Opening Prayers/Prayers of Adoration on Guidance
Inspired by John 14:6
Jesus – Savior, Friend, and Lord:
When we’re lost, confused and anxious – You are our Way.
When we misunderstand – and are misunderstood,
when we are lied to and lied about,
and when we lie or believe the lies – You are the Truth.
And when we feel drained of vitality,
or afraid of death and dying –
You are our Resurrection and the Life.
You guide us,
speak to us the Truth in love
and You give us hope … always.
For that we praise You, now and forever.
And because of that, we come to You
with all we are and aren’t,
knowing You’ll help us, and those we care about.
O God, we thank you that you have not treated us as we deserve.
We thank you that, though you are Creator, Judge and King, you are also Father, so that, though we are wandering children, there is always a road back to our Father’s house.
You have spoken to us,
In the voice of conscience,
In the words of your Book,
In the promptings of your Holy Spirit,
And yet we have not obeyed your voice
You have shown us the best,
In the ideals which still haunt us,
In the life and example of Godly men [and women]
In the pattern of Jesus,
And yet we have not followed it.
You have tried to teach us,
In the events of history,
In the experiences of life,
Those who sing and those who make music,
So that their work may not be a performance but an act of worship.
Those whose duty is to administer the affairs of the Church,
That they may faithfully, wisely, and lovingly
Care for the things of your house and your household.
Those whose task it is to keep clean and fresh and tidy the church and its premises,
That they may find joy even in the common tasks;
And make others thoughtful enough not to make the work of all such harder than it need be.
All who come to worship and to learn each Sunday,
And to be happy in fellowship in the days of the week;
And grant that every congregation of Christian people may be a place where people find each other and find you.
All this we ask for your love’s sake. Amen.
William Barclay, Prayers for the Christian Year, Harper Chapel Books, 1965
O God, our Guide and Guardian,
You have led us apart from the busy world into the quiet of your house.
Grant us grace to worship you in Spirit and in truth,
To the comfort of our souls
and the upbuilding of every good purpose and holy desire.
Enable us to do more perfectly the work to which you have called us,
That we may not fear the coming of night,
when we shall resign into your hands
the tasks which you have committed to us.
So that worship not with our lips at this hour,
but in word and deed all the days of our lives;
Through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Book of Worship, 1965
Wilderness Prayer
Inspired by Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16
God of the Ages
Our Deliverer and Provider
We bow in humility before your grace
You feed us with the divine
Your word
Your body
You quench our thirst with living water
A stream in the desert
You guide our feet through snares and snakes
You free us from slavery to sin and self and shame and death
You lead us the long way to holiness and home
Grow in us wholehearted allegiance
that our blessing and devotion may never waver
that we may always recognize and trust your desire to do us good
Amen
Wilderness Prayer © 2017 by Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, www.revlisad.com