11th. April. 2022. Daily Devotion.

Prayer for Holy Week

Father in heaven, as your people prepare once more to follow the events of Good Friday and Easter, may we be led by your Spirit to deeper insights into your love and saving grace; that we may love you more and serve you better,
for the sake of him who died for us and rose again, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ~ 1 John 1:9

The promise of forgiveness made in 1 John is one of the most powerful and comforting verses in the Bible. We know we sin. Sometimes, we know exactly what we have done wrong; and I suspect, often we do not even know exactly what we have done wrong, but when we read the life of Jesus, we simply get the unmistakable impression that there is a lot we are not doing right. Sometimes we are eaten up by guilt and remorse; sometimes we rationalize our conduct; sometimes we simply ignore it.

But in every case, God knows what we have done and will forgive us, if we only ask! He does not expect us to be perfect, like Christ, for that is not possible. He does expect us to try, and our attempts to stay on the “straight and narrow” are important; for time after time after time, the Bible tells us to stop sinning. We show our love for God and our fellow humans by the attempt. Yet, again, we know that no matter how saintly we become, sin will be with us until we die.

The price of forgiveness has been paid in full; all we need to do is ask for it. It is one of the few places in Christian doctrine where we must make an affirmative effort to secure our salvation, for to confess our sin, we must search it out. M Barge.

Lord, lead me to know my sin, that I might confess it and enjoy the great blessing of forgiveness. Amen.

O Lord, you are the beginning of all our goodness, the wellspring of all our loving and the source of all our freedom. Let your grace continually work within us, that your will may be done through us, and that we may always rejoice in your presence; now and for ever. Amen. Mary Ward (1585-1645)

Let us pray to God with the reverence and honour due to his name.

May the Church, created for your service, always have grace to praise you and glorify your name. Keep your people both faithful to the teaching they have received and open to follow new ways that may be your will for them.

Bless the people of this world with the spirit of generosity, not to count the cost of compassion but to give freely in love. Be with those who are entrusted with financial responsibility, keeping them honest and open in all their dealings.

Bless us, our families, and friends, that we may be committed to those with whom we live but never forget the loyalty that is due to you alone. Guide us to remember the poor in our community and to show our love for you through love for them.

Have mercy on those who are victims of their own failures to love. Give them the spirit of true generosity towards others. Have mercy on all who suffer from the meanness and injustice of those who should provide for them.

Grant that those who have died may have eternal life through the power of Christ’s resurrection. May they rest in his love and rise in his glory.

May our prayers be acceptable through Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One.

Prayer for the Peace of the World

Almighty God,
from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed:
kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all, the true love of peace
and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom
those who take counsel for the nations of the earth
that in tranquillity your kingdom may go forward,
till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.