Opening Prayers / Calls to Worship

This page contains short, inspirational/devotional invocations
designed to help draw us into an attitude of worship and personal reflection.

If you so desire, feel free to use any of these prayers as a starting point
for framing your own prayers. We encourage you, however, to not merely
copy-and-paste the prayers as they are here. Offer to the Most High prayers from
your heart. After all, He's not looking at your words, He's looking at your heart!

O God, our resurrection and life, the promise of Your new life in Christ is like a breath of fresh air in a dry and thirsty land. We have gathered as believers, and as those who are honestly seeking the truth. Guide our worship this hour.

O God who makes all things new, speak to us as whole people today. May Your truth touch not just our intellects, but also our deeper yearnings of heart and soul. We bring with us our daily concerns, as well as our more eternal questions. May Your new creation in us shed light upon our everyday walk.

O God who fed the multitudes with but a few loaves and some fish, feed us now with the abundance of what You freely offer, that we might overflow with Your goodness right where we live. All this we pray in the name of, and because of, Jesus our Christ. Amen.

O God who is greater than the most powerful forces in this world, enable us to be still and know that You are God.

O Lord who answers out of the whirlwind of everyday life, breathe in us Your Holy Spirit to strengthen, comfort, and guide us in the midst of the storm.

O still, small voice, speak to us this hour, that we might become makers of Your peace in our homes, in our communities, in our world. We pray all this in the name of the One who calmed the raging sea. Amen.

O God, we trust in Your power to create, to sustain, to enable. But we could not trust if we did not know that You are always near. Be with us, Lord, as we are gathered here to worship You. Help us not to check our minds or our hearts at the door, but enable us to bring all that we are to You, so that we might experience Your touch upon all aspects of our life. We pray this because of, and in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

O God, we trust in Your power, even as it is often found in weakness; in Your wisdom, even as it is expressed in seeming foolishness; in Your wholeness, even as it comes to us amid brokenness. We do not ask this day for dazzling displays of strength, electric exercises of intellectual prowess, or marvelous manifestations of miracles. We come simply to worship You. Touch us this day, O Lord, sinners that we are, that we might become Your saints, Your body, Your children, Your church. For this Temple of Your Spirit is built not upon our own abilities, knowledge, or restorative skill, but upon You, in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Gentle...yet powerful.
Lowly...yet almighty.
Shepherd...yet King.

In Your gentleness, guide us.
In Your power, strengthen us.
In Your lowliness, strip from us our selfish pride which only destroys us.
In Your greatness, lift us up that we might aspire to greater things.
As a shepherd, call us to be Your servants.
As a King, call us to be Your royal priesthood.

O God, who is our shepherd and our King;
O Christ, who was crucified and is now risen from the dead;
O Spirit, who comforts and empowers;
O great One in Three, Holy Trinity, this hour, set us free to worship. Amen.

Gentle Shepherd ... King of Love, we come to You as we are, not as we pretend to be. The truth is, God, that when we lift our heads above our path, we all too often discover ourselves lost in a maze of choices. We confess from the very beginning of this worship that we are lost... Were it not for You, O great seeker of our souls, patient parent to our childhood, joyful host to our homecoming; Were it not for You, O Lord, we would be lost forever. But, because of You, there is room for us at the great Love Feast. Gentle Shepherd ... King of Love, seek and find us as we are, not as we pretend. Be patient with us, and teach us how to wait. May the echoes of Your celebration reverberate in our midst this hour, transforming our worship from a mournful plea to a joyful song. Gentle Shepherd ... King of Love, lead us. Amen.

Light of Christ, awaken us this hour to the glory of Your presence in our midst. Shine among us in such a way that the darkness without and within may be pushed back, such that we might truly see what is really real. Help us to recognize our sin for what it is. Enable us to behold the world as You created it to be, as You created us to be. Empower us to move from darkness to light, from sin to new life. May Your light within us shine through into worship this day, as all days. This we pray in the name of the Word made flesh, the light which is the light of all people. Jesus Christ. Amen.

