Good and faithful God,
We thank You for another year to serve You
and another opportunity to worship You.
We're lost when we lean on our own
understanding and we pray for Your guidance.
We place all our cares in Your capable hands.
We lay our sins at the foot of the cross where
our Savior Jesus took our shame and paid our debt.
You alone deserve all the honor and glory and praise.
In Jesus' holy name we pray.
Amen.

Holy Father,
We thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus.
The good news of salvation through Christ brings us great joy!
Help us to spread that joy to others.
We pray that You keep us and our loved ones
safe as we travel to visit family and friends.
We glorify and praise You in the name of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Lord God, our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer:
We praise You for Your mercy and grace.
While we are still sinners, You show us the
path to salvation through Your Son, Jesus.
We pray that Your hand be upon us,
and that You guide our feet to
continue on the path of peace.
Jesus saved humanity through
total obedience to the Father.
Keep us in the Word; soften our hearts
and minds to strive for obedience to You
so that our words and actions honor You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Lord God,
During this Advent season, help us to
remember why we buy gifts for others.
We are commemorating the greatest gift ever -
when You sent Your Son, Jesus, into this world.
You showed Your immense love for us
through Jesus' life, death and resurrection.
No thank-you note could ever express
our joy and appreciation for this gift.
We pray that our lives would be a testament
to our thankfulness, and would help bring
others to You to receive the gift of salvation
through our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ,
in whose name we pray.
Amen.

Lord God,
Let us remember to always be thankful
for Your provision, guidance and grace.
As You sent John the baptist to prepare
the world for Jesus' ministry, empower us
to prepare ourselves for Jesus' return
and to show others the way to Him.
While we look forward to celebrating
Jesus' birth, help us to be ever-mindful of
the reason for His life and death - our salvation.
Work in us and through us to bring Your
message of mercy to a world in need.
We pray this in Jesus' holy name.
Amen.

Holy Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
You knew us before we were born.
You give us life and sustain our breath.
You put us in this time and space for a purpose.
The evil one wants to capture our minds
with deception and cause division among us.
But we trust that You will provide our body
and mind with all the strength, knowledge
and unity of spirit we need to do the
work You have set before us.
We give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His love endures forever.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Lord God,
It's easy to see the blessings of life when we're
healthy, well-fed, clothed and comfortable.
But the greatest blessing of all is knowing
Your Son, our Savior, Jesus.
Help us to remember that fact in times of trial.
You are at work in our lives,
whether through hardship or serenity.
Jesus overcame the world, not by fretting or
despondency, but by being fully obedient to the Father.
We pray that our hearts would be inclined
to that same trust and obedience,
in thankfulness to Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whose name we pray.
Amen.

Lord God,
Sometimes the world can make us feel unworthy and undervalued.
Help us to remember that You make us new each day
and we were created to be like You.
Horrible things happen in the world
and sometimes we feel helpless and hopeless.
Strengthen us so that we may always know that our hope is in You.
We pray for a calm and compassionate mindset
so that we may respond to adversity with truth and love.
May all that we do be done for Your glory.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

We praise You, Father,
Creator of the heavens and the earth.
All good things come from You
and nothing is impossible for You.
We pray for healing and happiness in our lives
but we trust that no matter our state,
Your will is being accomplished.
In good times and in bad,
we thank You for everything.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Lord God,
Your ways are perfect, and Your words are true and certain.
You hear our prayers and You answer them at the right time.
Guide our hearts and minds to prepare us
for the work You would have us do.
Give us the energy we need, a willingness to serve,
and the faith to heed the Spirit's calling.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Holy Father,
We want to know You better.
We seek the guidance of Your Holy Spirit
in order to honor and serve You.
May the gifts of the Spirit govern our outward
conduct so that all may see Your glory
and know the hope we have in Christ,
our Lord and Savior, in whose name we pray.
Amen.

