This prayer sheet brings together prayers on the theme of following Jesus, sharing in his ministry to the world.
A. SONG (link to music notation below)
Deep peace drives away our fear
Deep peace for the Lord is here
Standing among us in His risen power.
Jesus is with us here,
with us here and now.
Jesus is with us here,
with us here and now.
Such joy …
B. OPENING PRAYER
Living God,
long ago, faithful women,
proclaimed the good news
of Jesus’ resurrection,
and the world was changed forever.
Teach us to keep faith with them,
that our witness may be as bold,
our love as deep,
and our faith as true.
Amen.
C. PRAYER OF CONFESSION
(based on Matthew 14:22-33)
God, You call us to step out in faith,
to place our lives in Your hands,
and to wholeheartedly commit to following You.
We confess that we find this difficult to do.
It is not always easy to follow where You lead — to turn away from our own personal wants and desires, to let go of our safety nets and trust that You will provide for us in all things.
Forgive us when we doubt You, God.
Increase our faith.
Open our eyes
to see past
our own interests and concerns,
to Your broader vision for us
and for our world.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
D. READING
Luke 9:23-24; John 14:12-14; Acts 1:7-8
E. PRAYER
Almighty God,
our heavenly Father,
the privilege is ours
to share in the
loving,
healing,
reconciling
mission of your Son
Jesus Christ,
our Lord,
in this age
and wherever we are.
Since without you
we can do no good thing:
may your Spirit make us wise;
may your Spirit guide us;
may your Spirit renew us;
may your Spirit strengthen us;
so that we will be:
strong in faith,
discerning in proclamation,
courageous in witness,
persistent in good deeds.
To the glory of your name
Amen.
F. LET US PRAY
“From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth.” (Psalm 33:13-14)
Let us pray …
G. BENEDICTION
(inspired by Luke 10: 38-42)
Go out into the world
to serve God with love.
Be ready to laugh with delight
at the good news God has to offer you.
Make room at your table
for unexpected guests.
When the work of discipleship
leaves you weary or frustrated,
rest in Christ’s presence
and listen to what he is saying.
And the blessing of God
– Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit –
go with you today
and always.
Amen.
CREDITS
The following resources found on https://re-worship.blogspot.com/ and adapted for this prayer sheet:
B. written by Kris, and posted on RevGalBlogPals. http://revgalblogpals.org/
C. https://re-worship.blogspot.nl/2011/07/prayer-of-confession-matthew-1422-33.html
G. from Welcome the Guest: Service Prayers for the 9th Sunday after Pentecost, written by Rev. Heather A. Moody. Posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways website. http://www.ucc.org/worship/worship-ways/
Additional
A. SONG: for notation and recording http://www.irenebom.com/songwriter/song.php?song_id=68
E. Unknown
Prayer sheet prepared by Rev. Irene Bom, OLM in the International Presbytery of the Church of Scotland.
First used in Scots International Church Rotterdam at the monthly prayer service in April 2016, and adapted for general use.