My Prayers in church 7.2.16.

Never good with balance, I perhaps found too many words for these prayers last Sunday.

Dear God,  Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we come before you today in adoration and thanksgiving, for a Heavenly Father's love.  Abba Father let me be yours and yours alone, may my will for ever be, evermore your own. The gift of salvation and love through Jesus, died He for me, who caused his pain, and the direction and outworking in our lives of the Holy Spirit.  We recognize we are all sinners in need of grace and want to say sorry now for way we have sinned and let you down this week. 

Lord thank you for the many ways, you speak to us, through other christians, through words of spiritual songs, through pictures, where we see you the great artist at work, thank you for rainbows which speak of your promises.  Mostly you speak through the Bible your word, your living word.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 

Lord you are our Lighthouse   In my wrestling and in my doubts

In my failures You won’t walk out
You’re great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea
You are the peace in my troubled sea

In the silence You won’t let go
In the questions Your truth will hold
Your great love will lead me through

You are the peace in my troubled sea 

We, our lives, are perhaps a jigsaw, in the master's hands.  We are a broken people, in a broken world.  Some with frayed edges, square points trying to fit into round holes.  Increase our faith that you will fit all the pieces together. Make us pliable clay in the potter's hands.   Help us not to be surprised at the fiery trials, storms, raging in and around us.  To know it is happening to God's people everywhere and one day we will reach that paradise promised to us. You  tell us in your word, that you alone know the plans you have for us, plans for prosperity not disaster.  

Father of all mercies, we pray for those in all kinds of distress.  Please Lord, be the peace in their troubled sea, speak your word into their doubts. 

We think of those grieving, mourning for relatives, feeling lost, alone and maybe puzzled, wondering what the future holds.  We pray for the homesick, missing family and friends and for the family and friends missing their loved ones.  As they walk round empty rooms, or look back on old photographs, help them to remember the special times, if only moments sometimes and find comfort. 

We pray for those mourning the loss of career, hopes and dreams, loss of health and vitality.  A failed marriage or other close relationship.   

We pray for the sick in body, mind or spirit or maybe all three.  Those in constant physical pain , those who are under a constant black cloud with depression.  The young person at school who suffers a sudden attack of panic, maybe for no  reason they understand, or the older  person at work who suffers the same panic, anxiety and distress.  The retired person at home alone, also feeling panic and anxiety.  Lord convict them that your great love will lead them through, you will be the peace in their troubled sea.  This may not mean they will be healed in this life, you don't promise to take all suffering away, but to walk through the valley of the shadow of death with us.

Lord we bring before you all those who are angry, who perhaps don't quite understand what they are angry about.  Those of us who are sensitive and all too easily throw pity parties.  Those who recognize wrong attitudes in others, but not in ourselves and so don't seek your help to correct them. Lord thank you that you do help us in our wrestling and struggles over different issues in our lives if we only but seek you to do so. 

We think of teachers who sometimes have to be all things to all pupils, who without any formal training seek to counsel and help their pupils through all kinds of difficulties.  Of pastors and church workers who have sometimes to put their own family lives and problems on hold to help those they serve in the flock.

So great shepherd of the sheep, this morning we seek you collectively, recognizing the power of the holy spirit working in our midst, the grace and love extended to us, by Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

As we do so, we recognize that our prayers in this section have been mainly Longmeadow, surrounding area and U.K.   focused.  Although many of these things will apply worldwide.  We know there are many additional problems and challenges faced by many in many parts of the world.  The problems and hardships are many and are heartbreaking, frightening far reaching and complex.   A very apt time to say yet again Teach us, teach me Lord how to pray. 

O Jesus I have promised to serve Thee to the end.  Be thou forever near me, My Master and my friend. I shall not fear the battle if thou art by my side, nor wander from the pathway if thou wilt be my guide.  We acknowledge words, we often sing Here in the Power of Christ I Stand. 

In His Victorious Name we pray.  Amen 

We, our lives, are perhaps a jigsaw, in the master's hands.  We are a broken people, in a broken world.  Some with frayed edges, square points trying to fit into round holes.  Increase our faith that you will fit all the pieces together. Make us pliable clay in the potter's hands.   Help us not to be surprised at the fiery trials, storms, raging in and around us.  To know it is happening to God's people everywhere and one day we will reach that paradise promised to us. You  tell us in your word, that you alone know the plans you have for us, plans for prosperity not disaster.  

This section in particular was very heart felt and is tonight as I sit there, thinking how hard it must be for young people to fit all the pieces together.  I as an older person, find it very difficult sometimes to make sense of life and my fellow human beings.  Life is hard, but I cannot help feeling we sometimes make it much harder than it need be.