O Holy God, like Isaiah the prophet, we stand in awe of Your glory, feeling tremendously small and polluted by our sin, and the sin of our society. Even so, You touch us with Your burning presence, and we are made clean and whole. O God, our Creator, continue to build this household of faith into what You want us to be. O Christ, our Savior, lead us to do as You will. O Spirit, our Power, strengthen us for the work of the Kingdom, a worship and a service which is ours today as well as tomorrow. O Blessed Trinity, fill this place and these people with Your presence. For yours is the Power, and the Salvation, and the Creation, now and always. Amen.

O God from whom every gift derives, we gather to worship You this day. You are an awesome God, greater than our comprehension or our imagination. You are beyond any word we could ever use to describe You. And yet, through Jesus, we know the intimacy of Your vast Love.

We have come to You in thanksgiving and praise, to know that You are God and to place our lives anew into Your perspective. Enlarge our vision this hour with Your Word. Instill in us, again, Your hope in place of our despair, Your peace where our hatred threatens, Your joy amidst our depression, Your love overwhelming our apathy.

May Your Holy Spirit surround and indwell this congregation now, and forevermore. In Jesus we pray. Amen.

Eternal God, our Alpha and Omega, our beginning and our end, we have gathered in this time and at this place to worship You. In Your time, You created all things, and wove into their fabric a yearning for fulfillment in You. It is this yearning within us which has pulled us here this morning. Take these moments, O Lord of time and space, and complete them in us, through Your Holy Spirit. May our labor bring forth a new creation in You. This is Your hour, Christ Jesus, help us to make the most of each precious moment. For in Your name we have gathered, and we pray. Amen.

Like Elijah, O God, we turn and face You in the midst of the storm. Help us this hour to hear You speak to us — not in the wind, or the thunder, nor even in the upheaval of the ground beneath us. Help us to hear You speak to us, in our heart of hearts, as that still, small voice amidst the maelstrom, which gives us direction, and peace, and hope. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

O God, who is here — in this place, now — in our midst; Empower us to praise You, not with words and actions which come from outside of us, but from within us; Dwell in us more fully that we may sing to You with all our being; Fill us with a sense of Your joy, that we might actually delight in Your worship; Focus us upon Your self-giving Love, which is above every love we have ever known, the source of all.

O God, who is here — in this place, now — in our midst; Make Your love real here and now, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

o God, the joy of this day, the hope for every day to come, Move in our midst, fill us with Your Spirit, and make us one. May our words, as well as our actions, and even the secret thoughts of our hearts, be a part of Your worship this hour, O Lord of great power, displayed in sacrificial love. For we pray focused upon the One who died for all, Your only begotten son. Amen.

You are such a gracious host, Lord God of all creation. Who are we to receive such goodness? You prepare a table for us, amidst our daily struggles, our successes and failures, even in the presence of our enemies. You anoint us, wash us, feed us. You do all this.

We confess that we tend to see our daily bread solely in terms of our own handiwork. But we are not self-sufficient. We need You. Forgive us.

We need these brothers and sisters in Christ around us. Empower us.

Shower us with Your "holy manna" that we might be strengthened for the journey to which You have called us. By faith we stand and worship. By faith we walk and work. By faith we profess that Your Christ is alive, and that Your spirit moves us to be and to do more than we ever thought possible.

We pray all this in the name of the One who said, "I am the bread of life." Amen.

