The Power of God's Love

Eternal Father strong to save, his past year of 2012 has seen an unusual amount of pain and suffering on the part of people the world over.  There have been senseless killings of innocent women and children.  The drought which has beseiged most of the midwestern states of the US has left the land parched and the rivers and lakes drying up.  The leaders of our nation seem unable to put the welfare of our nation before their own self interests threatening us with a "financial cliff" which will only heighten the depravation and suffering of the least and the lowest even more than they are presently experincing.  And still we do not turn to you for guidance to save us from our own devices!  Forgive us for our individual and corporate social sins which threaten to undo us as a nation, and as a world.  May You use the power of Your Love to bring us together seeking to help one another.  O Lord, we know the future is in your hands - may you have mercy on us and grant us your continued grace and hope for 2013.  In Jesus' Name we pray.  Amen.

Let Your Sprit Rule

O King eternal, invisible, only wise God our Savior: We pray that you will come to us giving us courage to face a new year by placing your Spirit in the hearts and minds of all people.  As we prepare to end this old year and enter into 2013, we do so with fear and trembling, not knowing what the future holds - but help us to trust the future, knowing it is in your hands! Let your Spirit fill our world with righteousness and justice and especilly your Love.  Establish every good work that is founded on your Truth, and fulfill all the good hopes and desires of your pepole.  Manifest your will for all nations, especially the United States, and make us loyal to your commandments once again.  Thus may all nations grow closer to your good will for us all.  In Christ's Name we pray.  Amen.

Guide Us In The Days To Come

Lord, who has been our dwelling place in every generation, before whom all lives are judged in righteousness and everlasting mercy; be our guide and desire of life in the days before us.  Your breath of life sustains us.  Bless us with joy, even in days of sorrow and with light, even in our days of darkness.  We ask this in your most blessed Name.  Amen.

Comfort Us In Our Grief

Eternal Father/Mother, our hearts and spirits are heavy as we approach the end of this yiear 2012, and we cry out for your comfort and strength to endure.  This year has been filled with an unusual amount of pain and suffering world wide, and the grief of the world is overpowering - reaveal once again your eternal presence with us as we enter into the new year next week.  For only your Love can help us  to be comforted and to gtive us the will to persevere in the New Year.  Hear the cries of your people and come to us - be born IN us once again.  In Jesus' Name we offer this prayer.  Amen.

The Gifts of Christmas

Everlasting Father, whose glorious love and holy righteousness appeared in Jesus Christ; we adore you for this night of fullfillment and rejoicing.  As we behold the wonder of your goodness, we bow in himility and repentance.  The innocence of the Babe rebukes our selfishness, hardness and unbrotherliness.  Forgive us our sins.  We would make room in our hearts for your presence by letting evil be driven out and your Spirit be born anew.  Then shall we know the gifts of your peace and good will.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Teach Us Your Word

Gracioud God, whose Word is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword; Grant to us today a real understanding of your truth for our lives.  Through your holy Word teach, guide, uphold and comfort us, that we may no longer be children of the dark, but children of Light.  Help us to grow in stature and faith through study of your Word.  In Jesus' Name we pray.  Amen.

Give Us Hope

O Lord, Hope of the world, give us an upward look that sweeps beyond the trials and hardship of this world.  Keep us faithful in our appointed tasks until you come to vanquish the reign of evil and to establish your Kingdom in power and glory.  We pray in your Name.  Amen.

Establish Your Kingdom

O Lord, brightest Promise from God, awaken in us a new surge of trust filled devotion during this season.  Aid us to find and express the spirit of love and of generosity in our Christmas preparations.  Give to our disconsolate world the peace that is built upon righteous good will and brotherly sympathy.  Bless all who are stricken by grief with the hope of eternal life.  Permit all who bear sickness to feel the restoring power of your hand.  All this we ask in your most blessed Name.  Amen.

Forgive Our Foolish Sinfulness

Merciful God, so often our actions seem to indicate that we prefer to walk in darkness rather than in the light of your Holy Word.  We confess that we are so easily attracted to the gleam of worldly possessions, by flashing lust, by fleeting pleasures, and by our foolish pretensions.  We are deluded by the flickering lights of human wisdom instead of turning to the Sun of Righteousness.  We have become so self-concerned that we forget to watch out for others.  Forgive us our foolish sinfulness.  In Jesus' Name we pray.  Amen.

Light Of Eternal Glory

Loving God, light of eternal glory; we praise you for coming in to the world in Jesus to dispell the darkness in human life.  Let that light shine through our lives as we celebrate Advent/Christmas once again.  In this world beseiged by evil, we need that power of your light to guide us on our way, and to transform us into vessels of your divine saving grace.  We thank you for all those who trusted your leading in the storms of history, for all who bravely proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom and for all who have endured presecution and pain for you sake.  Let your light shine into the darkened lives of those who have lost loved ones this past week in Newtown, Conneticuit, and all others to whom sorrow has overshadowed their lives.  We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Comfort Your People

Yesterday morning, our President cried, and millions of us cried with him at the senseless horrific act of violence in New Town, Connecticut where 20 innocent, beautiful children were murdered along with 7 adults trying to save and protect them.  Since then millions around the world have been praying to God for comfort of the bereaved families, and the traumatised surviving children who witnessed this terrible act against their classmates.  May we continue our prayers in the months ahead, and may we come together to devise ways to prevent such acts of violence from happening again.

