Luke 1:67-80

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Leader: We join together as one in Christ to pray ...

All: ... to the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

All: Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly husbandman, that my being may be a tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wide, until Thou alone art seen in me, Thy beauty golden like summer harvest, