A belly full of water when you are thirsty - John 7:37-52

Father,
You have made us thirsty for you
We ache for living water
May we come to your Son and drink deeply
And as your Holy Spirit fills us may we overflow with Christ
For all eternity
Amen

 

John 5: 17-29 - God: The Trinity

Our Father,
Thank you, that you and your Son Jesus are in perfect harmony.
Thank you, that you raise the dead to life.
Thank you, that judgement is coming for those who do evil.
Thank you that when we believe we pass from death to life.
Amen

Let's talk about life (part 1) - John 3:1-15

Father,
Thank you that we can enter the Kingdom of God
Thank you, that when we believe, we are given eternal life
Thank you that we are loved by you
Thank you that we are not condemned by you
But instead saved by you.
Help us to come increasingly into the light
To hate the darkness
To hate the evil and wicked things that dwell in our hearts
To love the light
To do what is true
Amen

How to spot a fake pastor - 2 Corinthians 6v1-13

Our Father,
We pray for gospel ministers to display great endurance under great suffering.
We pray for them to increasingly fight for holiness of life, for purity of heart, for knowledge of you, for patience with others, for kindness of behaviour, love for the lost and truth in a world of lies.
We pray for them to endure when they are spoken well of and when they are maligned.
May they minister, may they always focus not on themselves but on others.
And we pray that Christians, the world over, may open their hearts and affections to genuine gospel ministers.
Not receiving the grace of God in vain.
Amen

Lies we tell ourselves #3 -“I am what I feel; I am what others say about me” Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 2:1-10

Father forgive us that we define ourselves by our feelings
Forgive us that we care a great deal about what others say about us and little about what you say about us.
Turn our thoughts to your true diagnosis of us.
May we increasingly display the fruit of the Spirit
And live by the Spirit
Rejoicing in our identity as sons of God
Saved by grace
Seated in the throne room of heaven.
To your honour and glory alone.
Amen

The Holy Spirit, Sin, Truth and lots of other stuff

 John 16:4b-15

Our Father

Thank you that Jesus is ascended and that the Spirit of Truth has come
We pray for him to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment
I pray for him to convict me of sin, righteousness and judgment
Forgive us for not being earnest about sin
Forgive us for trying to do the work of the Spirit ourselves
Thank you that you have given us truth in your Son
And that we can know your son through your word
May we seek after him with all our hearts and souls
Amen

Hate. Love. Chosen, the Holy Spirit and lots of other stuff

 John 15:18-16:4a

Our Father,
It astonishes us that the world would hate you and your Son.
We are also surprised when the world hates us.
Keep us from falling away.
Keep us strong in the face of hatred.
Ever remembering your warnings.
Seeking to bear witness for you.
And straining forward to the day when we will be with you for all eternity
Amen

Overcoming Trouble and Fear

John 14:15-31

Our Father,
We marvel that you would deign to dwell with us and in us through your Spirit.
Thank you that as a result we can live.
May our love for you bubble out of us
May our love for each other bubble out of us
May our love for the lost bubble out of us
May our love for the world bubble out of us
Thank you for the peace that you give which is made possible through your presence.
In Christ’s name we pray.
Amen.

 

Confession

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit:
We have too often exchanged the worship of the living God for idols of our own imagining.
We remember today:
How we have desired domination
How we have been self-concerned.
We have forgotten the undivided Trinity.
We have forgotten Christ’s death on the cross.
We have forgotten the submission of the Spirit.
Fix our eyes on you.
Forgive us in Christ.
Heal us by the Holy Spirit.
Hear our prayers for Jesus Christ sake.
Amen

 

Prayer when I just don't want to: Nehemiah 13

Father Almighty

We long that our hearts might be changed

That our wills might desire you

That our thoughts might be pure

That our actions be godly.

O change us we pray!

Thank you that Christ did not come to change the externals alone but also to change our hearts.

Holy Spirit accelerate your work in us that we might truly love you even as we long for that day of culmination.

Amen

What kind of a king do we need? - 1 Samuel 9:1-10:26

Father we need a king to save us from the hand of our enemies

One in whom is your Spirit

One who has you; God with him

And who works for your objectives.

We are prone to reject you even though you save us from calamities and distresses

You have appointed king Jesus, may we cherish him, love him, adore him and serve him.

Light in a Dark Place - John 8:12

Father

Thank you that Jesus is the light in a world of night.

Though we walk in the darkness of death

You offer us the light of life.

May we flee to the light.

  Seek the light

  Love the light

  Live by the light

And let light shine from us

Amen

O God, I want light. My life is darkness.

Forgive me for living a life as if you are not there

Forgive my rebellion and wickedness

Give me light.

Give me life.

Give me Jesus.

Give me your Holy Spirit.

Give me eternity with you.

Amen

Not Home Yet - Genesis 23:1-20

Father, your people are aliens and strangers in this world.

We do not fully receive what you have promised,

But our hearts are drawn to settle here,

Our eyes are fixed on the temporary,

Our minds are lured to the transient,

Our souls are lured by the present and the visible.

Give us ears that listen to your promises.

Minds that remember them,

Hearts that believe them,

Souls that are quick to abandon the pleasures of this world.

And give us a longing for eternity with you.

Thank you that your Spirit is the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.

Come Lord Jesus come.

Pray in the Spirit - Ephesians 6:18-20

Father may we pray in the Spirit on all occasions.

May our lives be characterised by all kinds of prayers and requests.

May we always keep on praying as we live for you and not for ourselves.

Keep us alert.

Keep us praying for all the saints.

Keep the saints declaring the gospel fearlessly.

And empower us to declare it to ourselves and to the world.

Fullness Ephesians 5:15-20

Father of fullness,

Make us careful in how we live.

Make us wise not foolish,

Redeeming the time,

Recognising that the days are evil.

May we know your will,

Be filled with the Holy Spirit,

May your word overflow from our hearts into our mouths and our lives.

May we sing of your greatness and your salvation.

Filled with gratitude for everything,

In the name of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ephesians 4:17-5:20 - The Strategy for Sin

Father,

Our futile minds seek to be like everyone else;

We were darkened, alienated, ignorant, hard-hearted, callous, greedy and impure.

But we have learned Christ!

May we put off our corrupt and deceitful desires.

May we be renewed in our minds putting on the new self, to be righteous and holy like you.

May we not grieve the Spirit but instead be filled by the Spirit as we replace

Lies with truth;

Anger with peace;

Theft with generosity;

Evil talk with encouragement;

Malice with kindness;

Anger with forgiveness;

Impurity with gratitude;

Darkness with light;

Foolishness with wisdom;

Drunkenness with praise.

And domination with submission.

Lived In and Loved Up

Our Father

We pray that your Spirit would empower us.

We pray that your Son would indwell us.

We pray that we might be rooted and cemented in love.

We pray that we might comprehend your love.

We pray that we might be filled up to the fullness of God.

We commit ourselves to you, knowing that you can change us more than we can ever ask or imagine.

To you be the glory for ever and ever.

Amen