We join together in prayer. We praise God; we pray for our world, for the church, for ourselves, and we pray the Lord’s Prayer.
Gracious God, we exalt and magnify you, for you are King. Your Son has come right into the midst of our deepest need, and redeemed us with his victory at the cross and at the empty tomb. You reign in each of us by your Holy Spirit, by whom you convict us of our sin and convince us of the majesty of King Jesus–and of his grace and truth. Thank you for being the King we needed rather than the king we might have wanted. By your sovereign hand, make your reign known in our hearts and lives, in our church and city, in our country and world, until Jesus is known by all people to be “all in all.”
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, we pray for our world. This is one of those times when everyone is clearly aware of their frailty and mortality, and also of their responsibility to love their neighbor. Use this pandemic to bring the world to a deep awareness of everyone’s great need for you. At the same time, be with those who grieve the loss of loved ones. Comfort those who face great trials with this or any other disease. Protect the vulnerable–not only those infected with the Coronavirus, but those who are stuck at home with abusive family members. Pour out your Spirit on scientists who are working on treatments and vaccines. Give great wisdom to public health officials, governments, and especially healthcare professionals. Grant a quick end to this crisis—but not until you have brought forth from it all the good that you intend: hearts turned toward you, tenderness and generosity expressed in deeds of love and mercy, and kindness shown in words of grace and truth. As you always do, bend all things that happen to the good of those who love you, and to the glory of King Jesus.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Spirit of God, abide with your Church around the world. Move powerfully among the nations, giving your people boldness to proclaim the glory and grace of the Lord Jesus–whether your Church faces persecution or comfort, prosperity or poverty. Use this pandemic we are all facing to remind all believers of their unity in Christ Jesus, and cause your people to emerge from this crisis more determined than ever to minister the truth and grace of Christ, in word and deed.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord Jesus, we ask you to be kind and gentle to your dear church, IPC. We long to be back together under one roof, worshiping you and greeting one another in your name; serving our city in teams and enjoying food in our homes together. Still, we praise and thank you for the way you’ve brought us together in unique ways in the past month. We trust that you intend to bless us and not to harm us. So give us grace that is sufficient for us as a congregation–sufficient to fulfill our mission in this place as an international assembly of believers. Touch each one of us, from the young to the old, from the healthy to the sick, from singles to families, and remind us of our sweet unity in your name and by your Spirit.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, Son, and Spirit, you have committed yourself to us. We know that we are so treasured by our Father that we have been given to the Lord Jesus as his glad inheritance. We know you have trusted us so much that we have been given the authority to speak–with our words and actions–in Jesus’ name, to a world that needs to hear of him. During this Holy Week, we commit ourselves to you once again, setting apart our hearts, souls, minds, and strength to be reserved exclusively for your glorious purposes, which are all “yes and amen” in Jesus Christ.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Now we pray together the prayer our Lord taught us, saying:
Our Father, who art in heaven: hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.