11/6/2022
PRAYER of CONFESSION – (unison) (please stand if you are able)
Faithful God, we come before You with many issues on our hearts. We get frustrated and angry at the way things are going in the world. We want Your immediate intervention; and when we don’t see things happening the way we think they should be, we are quick to dismiss You and any thought of Your presence. Help us stop our selfishness and our quick anger. Remind us that You will work with us and through us for peace and hope. Release us from the traps of quick tests of Your faithfulness and help us see the “big picture” of Your awesome love that spans all of time. Forgive us for our pettiness and our stubbornness. Bring us back to You, O Lord. Help us shout Your praises and live lives of joyful service. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Silent time of reflective prayer
WORD of ASSURANCE
L: Even though we get frustrated and angry, God still loves us and seeks to heal us. Let us open our hearts to receive God’s blessings and to feel God’s healing power in our lives.
P: Amen. (you may be seated)
PASTORAL PRAYER
Lord, we are people who want instant answers to all our questions. We want to know how everything is going to work out throughout all of our lives. So we pose questions in which we do not necessarily seek answers but rather entrap you into giving us what we want. Help us understand the broader picture--the scope of your faithfulness and love for us. Remind us of all the times when you have lifted us and brought us to new opportunities for learning and growing. Let us place our trust in you totally, without reservation, for you are indeed faithful and just. As we have brought our prayers before you for our loved ones and for situations in the world in which pain and anger dominate, let us place our trust in your response and your healing love. Give us courage that our faith will be a witness to those who struggle; that our lives will bear the love you have lavished on us. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
