Heavenly Father,
We have gathered with your church to tune our hearts and minds to Your presence, Your will, and Your ways. We ask that Your Spirit would help us right-size all that competes for our attention and our loyalties. Help us fix our hearts and minds on You and the joy of your communion — the communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Lord, we bring You our: pain, anger, fears, disappointments and worries.
You see the cracks in our hope, the lagging of our spirits, and the many ways we try to entertain ourselves out of despair.
Lord, we must rely on You. Your lovingkindness shows us a better way. May the Spirit of Jesus make us gentle, humble, patient. Help us encourage one another as we seek to:
serve one another in love; pursue justice in your name; walk with You; and declare your goodness.
We set before you our workplaces. We set our work before you since we work in your sight and not just for the praise of people. We set before you the people we work with and the people we serve through our work. We pray Father that there would be a quality to our work that is truly good. By your Spirit help us bring creativity and leadership to our work so that you are honoured.
We lift up to you dear people who struggle under violence and conflict. God of peace and forgiveness make yourself known in Afghanistan, North West China, Ukraine.
Fill your church with the full measure of Your presence, your love and goodness. We want to live in Your presence when we study, when we eat and drink, when we work, and when we are in conflict. As dearly loved children we desire to walk in the way of love just as Christ has loved us and given himself up for us. We need a fresh touch of your Spirit for this day, so we pray as Jesus taught us.
(Please join me in praying the Lord’s Prayer)
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever.
Amen.