You are here, Lord, in this place. Now. Not only do we stand in awe of how great You are, larger than our imagination; But we also can scarcely comprehend that You are with us this moment. Yes, from a distance You are watching us. But You stand beside us as well. Your Spirit's presence quickens our pulse, fills us with wonder when we become aware than You are near. In extra-ordinary, as well as common, every-day ways, You make Your presence known to us. This is Your time of worship, God. The words don't belong to the Pastor or myself. The music isn't the property of the organist. The praying and singing we all do comes not only from us but, most importantly, from You. When we lose sight of this, today as well as every day, O Lord, forgive us, and live in and through us. Do great things with us right now, and in the week which lies ahead. We pray this, our heavenly Father, in the name of Your Son — Jesus Christ, in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Holy God, make Your presence known to us today. We come to You as we are, called to be saints, holy ones, but so often less than our calling. Help us this hour to let go of those sins to which we cling. Help us to know that our self-worth does not depend so much on our ability to hold on to our lives, as on Your power to release ourselves into Your hands.

Holy God, make Your presence known to us today. We come to You with our vision so often clouded by our sin. Clear away the mist, through Jesus, that we can catch a glimpse, now, of Your presence here. Help us to behold You as You are, not as we would like You to be. In Him, through whom we become holy, on the wings of the Spirit, we pray to You, our Father. Amen.

O God of the still, small voice quiet our inner spirit. Help us to focus upon You, and You alone, to hear Your voice within. There are so many other voices demanding our attention. But we cannot attend to them without You.... "Be still and know that I am God," You say to us as You said to Elijah.... May Your voice speak through us. In weakness, be our strength. In poverty, be our wealth. In depression, be our joy. In apathy, be our love. We cannot sing Love's song, O Lord, unless it be Your voice singing in us. Take this heart, and with this mouth make Your praise and thanksgiving a reality here and now. Because of, and in the name of our Messiah, Jesus. Amen.

Creator and Ruler of the Earth, we lift up our voices, our eyes, our hearts, our lives to You in praise. Make us Your alleluia people. Uphold the weary, for whom praise may be very difficult. Humble the strong, for whom "alleluia" may be too easy. Creator and Ruler of the Earth, continue to form us into Your new creation, that we might welcome You to more fully become the ruler of our hearts and minds. Through Him who came as a servant, and who now reigns over all creation, Jesus, our Christ. Amen.

O God, whose holiness is not limited to grand cathedrals or saintly persons, spectacular mountains or mountain-moving leaders; O God, whose holiness is often discovered in simple everyday places and simple everyday folks, plant Your holiness in this place, in us now. Grow us this hour, that we might flower, right where we are, with the beauty of Your holiness. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

O God, who gives to those who ask, provide for each of us in Your way, a special gift to be used for Your glory, and for the good of our neighbors. O God, who reveals to those who seek, show us this day what these gifts are, and how they may be used. O God, who opens to those who knock, help us to step forward, now, into Your gracious presence, knowing that we are each and all blessed with something special to share. One more thing, Lord, stir us up, so that we don't become too self-satisfied, and forget to keep asking, and seeking, and knocking. We pray all this in the name of the One who asks for the voiceless, who seeks out the lost, who stands at the door and knocks. Come in, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Most Gracious God, hallowed be Your name, help us to honor Your name in what we say and what we do, this hour in our worship, this week in our work. May Your gracious presence surround us this day, so that obedience to Your Word becomes a joy rather than a burden. May the depth of Your Grace, the width of Your Love, the height of Your Joy, inspire us, here and now, to more fully be Your people, folks known not by forced friendliness, but by gracious goodwill. We look to You for this, God, because, on our own, we are tempted to be just the opposite. Empower us with Your Spirit, we pray in Jesus name. Amen.

O God who watches over all of creation, You are far greater than our ability to understand. How do You do it? From where do You do it? Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father who art in heaven." What a mouthful, Lord! On the one hand You are as close as a loving parent. But on the other hand, You watch from a distance.

O God who is beyond our reasoning, accept us as we are. Take our faith as it is, and move us to higher places. Teach us the truth, that we might be able to call on You in truth, where You are, and not just where we want You to be.

