When any Christians anywhere gather for worship, they do so as people of faith. Jesus calls us to faith; the Bible beckons us to faith; God invites us into the community of faith. But is our faith sufficient? Is it of the right quantity or quality? Is it pleasing to God, and efficacious to us? Upon such questions and such issues we shall focus this morning. But through it all the God in whom we place our faith shall be guiding and directing and leading us. Let us therefore, with faithful confidence, worship God.
Pastoral Prayer
O Thou who art the Creator and Lord of all that exists, we thank Thee for making each of us part of Thy creative purposes. We recall the words of one of Thy saints from long ago who observed that our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee. Help us to see ever more clearly that only in our relationship with Thee can we discover the fullest meaning of our lives. Grant us a faith in Thee which is sufficient for everything we encounter, so that we may effectively reflect Thy .light in our lives.
We ask Thy forgiveness for whatever we may have done which illustrated bad faith on our part rather than good faith, poor choices rather than good choices. Grant us both the ability to face our sins directly, and then to resolve to live with greater commitment to Thee and Thy purposes instead of focusing too strongly on ourselves and our own purposes.
We ask Thy blessings to be made manifest in the lives of people who feel very much cast adrift by life: those who are overwhelmed by circumstances which have engulfed them and have left them completely unable to know where to turn; those who must make important decisions, and who feel ill-equipped to do so; those who have found themselves in the midst of political or economic conditions which have plummeted into chaos, who have done nothing themselves to cause these difficulties, and who feel cut off from everyone dear to them, including Thee.
Loving God, we pray for greater insights into Thy will for each of us personally, so that we may more faithfully live out our commitments to Thee and Thy kingdom. Give us the kind of devotion exhibited by Jesus, that we may become more useful as his disciples. Now we pray together as Jesus taught us, saying, Our Father….