Saturday 22 October 2016

How Long O Lord

Father in heaven
Your Son’s departure was not a token of separation but a pledge of his return.
We long for that day
Because his death has redeemed us,
Your Spirit has sealed us,
Your love transforms us,
Your promises assure us,
And we know that life awaits us.

On that day we will see you.
Our mortal flesh will be replaced with immortality;
Our weakness replaced with power;
Our natural bodies raised as spiritual bodies;
Our sinful hearts forever transformed into hearts that love you;
Our strivings replaced with rest;
Our fears replaced with sight;
And our tears replaced with joy.

Keep us looking forward to that day.
Keep us trusting you.
And may that day influence and change the few short hours that we have left.

We ask for your glory sake

Amen

Friday 14 October 2016

A  prayer in gratitude for Christ


Father you have granted to us the greatest of privileges
We  are brothers and sisters of Jesus
Not because of our goodness but because of your mercy
Thank You

You know that we love you because of what you have done
But our love is shallow and often cold
Warm us
Change us
And grow us that we might be more like our brother and our saviour
Fill us with the fruit of goodness
Make us merciful amidst selfishness
Joyful in a world of misery
Grateful in a world of grumbling
Peaceful in a world of striving
Patient in a world of anger
May we be kind with the hurting
Gentle with the weeping
Faithful in commitment and friendship
And self controlled in the midst of licence

Forgive us for the times when we are more like Satan than Jesus
For the times when we secretly tolerate lust and idolatry.
Forgive us that we succumb to the lure of wealth and the comforts of ease
Forgive us a lack of courage to stand for good and speak prophetically to our friends.
Forgive us where we have tolerated racism and allowed ourselves to scorn the poor
Forgive us and have mercy on us

That we might be more like our brother the Lord Jesus Christ
In his name we pray
Amen

Thursday 6 October 2016

Faith and Service

Our faithful Father;
forgive our doubts;
forgive our fears;
grow our feeble trust;
and may we achieve great things by trusting you.
Help us to think properly about ourselves;
properly about our service;
properly about praise and reward;
and may we recognise that we are unworthy servants of a great God…

Amen

Based on Luke 17:5-10