O God who is both compassion and power, receive from us this hour all the praise, the thanksgiving, the love we are able to return to You. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Eternal God, whose signature we see, if we dare to look, in the creation of the universe, help us this hour to look and to listen for Your handwriting and Your voice in this place, among these people. Connect our temporary praise to Your timeless rhythms, Your ageless melodies, Your everlasting joyful noise. Guide us now to focus upon You, knowing that in You our distractions become new possibilities for action. Breathe life into our singing, our praying, our speaking, our listening, our touching, that all these activities might become more than they are. In our worship we reach out to You, O God, knowing that You have already enfolded us in Your arms. Thank You. In Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Lord God, words are not enough to express Your awesomeness, Your majesty, Your holiness. Our highest expressions of theology are but baby talk next to You: Your creation, Your very self. Make us aware, through Your Holy Spirit, that You are here among us. May this awareness lead us to approach this hour more carefully. The words we speak, the tunes we sing, the thoughts we think, the joy and sadness we feel, may these be pleasing to You. For in spite of the inadequacy of our words, this worship is addressed to You. Make it complete, whole, full to overflowing, O God, our rock, and our redeemer. In Christ we pray. Amen.

O God of living water, O bread of life; We are hungry. We are thirsty. Our prosperity, though, masks these deepest needs. Quench our thirst now, that our lips might sing Your praise. Fill our emptiness now, that our lives might show Your love. "Cast Your bread upon the waters" of this place. (Ecclesiastes 11:1) Let Your waters "break forth in (our) wilderness, (Your) streams in (our) desert." (Isaiah 35:6b) Create an oasis here and now in us, where the hungry and thirsty might come and receive, a channel that might carry Your living water where it is needed. Flow in and through us this hour. This we pray, in the name of the One whose love is expressed in bread and wine. Amen.

O God, powerful and loving, we look to You for both strength and compassion. We confess that we don't really understand power, nor — when it comes down to it — are we very good at love. Very easily we go to extremes: too hard or too soft. Teach us Your tough love. Sharpen us this hour on the whetstone of Your Word. With the tender arms of Your Spirit, embrace us. O powerful and loving God, fashion us to become tough and tender disciples. We worship You now because we know of no other like You. In the name of Jesus, Your beloved Son, our leader and friend, we pray. Amen.

O God, our refuge, our strength, our help; You are the bedrock upon which our lives are built, the mighty fortress which surrounds and protects. Though the earth should change, the mountains shake, the waters rise, we will not fear. Help us, O Lord, to live fearlessly amidst the storm. But in so doing, guide us as followers of the prince of peace, the servant king, away from a fortress mentality, where outsiders are enemies, toward a Kingdom where Love is the final word. On bended knee we sing praise to the One You have exalted, the lamb who was slain for our sin. May the doors of this mighty fortress open wide this hour, that the music of the Kingdom may resound through this valley and into our hearts, our homes, our communities, our world. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

O God, whose glory is found not just on majestic thrones far beyond our reach, but also amid the imperfection of the human family; help us to approach this hour, this day, and thus every day this week, as a gift from You, full of glorious possibilities, as well as holy expectations. This does not come naturally, Lord. Our temptation is to be so "realistic", or so lost in the clouds, that we miss Your kingdom coming on earth, even as it is in heaven. It is often in the simplest of ways, in the middle of situations for which a sigh is our only response, that Your glory becomes a reality. Come, Holy Spirit, help us to see and worship, to trust and live, starting right now! In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Yes, Lord, teach us to wait. You are eternal. In You we find freedom from the tyranny of time. You have given us the minutes and hours of our days not to enslave us, but to give order. Help us to use this hour wisely, to wait, and experience Your nearness. Only in returning and rest are we saved, in quietness and trust are we strengthened.

