Opening Prayers/Prayers of Adoration on (Being) Lost
Inspired by Luke 15
As a shepherd seeks a lost sheep,
so God seeks and saves the lost.
Like a woman who searches for a lost coin until it is found,
so God rejoices over one soul restored to wholeness.
As a father receives a returning wayward son,
so God welcomes us, and lets the past be the past.
Therefore let us praise God in thanksgiving that we are received.
Let us receive and welcome and rejoice over one another in the name of Jesus Christ.
Ruth Duck in The United Methodist Book of Worship: Regular Edition Black, United Methodist Publishing House, 2016.
Lord – Creator, Savior and Sustainer:
You called our names and we answered.
When we were lost – You found us.
When we were sick – You healed us.
When we were blind – You opened our eyes.
When we were dead in our sin – You died to give us life.
That’s why we are here; that’s why we praise You.
(Prayer of Confession)
Yet too often we overlook all that you’ve done for us.
We become self-consumed,
loving ourselves too much,
others too little and You hardly at all.
In Your grace and compassion:
hear the silent confession of our own sins,
and forgive us, we pray. (silence)
(Prayer of Adoration)
Lord – You are good …and Your goodness knows no bounds.
When we were lost, You sought us out,
found us and brought us home.
When we were alone, You came near to us,
and You gave us a new circle of friends and family.
Each breath we take, each sunrise we see,
Each heartbeat we feel and each song we sing or hear –
All are gifts from You.
(Prayer of Confession)
Yet, we’ve grown complacent in Your blessings:
Taking them for granted, rather than as signs of Your grace;
Keeping them for ourselves, rather than using them to bless others.
Forgive our selfish hearts and closed fists.
Forgive our self-importance
that leads us to take ourselves too seriously,
to take You too lightly and to forget others altogether.
Forgive us what we’re too embarrassed to name out loud,
As you hear the silent confessions of our hearts and the whispers of our souls … [Silence] AMEN.
(Prayer of Adoration)
Father God … our Abba:
You seek us with relentless love – coming after us in Your Son, Jesus.
When we are in the pits – You draws us up and out;
When we are broken – You fix us.
When we are lost – You find us.
When we are confused about who we are –
You call us by name and calls us Your own.
With hearts stilled and filled with Your love:
We bring our thanks and praise to You today.
(Prayer of Confession)
Yet – how often we forget who we are as Your children.
We live like we are not Yours but someone else’s;
Like we are not created in Your image,
redeemed by the blood of Your Son,
indwelt by Your very self in the Holy Spirit.
Forgive our wandering hearts, our lusty spirits,
Our self-centered attitudes and selfish actions.
(Prayer of Adoration)
Gracious God – our Father:
Sufficient and sovereign, yet, compassionate and kind;
You tell us the truth while the world lies to us;
You give us light and hope,
while all around us cast darkness and despair.
When we mess up our lives – you give us a new one.
When we lose our way – You find us and guide us home.
When we are cast out – You call us by name and take us in.
It’s no wonder we praise You.
It’s no wonder we love You.
(Prayer of Confession)
Yet sometimes we seek to steal Your glory,
to love ourselves and ignore You.
Forgive us – and in the quiet hear our heart’s confession
Of how we hurt others and dishonor You. (silence … )
(Prayer of Adoration)
Loving God—Father Son and Holy Spirit—
we come today as thirsty people
to You who are the Spring of Living Water.
We come as hungry people
to You who are the Bread of Heaven.
We come as sinful and lonely people
to You who are the Friend of Sinners.
We come as confused and lost people
to You as our Counselor, who is the Way, the Truth,
and our Pole Star.
With Thomas, we call Your our Lord and our God—
the giver of peace, the source of hope and the reason for our joy;
and that’s why we praise You.
That’s why we worship You.
(Prayer of Confession)
However, … sometimes we forget who You are
and begin to worship ourselves instead:
trusting our wisdom and strength more than Yours,
following our wants and desires more than Yours,
stealing for ourselves the honor and glory that’s Yours alone. We’ve loved ourselves too much,
others too little and You hardly at all.
Forgive us.
Help us to change—to think differently, to speak differently,
and to act differently.
Now, in the quiet of these moments, hear the cries of our hearts
declaring what we’re too ashamed of to say aloud: (silence).
(Assurance of Pardon)
Hear the Good News – Jesus Christ came in to the world to save sinners, like you and like me. By His grace active in your faith in Jesus as savior and Lord, I declare as true that you are forgiven and free from all your sins. Alleluia! AMEN.