Authentic Love is Outward - Romans 12:9-16

Father
Give us
    Authentic love
    A hatred of evil
    Brotherly affection
    Honour growing in our hearts
Give us
    Zeal not sloth
    Fervour in the Spirit not apathy
    Earnestness in serving you.
May we be
    Filled with hope
    Patient when suffering
    Constant in prayer.
Give us
    Generous and hospitable hearts
May we
    Shower blessings on others
    Fight for harmony
    Treasure lowliness
For your honour and glory 

Seen in your church
Amen
 

5 Tips to fight better - 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11

Father you always deal with us with sincerity and grace.
You have done what is best for us even when we have resisted you.
You have acted to spare us pain, always driven by your anguish and tears over our situation.
And you have overwhelmingly loved and forgiven us
May these things to be in us too
For your glory alone
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

Full Joy

John 15:1-17 

Our Father,
Keep us in your Son.
Prune us,
Don’t cut us off.
May we bear abundant fruit for you.
Keep us abiding when we have little strength.
Give us the courage to ask boldly
That you may be glorified.
May we keep your commandments
Especially the command to love.
May we be defined by love.
May we be a people of love.
May full joy be in us.
May we marvel that your son calls us friend.
And has chosen us to bear abiding fruit
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.

Really Living

 
Deuteronomy 6:1-12

Father,
Help me to listen to you.
Help me to love you.
Help me to overflow with you.
Inhabit my hands and my eyes.
Inhabit my home and my speaking
May I never forget you in the blessings you provide.
Instead turn my self-love into God love.
Amen

Exploding Love
Philippians 1:3-11

Our loving, heavenly Father,

You have begun a good work in us,
And you will bring it to completion on the day of Christ.
Forgive us for not abounding in love.
May our love abound.
May we desire love.
Forgive us for attempting love without knowledge and discernment.
Make our abounding love, knowledgeable and clear thinking
Make us pure and blameless.
Fill us with the fruit of righteousness
For the day when we meet Christ
To your glory, praise and honour.
Amen

 

 
Confession based on Philippians 1:9-11

Our loving, heavenly Father,
You have made us holy.
You have begun a good work in us
And are bringing us to the day of completion.
Forgive us for not abounding in love.
Forgive us for not desiring to abound in love.
Forgive us for attempting love without knowledge and discernment.
Make us pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
Fill us with the fruit of righteousness
To your glory and praise.
Amen

Loving: the Successful Life - 1 Cor 13

Father,

We desire public esteem

We desire to be praised for our wisdom

We even desire radical generosity

But they are nothing without love.

We do not desire patience and kindness.

Keep us from envy, boasting, pride, rudeness, self-seeking, anger and hatred.

Make our hearts to delight in truth,

To always protect,

To be full of trust, hope and perseverance.

May we look not at what is temporary but at what is eternal.

May we contemplate the cross and your love that is the source and foundation of all love

For your glory alone 

Amen

Father my heart does not want to love,

  O change my heart!

People are often so unlovely, haters, hurters, enemies

  O change my heart!

And yet love must be possible.

You have done it.

You have commanded it.

You are love.

Soak me in your love.

Soak my emotions so that I feel your love.

And may love flow from me whenever I speak.

May I initiate love,

Be energised to love,

Act for love,

React in love,

And desire love just as you have loved me,

  O change my heart!

Father
Change my anger into grace
my selfishness into service
my fear into loving.
Change the desires of my heart

Give me eyes to see your salvation
ears to delight in your voice
affections that are warm towards you
and a life filled with holy and enduring actions

May your Son shine ever brighter
your grace be ever more precious
the cross be my beacon and my pillar
and you ever be the direction of my heart

Amen

Life in Groups - Racism

Father forgive me that I have not seen your image in people;

That my fear of others has conquered my love.

Forgive me that I have not seen the blood of your son shed for all people;

But have instead thought your death was for me alone.

Forgive me that I have not seen the images of heaven;

Of a people gathered around your throne from every tribe, language and nation.

Transform my heart to be like your heart;

And my eyes to see what you see;

And my life to be as your death;

That I may love all people;

As you love us.

Amen

Double Think

Father,

Forgive me that I compartmentalise my life.

That there are areas where I will let you in and there are areas that I shut you out.

Show me more areas where I haven’t let you in. Open up all of my heart to you.

Make my love for you complete.

Turn my wayward heart totally towards you.

Give me total dedication.

Total submission.

Total joy in being loved by you.

Total peace in your grace to me.

A single minded heart solely devoted to you.

Individualism

Father,

You are in perfect relationship,

The Trinity of service,

The unity of love.

Forgive us that this community is shattered,

In our hearts,

And our actions.

We live lives fueled by our own desires,

Striving for our own wants,

Lonely and afraid.

Turn our hearts outwards towards others,

And upwards towards you.

Deuteronomy 5:6-22

Our Father you have rescued us from our slavery.

You have rescued us to be your loved people.

May our hearts be exclusively devoted to you.

May our lives be centred on loving you.

May we rest in you and remember you.

May we love others, seeking their best.

May our selfish desires be turned into sacrificial love.

As we taste the sweetness of being loved by you!

Amen

A Surprising God; A Surprising Life

Our Father

You are a God whose son dies that we might live;

A God who gives that we might get;

   Who serves that we might be saved;

   Who speaks that we might know you;

   Who empties himself that we might be filled;

   Who suffers that we might escape pain;

   Who pays that we might be ransomed;

   Who substitutes that we might be forgiven;

   Who declares us righteous though we are not!

If we choose to live we die.

If we seek ourselves, we lose our souls.

If we serve our desires, we lose our hearts.

As we hold, we lose,

As we take, we weep,

As we lash out, we hurt ourselves,

As we worry, we fear,

As we strive, we miss,

As we serve ourselves, we become lonely,

As we become rich, we become poor,

And as we find ease, we find emptiness.

But if like you we die, then we live,

As we give, then we get,

As we suffer, we find joy,

As we serve, we find purpose,

As we forgive, we find peace,

As we submit, we find freedom,

As we live outwardly, we find inner healing,

As we pray, we are protected.

Father in the light of the cross give us your Spirit.

Change us to

   Sow love where there is hatred;

   Peace where there is war;

   Grace where there is hurt;

   Faith where there is doubt;

   Hope where there is despair;

   Light where there is darkness;

  Joy where there is sadness;

  And life where there is death.

Amen

Ephesians 5:21-33

Father, replace

Dominance with submission;

Narcissism with sacrifice;

Taking with giving;

Impurity with radiance;

Disdain with respect;

Depravity with holiness;

Ugliness with beauty;

Self-love with radical care;

Selfishness with love;

And conflict with peace.

For your glory alone

Amen

The Surprising God

Our Father

You are a God whose son dies that we might live;

A God who gives that we might get;

Who serves that we might be saved;

Who speaks that we might know you;

Who empties himself that we might be filled;

Who suffers that we might escape pain;

Who pays that we might be ransomed;

Who substitutes that we might be forgiven;

Who declares us righteous though we are not!

 If we chose to live we die.

If we seek ourselves, we lose our souls.

If we serve our desires, we lose our hearts.

As we hold, we lose,

As we take, we weep,

As we lash out, we hurt ourselves,

As we worry, we fear,

As we strive, we miss,

As we serve ourselves, we become lonely,

As we become rich, we become poor,

And as we find ease, we find emptiness.

But when we die, then we live,

As we give, then we get,

As we suffer, we find joy,

As we serve, we find purpose,

As we forgive, we find peace,

As we submit, we find freedom,

As we live outwardly, we find inner healing,

As we pray, we are protected.

Father as we live remembering what you have done,

Help us to sow love where there is hatred.

Peace where there is war.

Grace where there is hurt.

Faith where there is doubt.

Hope where there is despair.

Light where there is darkness

Joy where there is sadness,

And life where there is death.

Amen

Love

Father of love,

We ask that you would give us hearts of love. 
Remove our innate selfishness.

Open our eyes to your love.

And so make us keen eyed of others.

Energetic of their needs,

And earnest to sacrificially love them,

We pray.

Amen               

Acts 15

Father

Banish our idols.

Tear them from our hearts.

Prise them from our hands.

Grow holiness.

Give us a hatred of evil.

Increase love.

Make us more aware of others.

Sensitive to their needs.

Less self-absorbed.

Let grace reign in us.

Let grace rule us.

Let grace be our vision and our guide.

Let grace be our joy.

And you alone our worship.

Amen