Yes, Lord, teach us to wait. Only then can we learn to fly with the eagles. Only then can we sing Your song of freedom. In Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

For those turning toward home, You are Lord, leading every step of the way. For those needing rest in the wilderness, You are God, making all things new. For those seeking quiet amidst the storm, You are Holy, speaking in a whisper. For those still learning how to trust, You are One, drawing closer to Your heart. Lord God, Holy One of Israel, Lead us, Renew us, Speak to us, Your will be done in us, Enough for today. Now. We pray to You as children to their Daddy, like Jesus taught us. In His name, Amen.

O God, whose Word is not just a one-way conversation, talk with us today and hear us as we pray. Free us, that we might listen for Your voice, and empower us to speak to You. For in Christ Jesus, You have called us into a friendship which influences all other relationships. Help us to see beauty where we might be tempted to see ugliness — in ourselves as well as in others. May Your "joy" be found there as well. As You have washed our feet in Christ, kneel us to washing Your feet in others. As You have lifted us off our knees, help us to lift others up. Four we all were created in Your image. Re-create in us, just now, a new heart, O God, one that beats in tune with Your own. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Holy God, You have revealed yourself to us in a trinity of ways: as our powerful Creator, our dying Savior, and our comforting Spirit. But we also know You as a loving parent; a risen Lord; and a dynamic breath of fresh air. We're never really sure of how You are able to be all these things to us, but You are. And we praise You. You are an awesome God, limited only by our ability to understand. Inhabit our worship this hour. Teach us the grace of placing our limitations within the wonder of Your unlimited hands. In Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

O God, we are gathered here under the shelter of Your wings, nurtured by Your motherly love, and encouraged, then, to fly by faith on the wind of Your spirit. You have spoken to us, saying "They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles." Teach us how to wait, then, that we may learn how to fly. May this nest we call "family" be built with sturdy materials. Don't let us forget, though, that this nest was not created as a fortress behind which to hide, but as a perch from which to take off. And strengthen us with the assurance that we do not fly alone. This we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Thank You, Lord, for the song You've planted in us, a melody which rings out no matter what our circumstances may be. Some of us here today need Your strength, for our voices are barely heard above the noise of our problems. Others of us require Your leading, for in the confusion of life we are losing our sense of direction. Some need Your word of caution concerning roads we are hell-bent on traveling. Others could use Your encouragement as we walk the path You have opened for us. When we sing our praise, Lord, in the same breath we are asking You to move amid our problems, our confusion, our mistakes, as well as the good we do, and make Your praise a part of our daily life. Help us to rejoice and be glad. In the name of Christ, our joy. Amen.

There is no way that we can really bless You, O God, no way that we can truly become a blessing to others, without Your blessing first becoming a part of us. Behind the scenes You are at work, O Lord, blessing this world. For the wrong, of which we are so often a part, we deserve Your curse. But You bless us, instead. Thank You!

We ask Your blessing, Your active presence among us today. Work in us and through us. Allow us to see the evidence of Your involvement. O bless the Lord. May all that is within us bless Your holy name. In Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

O Lord, we are like workers in a field, reaping the harvest of Your Word. Keep us faithful, today, to the work of worship. May Your Spirit move in our midst, waking us up when we are tired, opening our eyes to the goodness You spread before us, strengthening our hand to cut through the stalk and get to the grain which provides our spiritual bread. In so doing, feed us. As You do so, however, remind us of those who are still hungry, needing the taste of what You so richly provide. Do not satisfy us so much that we fail to reach out to them. For in reality, we are all poor. And yet, "blessed are the poor," You said in Jesus, "for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven; blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted; blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled..." In You, we are rich. Receive, now, the offering of our worship: the gifts we bring from Your field, the songs we sing from Your Spirit, the words we say from our heart. Increase the harvest, O Lord. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

God, You have been at work in this world, from that first day of Creation up until today. So many lives, down through the centuries, have been shaped by Your hand. People going beyond the possible, walking by faith and thus changing the course of history, in ways large or small. We call them saints. But it was You behind them all. You are an awesome God!

