leadinginworship

Good Morning Prayer

When a day opens
like a beautiful blank page,
I give thanks, God of my life, for time.
Time to stretch, time to curl up;
time to eat, time to digest what I’ve eaten;
time to read, time to put the book down;
time to walk, time to look at where I’m walking;
time to be alone, time to call a friend;
time to work, time to lay my work down;
time to rest, and time to feel energized from resting.
I give thanks even for this time to pray,
this poised moment at the open door of the day.
Good morning.

Starlight Evening Prayer

As the evening darkens down,
as the evening lamps are lit,
as the peace of the evening star begins to shine,
here and now we share our evening prayer.
Prayers for those with tears on their cheeks.
Prayers for those with hunger in their stomachs
Prayers for those with weapons in their hands.
Prayer for those with hatred in their hearts.
Prayers for those whose shoulders are heavy with despair.
As shadows of the earth deepen over us,
we trust that you can guide us on starlit paths.
Help us find each other’s hands in the dark,
as we dream together till the morning comes.

Longing for Peace Call to Worship

Welcome to worship 
at this turn of the season. 
As the temperatures dip
we gather in the warmth
of God’s presence,
as the darkness grows
we seek Gods light,
as the earth rests from its labours
we long for God’s peace.
Come, let us worship the Lord!

Our Evening and Morning Prayer

As night falls
as we lay our bodies down,
as muscles relax...
take, Lord, the burdens of the day,
hold, Lord, our loved ones in safety,
remove, Lord, all clinging fears,
give, Lord, the sweetest dreams,
grant, Lord, a restful sleep
in Jesus’ name.

As the dawn rises,
as we lift our bodies up,
as we prepare for this day,
take, Lord, our hands and lead,
hold, Lord, us back from temptation,
remove, Lord, all selfishness from us,
give, Lord, strength for our tasks,
grant, Lord, that we may serve
in Jesus’ name.

God of Slumber Night-time Prayer

God of Slumber,
we go to bed
trusting in your arms
to hold the world close,
whispering words of love
in our ears as we sleep.
Amen

A fruitful day

God, let this be a fruitful day!
Open our eyes to beauty.
Tune our ears to harmony.
The fragrance of your love
permeating every moment.
The touch of your hand
guiding all we do.
Tasting the delight of your presence
in the sweet ripeness of joy.

Morning and Evening Prayer

As night falls

as I lay my body down

as muscles relax,

take, Lord, the burdens of the day,

hold, Lord, my loved ones in safety,

remove, Lord, all clinging fears,

give, Lord, the sweetest dreams,

grant, Lord, a restful sleep

in Jesus’ name.

 

As the dawn rises,

as I lift my body up,

as I prepare for this day,

take, Lord, my hand and lead,

hold, Lord, me back from temptation,

remove, Lord, all selfishness from me,

give, Lord, strength for my tasks,

grant, Lord, that I may serve

in Jesus’ name.

Bed-time Prayer

Day is ending.

Shadows lengthen

and night falls.

Draw me close to you, Lord.

Pillow me on your love.

Blanket me with your peace.

Keep me safe in the darkness.

Shut nightmares out

and protect me from anxiety’s cold grip.

Meet me in my dreams tonight

and in tomorrow’s gift of a new day.

In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Evening Prayer: Night Sounds

Thank you God for night sounds;

frogs singing in the spring,

crickets chirping to their mates,

dry leaves rustling,

winter winds howling,

the plaintive call of a train whistle,

the wail of a siren,

the sound of my own breath.

God, you are in the night sounds.

Tune my ears to the pitch of your voice

calling to me in the darkness.  Amen.

Morning Prayer: The Race Before Us

At the starting line of this day,

we call on your name, God of grace.

As we run the race you have set before us,

help us to keep our eyes on your goals, not our own.

When we falter, give us fresh strength and courage.

When we are fleet-footed, let us give you the glory.

Keep us from wanting to win at other’s expense

or to count ourselves better than those at our side.

All runners are your children.

In the race You imagine,

each one is a winner.