A warm welcome to
St Cuthbert Church and Home Prayer Group,
whether at Home or in Church.
OUR PRAYERS FOR SETEMBER ARE CENTRED ON
LOVE.
This month we are praying for Love and concentrating on two aspects, the first God’s love for each one of us, for His creation, for Jesus’s life, His ministry, our forgiveness through His sacrificial death, His resurrection with the promise of eternal life and for the Holy Spirit in our lives each day.
St John tells us at Chapter 3 verses 16-17 just this: -
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
The second part of our prayers looks at our love and yearning for God. Our worship, our prayers, love for our neighbours and our broader humanity.
Shall we commence our Prayer time together with the Lord’s Prayer in the traditional form.
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.
And 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,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. AMEN.
We begin our prayers as we thank God for His unending love for each of us
A prayer from Canon Frank Colquhoun thanking God for the wonder of His creative genius.
Almighty God our creator and redeemer we praise You for all your wonderful works, for the beauty and bounty of the world around us, for everything that You have given us so richly to enjoy.
We bless You for our own creation as men and women made in your image; with minds to know You, hearts to love You, and wills to obey You.
Accept, O God, this our praise and thanksgiving; and to Your name be honour and glory for evermore.
In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN.
A prayer where we thank God for His love for each of us in sending Jesus to us.
Lord help us just for a minute to stop, and ponder, what your whole world and each of our lives would be like, if Jesus had never entered your creation.
So, Lord we bring to mind Jesus’ wondrous Birth, His Baptism by John the Baptist His Transfiguration His whole ministry of love and teaching through His parables and miracles of healing and nature.
And then as our suffering servant, going to His sacrificial death; because of which, we can be forgiven. His mighty Resurrection by which we have the promise of eternal life in the Kingdom of God, and His supreme Ascension to sit at God’s right hand.
Lord You, through all this; have given us , your all-embracing love, we can ask for nothing more, but Lord to come to You each day strengthened with prayer to live each of our lives as Jesus would wish us to; remembering His two great commandments “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.”
God’s unending love for us through His Holy Spirit, sent at Pentecost, but there to guide our lives this and every day. A Prayer from WJ Carey.
O Holy Spirit of God come into my heart and fill me. I open the windows of my soul to let thee in, I surrender my whole life to thee come and possess me, fill me with light and truth. I offer to thee the one thing I really possess, my capacity for being filled by thee. Of myself I am an unprofitable servant, an empty vessel. Fill me so that I may live the life of the Spirit, the life of truth and goodness, the life of beauty and love, the life of wisdom and strength. And guide me today in all things. Guide me to the people I should meet or help. To the circumstances in which I can best help thee, whether by my action or by my sufferings. But above all, make Christ to be formed in me that I may dethrone myself in my heart and make Him King.
Bind and cement me to Christ in all my ways known and unknown, by holy thoughts and unseen graces and sacramental ties, so that He is in me, and I in Him today and forever. AMEN.
Shall we have a time of quiet reflection as we bring to mind God’s amazing love for each one of us.
Our prayers switch now to our love and yearning for God
Help us Lord to love Thee, a prayer from Archbishop William Temple.
O blessed Jesus who knowest the impurity of our affection, the narrowness of our sympathy, and the coldness of our love, take possession of our souls, and fill our minds with the image of Thyself, breaking the stubbornness of our selfish wills, and mould us in the likeness of thy unchanging love, O Thou who only could, our Saviour, our Lord and our God. AMEN.
A prayer seeking our obedience to God’s will from Henri Nouwen. (Abbreviated)
Dear Lord help me; to keep my eyes on you. You are beauty goodness, gentleness, forgiveness and mercy. In you, all can be found. Outside of you, nothing can be found. Why should I look elsewhere or go elsewhere. You have the words of eternal life, you are food and drink, you are the Way, the Truth and the life. You are the light that shines in the darkness. In and through you, I can see and find my way to the Heavenly Father.
O Holy one, glorious one, be my Lord, my Saviour, my Redeemer, my Guide, my Comforter, my Consoler, my Hope and my Joy. To you I want to give all that I am. Let me be generous, not stingy or hesitant. Let me give you all I have, think do and feel. It is yours O Lord. Please accept it and make it fully your own. AMEN.
A prayer for our humanity from Reinhold Niebuhr.
O God who has bound us together in this bundle of life, give us grace to understand how our lives depend on the industry the honesty and integrity of our fellow human beings, that we; may be minded of their needs, grateful for their faithfulness, and committed in our individual responsibilities to them. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
A prayer for our neighbours and friends from Michael Botting.
Heavenly Father, look in love on all our friends and neighbours. Keep them from harm, deepen our friendship with them and may we grow in love of you our Saviour and friend. AMEN.
A prayer to help us pray from John Stott.
Our heavenly Father who through thy Son Jesus Christhas said that we ought always to pray, we beseech thee teach us to pray. Our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak. Give us grace each day to approach thy throne and seek thy face, to be concerned as much for thy glory as for our need, and so in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to make our requests known to thee, until all our lives be gathered up into thy presence, and every breath is prayer, through Jesu Christ thy Son our ransom and mediator. AMEN.
A thirst for God, a prayer from Francis de Sales.
If only I possessed the grace, good Jesus, to be utterly at one with you!
Amidst all the variety of worldly things around me, Lord, the only thing I crave is unity with you. You are all my soul needs. Unite dear friend of my heart, this unique little soul of mine to your perfect goodness. You are all mine, when shall I be yours? Lord Jesus, my beloved, be the magnet of my heart; clasp, press, unite me forever to your sacred heart. You have made me for yourself, make me one with you. Absorb this tiny drop of life into the ocean of goodness whence it came. AMEN
Our time for our own silent prayer.
Shall we say the Grace. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen.
Thank you for being with us whether at home or in Church, and so contributing to our prayers for ‘Love’...
Roger.
Church and Home prayer group meetings are usualluy held on the first Wednesday of each month and are advertised on our website and in our church magazine.
On the first and third Wednesdays at St Cuthbert's, there is a short Holy Communion service, which begins at 10.30am and lasts about half an hour, and anyone joing the prayer group in church are warmly welcome to stay in church for this. There is also the added bonus of coffee and fellowship in a local cafe after the Holy Communion service!
We would very warmly welcome you.