Most holy and awesome God,
We bring our petitions to You -
our worries, our fears, our
shame and our failures.
Break us loose from our guilt
and clothe us in righteousness.
Free us from our reliance on
this world, for You are in control.
May Your will be done in us
and through us, in Jesus name.
Amen.

Sovereign Lord,
We welcome You here and give thanks for Your Presence.
We're thankful that You welcome us into Your family.
You don't see us as male or female, rich or poor,
or by the color of our skin. You see us as Your children -
dearly loved and in need of redemption.
You accept all who fear You and do right.
Help us to see others through Your eyes,
and to lead others into Your presence
with the good news of salvation through Christ,
our risen Lord and Savior, in whose name we pray.
Amen.

Holy Father,
When we are weak, You give us strength.
When we are afraid, You comfort us and give us assurance.
When we feel inadequate, Your Holy Spirit
fills us and makes us whole.
We praise You and thank You for loving us, guiding us,
bearing the burden of our sin, and sustaining us.
May our hearts be focused on only You
now, in the midst of prayer, and later,
when our weakness and fear try to consume us.
May we instead be consumed by Your
Holy Spirit and certain of Your faithfulness.
In Jesus' holy name,
Amen.

Lord God in heaven,
Sometimes it's hard for us to hold it together.
We feel battered by our circumstances.
Only You offer us hope.
Help us to tune our ears to listen for Your advice,
and seek You for consolation and healing.
Proverbs 16:9 says,
"In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps."
We surrender to You, God.
We trust You with our lives.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Lord, we pray for focus and persistence
to set our minds on what You desire.
By the sacrifice of our savior Jesus on the cross,
our sins are forgiven and will never be counted against us.
May we be filled with joy and peace as we trust in You,
so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Lord God,
We are Your followers,
and You gave us a perfect example
of how to live in Your Son, Jesus.
May we follow Jesus' example of love
and service to others, humility and self-sacrifice,
and a desire that Your will be done above all else.
May we draw close to You in prayer
and in the reading of Your word,
and be open to the prompts of the Spirit.
May we leave behind our worries and doubts,
and our desire for the things of this life,
and follow You with passion.
In Jesus' holy name,
Amen.

Holy Father,
We pray for all the students and teachers
embarking on a new school year.
Watch over them and keep them safe.
May they love one another and
know that they are loved.
Your word says You make each of us
new every morning.
With each new day, help us
to see the opportunities to do
the assignments You've given us;
to learn more about You and to
reflect Your light in a fallen world.
We thank You for Your creation,
Your provision, and for the hope of
salvation through Your Son, our
Savior, Jesus, in whose name we pray.
Amen.

Our Savior and our Lord,
We pray for those who are enduring hardship due to extreme weather.
Bring them to safety and provide for their needs.
May they know You and Your tender care.
And may we, even in good times, realize our need for You.
You are our source, our sustenance, and our shelter from the storm.
We pray to You in the name of Your Son, our Redeemer, Jesus the Christ.
Amen.

Lord God,
We are all sinful and none of us deserve Your mercy.
But the degree of Your love for us is tremendous.
Our Lord Jesus looked at those who had faith and
immediately healed them and absolved them of their sins.
Through Jesus' death on the cross,
You offer us healing and absolution as well.
We praise You for Your greatness;
for loving us and forgiving us.
Teach us to be like You -
loving others and showing mercy.
In Jesus' name.
Amen

Holy Father,
In the midst of our personal struggles and
a troubling world, we put our hope in You.
We thank You for walking with us.
We know that You are faithful and will deliver us.
We pray for those who don't know You
and those who pervert Your word,
that they would come to truly know You
and have the peace that transcends understanding.
Heal our hearts and make us new so that
through us Your Spirit is evident to all.
In Jesus' holy name,
Amen.

Lord God,
You are awesome and amazing.
You are all-knowing, all-seeing and all-powerful.
You know what we need before we ask.
We give You our worries, our desires and our petitions.
You know what is best for us,
and You only give good gifts.
We put our trust in You.
May Your will be done - in Your good time.
By our faith and through Your Spirit, may we find peace.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Lord God,

We thank You for the glory of Your creation.

We feel Your presence in the warmth of the sun

and in the life-giving rain.

We thank You for Your Son, our Lord Jesus.

He died, therefore we repent.

He lives, therefore we are forgiven.

He dwells in us, as we live according to Your will.

May others recognize Jesus in us.

Let us be kind, as You have shown us kindness,

and let us show mercy, as You are merciful.

Let us spotlight Your glory and Presence in our lives.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Lord God,

We pray for a peace that the world cannot give,

and that we would set our hearts on obedience to You.

We ask the questions:

Why do we have hardships?

Why is there suffering?

When will it end?

Only You know all the answers.

We pray for the faithfulness to trust You;

to put all our worries into Your hands,

and to joyfully await the return of Your Son,

our Lord Jesus, in whose name we pray.

Amen.

Lord God, Creator of all things,

You know us better than we know ourselves.

You gave Your Son’s life for us,

not because we’re good, but because You are good.

We repent of our sins, Lord.

We offer You our lives –

how we spend our time and how we interact with others –

in thankfulness for Your mercy.

Lord, be with us in our dark days,

that we may persevere and stand firm in our faith.

As Galatians 6:9 says,

“Let us not become weary in doing good,

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest

if we do not give up.”

This we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior,

Jesus Christ.

Amen.  

Lord God,

We pray for the restoration of the unity of the Church.

Give us a heart for Your people –

caring for one another as You care for us.

We live in trying times.

But Your word through Isaiah chapter 35 says,

“Be strong, do not fear; your God will come,

he will come with vengeance,

with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

Guide us as we share the message of Your saving grace.

In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

Lord God,

We pray for liberation from the bondage of sin.

We ask that You would bless those who stand and

bear arms to protect our earthly freedom.

We thank You for Your son, our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ, who gave his life for our spiritual freedom.

In gratitude for Your goodness, we pray that

we may live our lives in a way that glorifies You.

May we live to bless others and lead them to

freedom in Christ, in whose name we pray.

Amen.

Father in heaven, we praise You

and we thank You for all the ways You provide for us.

We thank You that we live in a place where we’re free

to study Your Word and worship You.

We pray for our sisters and brothers in Christ

who are not so fortunate,

and who are mistreated and even harmed for their belief.

We are all one family – Your family – with one

mission and cause: to spread the Gospel message to all people.

Lord, give us the courage, strength and wisdom

to fulfill Your mission wherever we are.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen. 

Dear Father in heaven,

We praise You for Your goodness and mercy.

Your ways are perfect.

We struggle with our sinful nature.

Open our hearts to receive the fruit of the Spirit

and become more and more like You.

Teach us to love as You do

and to forgive as You do.

We thank You for our fathers, Lord,

and for all the men in our lives who guide us

with their love and advice.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Lord God,

We praise You for Your creation, for Your Word,

for Your son, Jesus, and for the power of Your holy Spirit.

We look to You for courage to be who we were intended to be

and to do what You would have us do.

Doing the right thing isn’t always easy.

We know that - by our daily need for repentance.

But by Jesus’ sacrifice, we are made new each day.

In Him we find the strength to press on.

In His name, we can do great things for the Kingdom.

May Your Spirit reside in us and guide us and work through us.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Father God,

We praise You that You are at work in our lives every day.

You provide for the needs of our body and soul.

You heal us from illness, anxiety, and in our relationships.

You enlighten us, opening our minds to Your word

and to the instruction You send us.

You forgive all who repent.

Lord, we know we are made clean of our indiscretions

through the death of Your holy servant, Jesus.

And by Jesus’ resurrection, the faithful are assured

of the promise of eternal life with You.

All praise and honor to our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ!

Amen. 

We bow before You, Lord, in humble repentance.

