Hated Jesus - John 7:1-13

Father,
You are so good

So lovely

So kind
So merciful
So gracious.
You are always opposed to evil.
It saddens us that the world hates you.
May we be prepared for its hatred of us
May we not hate you
May we not seek to elicit power when you work in weakness
May we respond to hatred with resolute, committed love
Amen

Is God really in charge? John 6:35-40 & 60-71

Our Loving Heavenly Father
Full of grace
Full of mercy
Full of compassion
You desire that we trust your Son
And receive eternal life.
Your Son has ascended to give us confidence
Your Spirit gives us life
And you grant that we may come to you.
Strengthen our faith.
Enable us to keep on believing
Taking confidence that you have chosen us for your glory.
Amen
 

Inspiration - 2 Peter 1:16-2:3

Our Father
Our trust is not based on the testimony of one person
But on the eye-witness accounts of many:
They heard your voice speak
They saw your Son live
And they heard the testimony of the prophets.
May we trust them!
Hear the Scriptures!
Listen to your voice!
Ever wary of false teachers and heresies!
Amen

John 6:22-35 - Why are we exhausted?

Our Father
We have wasted so much of ourselves on desires that are perishing
We have worked for that which will not endure
And it has exhausted us.
Forgive us.
Grow in us the realisation that you desire to give us life
That you have sent Jesus the author of life that we may have life
May we trust him and find rest in him alone
Amen.

 

Facing Fear - John 6:1-21

 Father,
Give us a sense of the greatness of Jesus,
That we might remember our smallness,
Even as we revel in his greatness.
May we not live afraid,
Instead
Enable us to live trusting your power
Repenting of our fears
Looking to Jesus
Amen
 

Confession - Fear (John 6:1-21)

Our loving heavenly Father
Our many fears display our forgetfulness of your greatness
Forgive us that we treat you as if you are
Small
Inconsequential
Trivial
When you are eternal.
Forgive us that we consider ourselves great.
Our fears show the folly of our thinking
Restore us
Forgive us
Remind us
Give us such a sense of your greatness
May we revel in your love for us.
And so, love you more
Amen 

Extraordinary Jesus - John 5:31-47

Father, you have caused all Scripture to be written that we may know and love Jesus.
Help us to read the Scriptures:
·       to hear them,
·       to scrutinise them,
·       to trust them,
·       to absorb them
·       and to apply them,
So that we may receive and never let go of the eternal life which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen