Our Lord and Father God.
You are the great and mighty God. Your understanding has no limit. You determine the number of the stars and call them each by name. You sustain the humble but cast the wicked to the ground. You heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds. You cover the sky with clouds, you supply the earth with rain and make grass grow on the hills. You provide food for cattle and for wild birds. You don’t delight in military strength, you delight in those who fear you, who put their hope in your unfailing love. Ps 147
We confess that we don’t praise you as you deserve, or fear you, or trust you. We have a small view of you, and a distorted view of ourselves. We reject you, hurt others, sin and fail in so many ways. Only you could bridge the gap between your holiness and our guilt. Thank you for your son, who obeyed you perfectly, loved you completely, and took our place so that we could be your children. Change us by your holy spirit to be more like Jesus, let us draw near to you with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts washed to cleanse us from a guilty conscience. Help us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for you are faithful in your promises. And help us consider how we can spur each other on toward love and good deeds, encouraging one another—and all the more as we see the Day approaching.
We pray for others in our community to know you. Give us boldness to have conversations about our faith, or to invite people to the Mark Drama, or to church at Easter. Please be softening hearts to hear the gospel.
We pray for the Palestinian territories. We pray that Christians from Muslim backgrounds would not experience a backlash for following Christ. We pray for Christians to be representatives of peace in communities split by violence. And we pray for the provision of daily needs for the 38% of Palestinians living below the poverty line.
We thank you that N and J are preparing to return to Kenya, please give them safe travels. Please help them readjust to Kenyan culture, establish themselves in work and church and friendships, and please use them to grow your church in Kenya, understanding the bible better in knowledge of your love. And please send rain to end the drought, famine and hardship.
We pray that we Christians in the west, in security and comfort, wouldn’t take anything for granted, but would be generous, both to those around us and to brothers and sisters in places like Kenya right now. Convict each of us in our own consciences if there is a way we can serve others for the gospel, whether by giving our money to help with basic physical needs or support gospel work, or giving our time, or our emotional energy, or becoming more faithful in prayer.
Finally. To him who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
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