We confess that we make bad choices,

think inappropriate thoughts, and

concern ourselves with the things of this world.

But You have overcome the world

and set us free from our sin.

Jesus bore the cross and, by His resurrection,

proved that we can be saved by faith through grace.

On our own, we fail. With You, we succeed.

By ourselves, we’re fearful and unsure of our path.

With You leading us, we will surely reach our destination.

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen.

Lord God in heaven,

You created all things and set this world in motion.

You created man in Your image, and from him, made woman.

Your ways – Your methods – are beyond our comprehension.

We are in awe of Your knowledge and power.

We thank You, Lord, for providing for us.

And – today especially – we thank You for our mothers

and for the women in our lives who have guided us and helped us.

Isaiah 66:13 says,

“As a mother comforts her child, so I (God) will comfort you…”

Thank You for Your tenderness and mercy, and for Your unfailing love.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Dear Lord,

You have given us Your word,

from which we may learn and gain wisdom.

May we digest that word today, embracing it,

and ever holding on to the blessed hope it delivers.

For with You all things are possible.

Even when we feel inadequate, You are filling us

with the skills and tools needed to accomplish Your will.

Lord, in a world full of obstacles,

open our eyes to what we can do for Your glory.

In Jesus’ holy name.

Amen.

Lord God,

We have sinned against You

in our thoughts, our words, and our actions.

We bring all these deeds before You

and pray for the healing of our hearts and minds.

We turn to You in heartfelt repentance.

There is only One who walked this earth who was perfect –

our Lord, Jesus – who rescued us from our sin.

We pray that we honor You with every breath we take,

in thankfulness for our restoration.

In Jesus’ holy name,

Amen.   

Father God,

We look forward to the day

when we will see You face to face.

Until then, Lord, help us to see You

in the beauty of Your creation

and in the faces of those we encounter.

May we learn to recognize Your ways

by studying Your word.

May we use our time, talents and treasures

to help others to see You and know You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Holy Father,

We thank You for Your son, Jesus,

who came to earth in the flesh;

who felt what we feel yet lived without sin,

and who died for our salvation.

We thank You for Jesus’ resurrection;

that He has prepared a place for us

with You in paradise.

As we watch injustice and evil

run rampant in this world,

help us to focus on You.

May we look for You where You are –

in the love we share,

in the beauty of Your creation,

and in the righteousness of those who show You honor.

As Christ lives, may we live a resurrected life –

dead to sin, but alive in Christ, in whose name we pray.

Amen.

Lord God,

We praise our humble Savior, Jesus, who rode a lowly colt.

We pray that through our behavior –

our attitude of love and forgiveness –

we would pave the way for His return.

Let nothing stand in our way of joyfully proclaiming,

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Amen.

Holy Father,

As residents of this world, we desire wealth that we believe

brings comfort and security. But such riches are fleeting.

We pray for an increase in our spiritual wealth;

that we would be filled with the gifts of the spirit,

and that we would put these gifts to good use.

May we serve, give, and teach.

May we be given wisdom and knowledge.

May we prophesy and heal.

And all this not by our own power,

but by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the name

of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.

Amen.

Lord,

We’re not always in a “good place”

but, thankfully, You meet us where we are.

You’re never out-of-reach, and You always

desire that we would draw closer to You.

You don’t ask us to be perfect in order to

receive Your love and blessing.

You love and bless us and, when we repent,

we are made perfect by Jesus’ death on the cross.

You blot out every stain of imperfection.

Jesus’ innocence and obedience becomes for us

the white robe that covers over our sins.

We thank You, praise You, and worship You for

Your goodness and mercy, in Jesus’ name.

Amen

Lord, have mercy on us.

Sometimes, though our eyes are open, we don’t see the need around us.

Sometimes we speak without thinking and react before we know all the facts.

We pray that, as we look to You in faith and trust, You would heal us of our 

short-sightedness and give us the words to proclaim Your love.

