Corporate Worship Prayers

1/2/22

Father, we thank you for the joy of gathering on this first Sunday of a new year. To sing of your goodness and your faithfulness in all things. To know that you are with us, always. The passing of one year and the beginning of a new always requires us at least a moment to consider what's behind us. The peaks that have given us clear vision and the valleys where we've found darkness. It's in those valleys where we felt hopeless. It's in those valleys where we've doubted in your nearness to us. It's in those valleys we’re despaired about what was ahead. But it's not just the valleys, it's the peaks too. We convince ourselves we made it all the way up without any help. As if your sovereign hand wasn't guiding us, ordaining each sure step. We fail to stop and bask in your glory and goodness but linger on our own image and greatness and are sure we can control what's ahead. Forgive us this foolishness. Forgive us for not trusting you or for stealing away the glory that is yours alone. Spirit, help us in the new year ahead to keep our eyes firmly fixed on Christ and his goodness towards us be it at the peak or deep in the valley. And help us to follow you faithfully in all things. May we root ourselves deeper into Christ in this new year and beyond. It's in the wonderful name of Christ that we have gathered, and in his name we pray, Amen.

1/9/22

Father God,

You created the heavens and earth. You created us. It
was good and perfect in your sight. We had an intimate,
immediate, unbroken personal fellowship with you.
But God, we were too weak to resist the temptation of
sin. We thought we knew better that what you told us.
We wanted more.
And because of that, we earned eternal damnation. An
eternity sized chasm between you and us.
But you had a plan to erase that chasm. You had a plan
to save us by any means necessary...by the only means
that would suffice...you sacrificed your one and only son.
You sent him here to live the perfect life that we could
not; to die the death that we deserved. And through that
death and his miraculous resurrection 3 days later, you
made a way for us to be right with you forever.
And for that and so much more, we are grateful.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

1/9/22

Loving God,

We give you thanks and bless your name this morning, for you
are so very good to us. By your Word, the heavens were made,
and by your breath all of its creation. You promise to be with us,
to strengthen and to help us, and to uphold us with your
righteous right hand. You take us by the hand and in your mercy,
you gather up all of our brokenness, and you make us whole.
Lord, many here this morning come broken, hurting, and weary.
Weary from the weight of this world around us, and weary from
the weight of the sins that we carry. We are a people who
constantly turn from your ways and look toward our own. Please
forgive us and help us to seek you and your ways, Lord. Teach
us to satisfy the longing of our hearts with your perfect love, Lord
God. A love so great that you sent your only Son to a death on a
cross so that we could have the blessing of eternal life with you
in HEAVEN. What a blessing indeed!
Holy Spirit, open the eyes and the hearts of every person here
this morning and allow each one to realize the depth of your love
for them. I pray that each person here would take hold of your
hand and allow your mighty arms to be their Shelter and
Protector; Healer and Redeemer. For it is in Jesus’ Name that we
gather today, and in his beautiful name that we pray all of these
things this morning...

1/16/22

Gracious, Almighty King,

We come to you because you have invited us in.
You tell us to come lay down our burdens, sins, sickness, worries, fears for
you are the only one able to carry all that we have brought with us today
and for that we are grateful. Would you show us now those things through
the Holy Spirit that we need to bring before you? God, sometimes we
cling to our burdens because it's less painful than letting go. We don't want
the pruning and shaping that comes with trusting you more. Forgive us and
remind our hearts today that you are trustworthy and all of your ways are
good.
Lord, we thank you for your Word. We thank you that you have chosen to
communicate with us so personally through your Word and Spirit. Your Word
is true, powerful and alive and yet we avoid it. We misuse it and disregard it
and in so doing, we disregard you, for you are the Word. Forgive us. Jesus,
you are the fulfillment of all we long for and see on these pages. Help us to
treasure you as we seek and find you there. Speak to us through the
preaching of your Holy Word.
Amen

1/23/22

God, we acknowledge you this morning. You are holy, good and merciful. You are all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present and ever-lasting. Lord, you are beyond our full comprehension . . . our understanding of you only scratches the surface. We cannot fathom the breadth of your mind nor the depth of your heart. And yet we know this . . . You love us and care for us and have chosen us to be your children. Father, even though we continue to fail and not live up to your standard of holiness on a daily basis, you still choose to look upon us through the eyes of your son Jesus. His perfect sacrifice has covered our sin and made us righteous and for that, we thank you. Lord, thank you for sending Jesus to save us, thank you for giving us grace that we don’t deserve, thank you for showing us mercy when we deserve your wrath, thank you for loving us and showing us how to love others, thank you for meeting our every need when we would be helpless without you, thank you for giving us hope in a hopeless world. Father, we ask that you continue to refine us into the people you want us to be. Help us to be more like your son. Help us to be Jesus to our friends, our enemies, our family and our co-workers. Empower us to show empathy and demonstrate the love of Christ to all. Give us the strength and courage to take your word to our community and to the ends of the earth so that all may know the name of Jesus. In your name we pray, amen.