We confess, O Lord, that we are tempted to place Your saints into an unreachable box, so good and holy that their experience does not touch our own. If anything, we are full of holes rather than holy, and selfish motives accompany our acts of goodness. Still, You take our tattered and torn lives and sew together a holy people. You make us into saints.

Thank You for the One in and through whom our lives become holy: Your son, Jesus Christ. He is like fragrant oil which overflows its container, soothing and healing our wounds, and consecrating our lives to Your impossible possibilities. Because of Him, our hands are never empty. And because of Him we are gathered here today, to worship You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Lord, make us free... free with eyes not focused upon ourselves; free with ears open to hearing Your Word; free with hands reaching out; free with hearts no longer chained by what we possess, but bound, instead, by what we can share. Yes, Lord, make us free... free to worship; free to be extravagant with thankfulness; free to break open the most costly oil upon Your feet; free to love as love really is, In Jesus' name. Amen.

With all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we praise You, Lord. But this is only possible through Your presence in us, by Your grace. Otherwise, we are easily distracted, diverted away from where You wish us to be, distanced from Your calling, lost in our current situations. Forgive us our lack of attention to Your Word, our failure to seek and find what we need from the source of all our joy. Help us to repent, to turn in the right direction this very moment, that we may fulfill Your commandment to love You with all that we are, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. May we indeed worship You today with all our heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Thank You, God, for the ability to sing out our faith. Of course, some of us are better singers than others. Accept our praise, from each and every tongue united in Jesus Christ. We know that all our voices together cannot even begin to convey the wonder and glory and majesty of who You are. Strangely enough, though, You make our song complete. To Your gracious ears, the praise of a few is as great as the best chorus and symphony. We still find this hard to believe. You put a new song in our mouths. You set us free to sing! Thank You God. Receive the praise of these joy-filled hearts, in Jesus name. Amen.

As we come together into Your presence, O Lord, we confess that Love is still a mystery to us... This is as it should be, for Your Love is not something under our control. It is like Your Spirit, a wind which blows where it will, an unseen power. It is like Your Justice, which rolls down like waters, and Your Righteousness — an ever-flowing stream. Blow through us, roll through us, flow through us this hour, that Your Love in us might be perfected on the anvil of faith. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

In order for You to move in us, O Lord, we need to open the door. In some ways, that's the hardest step. We can be that mountain which seems impossible to move. Through our joys and our fears, our laughter as well as our tears, move us this morning, God. The door is open. Welcome. In the name of the One who said, "nothing is impossible," we pray. Amen.

Thank You, God, for Your gift of the Holy Spirit. Like the wind that blows across our land, we cannot control it. But like a ship on the sea, we can lift our sails and journey with it. By Your mercy, Lord, move us. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Eternal God, we open our minds and hearts to You this hour. Turn us on to You, and keep us tuned in, even after we have left this place. This we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.

O God, who is to us a loving, faithful Father, we open ourselves this day to Your care. May Your refreshment, Your renewal, Your forgiveness, Your strength, Your hope surround those who are gathered here in Jesus' name. Amen.

We have come, O Lord. Not as faithful as we should be, nor as joyful as we could be. Even so, we have been attracted by Your faithfulness and Your joy. Holy Spirit, teach us this day more about Your truth, as revealed by Jesus Christ. Fill us with Your promised happiness. Challenge us to follow You this moment, this day, this coming week. All this we ask in the name of Jesus, whom we adore as Christ the Lord. Amen.