We thank you, Jesus, for the suffering you endured for our redemption

and we pray in your holy name.

Amen.

Almighty Father,

This is all for You, for You are perfect

and the only one worthy of our praise.

Open our minds and our hearts to hear Your prompting.

Help us to climb over and around any obstacles

to do the work You’ve set before us.

Set our minds on being more like Christ

as we look forward to the day

when we will be conformed to His image.

In Jesus’ holy name we pray.

Amen.

Jesus said, “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”, 

yet most of us have too much “stuff” and we still catch ourselves wanting more.

Lord, help us to be thankful for and content with what we have – whatever our 

circumstances. We thank You for food in our bellies, the shirt on our back, 

and the fact that we had somewhere to lay our heads last night. We thank You

that we have access to Your Word and can worship freely. We thank You that 

we are Your treasured possessions; purchased by the blood of our savior, Jesus,

in whose name we pray.

Amen.

Our God and our Rock,

You reveal Yourself to us through Your beautiful, intricate creation,

through Your word, and through Your perfect son, Jesus.

We pray that we may know You more and more each day,

and that the fruit of our labor honors You.

We thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice on the cross

so that all believers can look forward to a new life with You in heaven.

In the name of our risen savior, Jesus.

Amen.

Holy Father,

Fighting the enemy - the devil - is not an easy task.

Our only hope is to look to Your word

and rely on Your wisdom and strength.

To paraphrase Paul’s words to the Philippians -

This is our prayer: that our love may abound

more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,

so that we may be able to discern what is best

and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes

through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God.

Amen. 

Holy Father,

We thank You for this day and for all that You provide for us.

We praise You for Your word that brings us life.

Help us to walk in Your ways.

We pray that what we do will set a positive example for others.

May our actions show kindness, sincerity, faith and love

and bring others closer to You, by the power of Your Holy Spirit

and faith in Your Son, our Savior Jesus, in whose name we pray.

Amen.

Dear Lord,

All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal.

We know that we don’t always follow Your laws.

Our sin burdens us.

But You know our thoughts and our hearts.

We come to You in repentance and submission,

and by Your grace and mercy we are freed of our guilt.

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior who daily bears our burdens.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Lord God,

We thank You for the cross; for saving us from our wretched lives.

We pray for strength and wisdom to defy the forces

of darkness around us, and to be Your light in the world.

We praise You that You chose us –

not because we are great - but because YOU are.

May our actions, small or large,

advance Your kingdom through the power You provide.

Through Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus,

who lives within us.

Amen. 

Almighty God,

We pray that You grant us Your gift of loyalty.

For our homes, give us love and obedience;

for our country, sacrifice and service;

for our neighbor, kindness and generosity.

And in everything, make us true to You.

Through Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Heavenly Father,

You created each one of us and gave us a purpose.

Some people spend all their time searching for the meaning of life.

But we know that our purpose is to love, serve and worship You.

There is no one who is insignificant to You

and no one who is more worthy than another.

Everyone You created is valuable to You.

We pray that You increase our faith and keep us from stumbling.

Help us to know You better so that we may live out

Your purpose for us here on earth.

All praise and honor to You and to Your Son, Jesus,

in whose name we pray.

Amen.

Almighty God,

We thank You that Jesus lived and died for the purpose of our salvation.

He showed us the importance of time spent with You –

in prayer, in worship, and in Your word.

We pray that in our time with You, You would guide us to our purpose

and how we can take part in the work of Your kingdom.

May our lives be examples of Your love

that persuade others to seek You.

In Jesus’ holy name.

Amen.

Lord God in heaven,

As we begin a new year, many of us are looking at ways

to improve ourselves. May we be transformed by Your love

and grace into who You want us to be.

2 Cor. 5:17 says, “Therefore of anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

You, Lord, are our strength, and Your promise is our hope.

Hope – to change for the better, and to enjoy eternity with You.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.