends, as well as our colleagues and neighbors who need Your Loving touch and holy healing. Hear us now as we silently pray.

Silent Prayers for others and ourselves. A candle is lit

Pastor:                 The LORD is merciful and holy, as well as just and faithful. He hears our prayers, given in Jesus’ Name, Amen.                    (Healing Prayer based on words & phrases from Psalm 93)

Singing of ‘Sanctuary’

Prayer for Illumination

Reader:                 Holy Spirit, help us to see what Christ is doing among us. Enable us to hear His words from these sacred passages. Teach us His ways, so that we may tell others of His ministry, mission, and kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, we ask. Amen.

Scripture Readings

The Message & the Apostles’ Creed

Serving God

Offering & Offertory

Dedication (unison – led by pastor):       Lord Jesus, we have worshipped You in song and praised You with our music. We have gathered our tithes and offerings in order to place them before Your throne. Take these tokens and bless them, so that we may bring life to Your words by ministering to our congregation, across our community, and throughout the world. In Your Holy Name, we give and pray. Amen.

Hymn

Benediction (unison):  May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in His Son Jesus Christ, so that we may overflow with the loving power of the Holy Spirit. In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; One God forevermore. Amen.

Doxology & Postlude