In "the name of Jesus" we pray, O Lord. Our own, individual names separate us from one another and, more importantly, from You. When we gather with Your Holy Spirit as our guide, many prayers become one prayer. A jumble of many words becomes less a tower of Babel, and more a simple, united song of praise. Thank You for this one-ness we have found in Jesus Christ, O God of every nation, Master of the universe. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

We praise You, O God. You have been faithful and true, through good times and bad. Forgive us for doubting when we have not seen Your hand at work, believing that You are too distant to care or too weak to act. Open our eyes, our ears, our minds, our hearts to the glory of what You are about in this world. Open our hands to both receive from You and to reach out to others. Breathe into us the new life of Your Holy Spirit, that we might breathe out Your good news. This we pray in the name of the One who is our foundation: Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thank You, God, for all Your many blessings. We are surrounded with Your goodness and mercy, if only we have eyes to see, ears to hear, hands to touch, and hearts to confess them. As You love us beyond what we do, caring for us simply because You created us — so we praise You for who You are, after and beyond what You give to us.

Forgive our pride, which paints too small a picture of You next to our own portrait. Forgive our sloth, which holds back from dreaming big dreams with You in fear of the hard work involved. Forgive and live in us such that You and Your vision becomes our motivation to face a new day with faith and hope. May these be moments of a new beginning for us.

This we pray in the name of the One who said, "Behold, I make all things new." Amen.

Great and awesome God, creator and source of all life, we worship and praise You. Out of chaos and darkness You spoke words which brought order and light and life. We marvel at such evidence of Your greatness and glory. Yet, You laid these aside when You took on human flesh in Jesus Christ. In Him we gained a new understanding of Your power and glory, for He revealed through His life, that true power is based upon empowering others, and that glory is made visible through loving and serving others. We marvel anew at the depth of Your care for us and the many ways our lives have been blessed by the sacrificial life and love of Jesus. It is because of Him that we are gathered here today, and it is in His name that we pray. Amen.

Yes, Lord, You are our "light," our "salvation," as well as our "strength." Forgive us for allowing fear to rule us, as it does much more than we care to admit. This fear has a thousand names, but Your perfect love casts it out. We come to You this hour as those who need:

the breath of Your Spirit to blow through us,
the brightness of Your light to shine in us and around us,
the fire of Your love to bring us to life right now, and
the sight and sound of Your glory to bring forth our "hallelujah".

Yes, Lord, revive us again! Again, and again, and again! This we pray, in the name of the One who set His face to Jerusalem, Your Son Jesus, our Christ. Amen.

Clean this house, O God. You whose word is like a lamp for our feet — lighting up this place, sweeping and searching every nook and cranny — we are drawn together by Your call. "Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost."

"There is more joy in heaven," You tell us, "there is joy in the presence of angels." May it overflow into us. Help these tongues to sing our praise of Your glory and grace. And help us to hear Your heavenly choir. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Lord of life, of love, of peace, of time itself, we stand in awe of Your eternal presence and resurrection power. We open our lives, once again, to Your involvement. Come, Lord Jesus. As You sit in heaven, be seated here on the throne of our hearts. Forgive us our sin, and enter in. Amen.

Thank You, God. You are so good to us. Your love is steady and does not falter, unlike our own. You are faithful and true, even when we are not. Forgive us for when we step over the line in our relationship with You and with others, hurting those we love or those we don’t. Forgive us also when we don’t step over that other line, when we fail to be thankful and to share gratitude. How often we jeopardize our connection with You and with our loved ones by not sharing a good word, or by not putting that gratitude into action.

Thank You, Lord, for who You are and what You do. Help us to speak about and to act upon Your perfect gifts, Your wonderful works — every day, in ordinary ways and places. This we pray in the name of the One who was and is Your most perfect gift, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lamb upon the throne, Lord of peace, our God and King, Creator, Shield and Defender, Redeemer and Friend!... Mere words can not fully describe all that You are. Who are we to stand in Your presence, in awe of Your glory? And yet You have drawn us here. Your Holy Spirit empowers us to share Your good news, to tell the story of Your Son and Your coming Kingdom, to rejoice in Your Life freely given. You have already moved past our sin. In confessing how we have fallen far short of what You created us to be, we are enabled by You to see past our sin also. Help us to live beyond ourselves, in You — beginning yet again, this very moment. This we pray, focused upon and in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.