Our dear God, loving Father in heaven, how wonderful it is to come before Your Holy presence.  

Thank you Lord for bringing each of us safely to this Your House of Worship.

We rest in Your love and grace on this Your Holy Sabbath Day.

We humbly surrender our lives to You in praise and worship.

 

As we gather and pray together, we remember those who are not with us today

For those who are sick, we ask for healing

We lift up to you those who are in the prayer list

whose names You know more than we do

Please visit with them and comfort them in their pain.

 

We ask that You will continue to heal those who are recovering from their illnesses

And through all these sufferings, please help us remember that all these are temporary 

And finally in the earth made new, all will end,

and there will be no more suffering, pain nor separation.

 

For those away from us for whatever reason or circumstance,

we ask for Your blessing to be upon them.

 

Father, there are those among us who are seated on the pews

who are silently suffering

They show their brave and happy faces as they come in to church

but their hearts are bleeding

They are disheartened, discouraged, depressed, misunderstood, abandoned by friends,

isolated from family, hopeless, jobless, and very lonely.

 

Please Lord, look down from above with mercy, look into their hearts

for only You can understand

Please hold them close to You and let them know how much You love them.

Ease their pain and inspire them to come to You so they will realize

that it's only by coming to You and surrendering everything to You

that they will find true happiness and satisfaction,

for only You can satisfy.

 

Guide them to the true path so they will find solutions to their burdens

And provide people along their way, friends who will able 

to help carry and lighten their load.

 

And now, we invite your Holy Spirit to come into our hearts

Guide us, direct us, teach us, challenge us and comfort us.

Please open our eyes, broaden our understanding

and grant us the discernment to see the good in others 

and help us to love one another as you have loved us unconditionally.

 

Please open our minds that we will be receptive of the message

You would want us to learn today through Your messenger.

And when we will leave this place, may we act on what we have learned

and may we be bold enough to share your message.

 

May we be strengthened and willing to be used

as channels of Your blessings and welcome You always in our lives

as we await Your soon return.

 

Please prepare all of us for Your kingdom

and may all of us have a place in those mansions You have prepared 

for the righteous and faithful ones.

 

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.