God of immeasurable power, and yet with the gentleness of a loving mother/father, in complete disbelief and heart wrenching grief, we come to you in prayer on behalf of the families of those beautiful children and adults who were murdered in their school yesterday.  We struggle to discover the reason behind such violence, in the attempt to prevent similar acts in the future.  Evil is the only explanation some of us have, and we know we need your power and love to stand up against such evil in our world.  So, God of the past, present and future, may our prayers not be words only, but lead to our resolve to unite with one another, giving allegiance to You, and standing as one supporting each other, and protecting each other.  Put your loving arms around all of us who are grief stricken - especially the parents and families of these little victims - and comfort us and strengthen us to love our children more and to nurture ALL children as our own - for we are all yours, children of the Heavenly Father.  In Jesus Name we offer this humble prayer.  Amen.

Comfort Your People

Lord, who came into the world to comfort your people, be the consolation of the aged as they approach the time when you will call them home into your kingdom.  May these years be especially rich for them as they draw ever closer to you.  Come as a guiding vision to all those who are struggling every day just to survive.  May they feel your hand upholding them and your love encouragng them not to despair.  Direct the searching eyes of youth until they find and follow you.  May they follow the path of service to their fellow humans, which you would guide them to pursue.  May those in our land or in distant countries who are waiting for the hour of redemption be assured by your birth into our world, that you are with us always and hear their prayers and have them in your care.  Thank you for your promise of comfort. 

Amen.

Prepare Our Hearts

O Savior-Messiah, hover over us to help us prepare once more for your coming into the world.  Let our preparation be sincere and complete, not superficial.  Make us quick to recognize that in our lives which is contrary to your will for us.  When you judge our lives as wanting, let us humbly resolve to do better in the months ahead.  When our attitudes are far from your example, give us the wisdom to change our thoughts.  As you enter our homes and families again, unite us in peace and understanding love.  We would behold the loveliness of your Kingdom as we joyfully work for its advent into our world once again.  In your most blessed Name we offer this prayer.  Amen.

Awaken Us To The Coming Of Your Kingdom

Loving God, impart to us a clear vision of faith which will guide us toward Your Kingdom.  Lead us to discover the new law which You have written upon our hearts.  Attune our spirits to hear the voice of the Messiah, whose birth we celebrate in this Advent Season.  Awaken in us a high expectancy of the coming of Your Kingdom.  Your promises are ever new and abundant and gracious.  Thank You for Your Love.  In Jesus' Name we pray.  Amen.

Prepare Our Hearts

O God, who reigns in a kingdom that is and is to come, and who placed a desire in our hearts that leaves us seekers until we find our way back to You; let this Advent season be a time of glad awaiting of your entrance into our lives and hearts once again.  We long for You even when we don't know it.  We praise you, God of all creatiion, that you have revealed yourself to Your children throughout the ages.  Let Your Spirit come upon us in our day opening to us new life.  Dwell among our hurried and dissatisfied lives until we recognize You as the fulfillment of our spirits' groping and longing.  In the Name of the Christ Child, we do pray. 
Amen.

Thanks For Creation

Most gracious God, we give you humble and hearty thanks for the world which you have created for our dwelling place, for all our friends and family and for the love which binds us to you and to one another here on earth and for all of eternity in your Heavenly Kingdom.  We are thankful that you have placed in our hearts the love and compassion which shows itself more brilliantly during this Christmas Season, as we remember the greatest gift of all from you, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we do pray.  Amen.

Prepare Our Hearts

O God, who prepared the minds and hearts of women and men of old for the coming of your Son, cast out all sin in our minds and hearts today, that we might we ready to receive your Son once again into our lives.  Let your Spirit illumine our darkened lives with the light of His Gospel.   Prepare us anew that Christ might dwell within us, not just for this season, but for all our days.  May He ever reign in our thoughs and affectins as the King of Love and the Prince of Peace. Grant this, we pray, for His sake.  Amen.

Show us the Way To Peace and Accord

O Lord, once again we hear through your word the voice of "one crying in the wilderness" across the centuries.  Open our ears that we may hear that voice of John the Baptizer, and heed his call to repent and prepare our hearts once again for the coming of the King!  We long for there to be accord in our nation once again, and we yearn for peace throughout the world.  If there be any way that we as individuals can help bring about that peace and accord, reveal it to us and give us the strength to pursue that course in our lives.  Humbly we ask it in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Hope Of The World

Hope of the world unfailing, we start off this Advent journey proclaiming that your love in the Christ Child brought hope for all your children.  Bless us as we try to witness to that faith we have.  May our lives bear  that testimony and not our words only.  There are so many of our sisters and brothers who have lost their way and now live in desperation and hopelessness.  May we bring your hope to them as we befriend them in Jesus' name.  We acknowledge that if it weren't for your Lord Jesus, we, too, would live in hopelessness.  Makes us bearers of Good News bringing hope and joy to this world.  In Jesus' Name we pray.  Amen.

Thanks For All Your Mercies

Almighty anbd most merciful God, from whom comes every good and perfect gift:  We give you hearty thanks for all your mercies.  Crearte in us a greater love for you, and enable us to show our thankfulness for all your benefits by dedicating ourselves to your srvice.  Through Jesus Christ, we pray.  Amen.