Prayers for the 7th Week in Easter

The Watchword for the week:

Jesus says, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." John 17:17

From the busyness of this day we gather to hear God’s call to us.

We gather together at the throne of grace to pray for ourselves, our loved ones, the Church, and the needs of a hurting world.

We gather in God’s presence to hear the truth,

So that we might speak it, and live it in our daily lives.

Psalm 1

1 Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;

2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night.

3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.

4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Together, let us confess our sins:

Gracious Lord, we know your word to be truth, but today we confess that at times our fallible minds find truth hard to define, and our mouths find the truth hard to speak. Forgive us for following paths which take us away from your loving intent for our lives. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

The Lord says: “I, even I, am the God who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and will not remember your sins. Go and sin no more.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, AMEN.

Take time now to read the Daily Texts for today. Pause after each scripture verse and ponder its meaning for your life today.
Then pray for those in need, pray for your own search for truth. When you have finished, please continue with the following prayers:

Our Lord Jesus Christ taught his disciples to pray in this manner:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.

Loving God, open our eyes to see your truth,

So that we might walk on the path of righteousness.

Christ, the living truth, grant us wisdom,

To choose your will for our lives.

Spirit of truth, blow through us today,

And empower us to bring good news to those who need to hear it.

To the God of lasting wisdom, to the God of relentless change, to God be glory, majesty, dominion, and power,

Now and forever. Amen.

Prayers for the 6th Week in Easter

Watchword for the week:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Psalm 98:4

This is the day the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

May we sing, shout, and give thanks to God.

For in Christ, God has brought the kingdom of God close to us.

Psalm 98

1 O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.

2 The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.

3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.

5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.

6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. 7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.

8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy

9 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

Together, let us confess our sins:

Gracious Lord, forgive us when our mouths cease to joyously praise you. Forgive us for the times when we have used our months to speak ill of others instead of sharing our concern for them. Forgive us when our mouths have spoken harshly and hastily when anger has filled our souls. Forgive us for the times when the words coming from our mouths have spoken of envy, prejudice, and hate. Forgive us when our mouths have been silent instead of calling out injustice and abuse. Forgive us for our participation in a culture which seeks to use the earth for our own benefit rather than allowing it to show forth your glory. Forgive us Lord and bring us back to wholeness so that we may sing of your praise both night and day.

Grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, AMEN.

Take time now to read the Daily Texts for Today, or another passage or two of scripture that will provide inspiration for your day.

Then take time to simply be quiet in God's presence. Breathe deep and know that you are loved. As the names and faces of loved ones come across your mind, pray for them. As issues and concerns that are plaguing our nation and world come to mind, pray for them. When you are finished continue with this prayer as follows:

In one voice, we pray together:

Creator of the heavens and earth, we praise your holy name. We pray that the gracious ways of heaven may be made real in the world that we inhabit. We hunger for much more than food today, and we pray that you will satisfy us, and all who have need. We are awed by your forgiving nature, and pray that you would inspire us to forgive each other in like manner. We know that you have created us to be holy, and ask that you keep us from the temptation of living a life which would tarnish your image within us. You have created a world that is holy, and your glory and power are displayed in many wonderful ways; we give thanks for the blessings of our lives even as we seek to live into the eternity of yours. Amen.

Loving God, may the words of our mouths speak love,

And may they bring others closer to your presence.

Loving God, may the words of our mouths speak grace,

And may they bring others closer to your presence.

Loving God, may the words of our mouths speak peace,

And may they bring others closer to your presence.

Loving God, may the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable unto you,

Our rock and our redeemer.

Go forth from here and make a joyful noise to Lord.

Amen.

Prayers for the 5th Week of Easter

The Watchword for the week:

Jesus says, "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me."John 15:4

This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
We should praise the Lord at our rising, and at the setting of the sun.
May we share our faith and sing God’s praise through the living of each moment this day.

Psalm 22:25-31

25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
Before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.


Let us confess our wandering steps:

Gracious God, we humbly bow before you and confess that we sometimes live our lives as if we did not know you. We deny our need for the life giving strength and guidance that your Holy Word can provide us. We are sorry to find that we often attempt to satisfy our need for treasures and pleasures in ways that will not bring us deep happiness and purpose in life; and in fact cause us to walk away from you. Guide us to once again seek to abide in your love, and to live your graceful presence into the lives of those around us.

Grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, AMEN.

Take time now to read the Moravian Daily Texts for the day. After you have completed today's prayer, take time to pray for your needs, the needs of your family and friends, the needs of your congregation, and the needs of the hurting world. May we all be brought closer to Christ.

In one voice, we pray together:

Creator of the heavens and earth, we praise your holy name. We pray that the gracious ways of heaven may be made real in the world that we inhabit. We hunger for much more than food today, and we pray that you will satisfy us, and all who have need. We are awed by your forgiving nature, and pray that you would inspire us to forgive each other in like manner. We know that you have created us to be holy, and ask that you keep us from the temptation of living a life which would tarnish your image within us. You have created a world that is holy, and your glory and power are displayed in many wonderful ways; we give thanks for the blessings of our lives even as we seek to live into the eternity of yours. Amen.


The Festival Doxology:

Unto the Lamb that was slain,
And has redeemed us out of all nations of the earth;
Unto the Lord who purchased our souls for himself;
Unto that friend who loved us, and washed us from our sins by his own blood;
Who died for us once,
That we might die unto sin;
Who rose for us,
That we might also rise;
Who ascended for us into heaven,
To prepare a place for us;
And to whom are subjected the angels, and powers, and dominions; to him be glory at all times,
In the Church which waits for him, and in that church which is around him from everlasting to everlasting. Amen.

Prayers for the 4th Week in Easter

Watchword for the week:

Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:11

The Easter season calls us to celebrate new life.
Loving God, grant that we may be renewed by the Holy Spirit.
Help us to lay aside those things that lead us astray from you,
And help us to embrace those things which bring us closer to you and your will for our lives.

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.



Confession of Sin


Almighty and most merciful God, we have erred and strayed from your holy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too often the devices and desires of our own hearts, and we have offended your holy laws. This has separated us from you, and we have hurt even those that we love. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done things we ought not to have done, and we are truly sorry. O Lord, have mercy on us. Forgive us our sins as we are able to honestly confess them to you. Restore your image in us, and create in us a clean heart. Make of us a new creation, ready and willing to serve you.

Grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from our sins, and serve you with a quiet mind, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end, AMEN.

Take time now to read the Daily Texts for today. Pause at words or phrases that happen to catch your spirit, and ponder what God might be saying to you today.

After you have read the texts and prayer, continue in the spirit of prayer mentioning the needs that you bring today, the needs of your friends and family, and the needs of the world. When you have finished your prayer, continue as follows:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again, he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.


Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the shepherd of our lives, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

We thank you, Lord Jesus, not only for the privilege of believing in you, but of suffering for you as well, so that we may also be glorified with you.

Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, since as members of the body we were called to peace. And let us be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. Whatever we do, therefore, whether in word or deed, let us do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Amen.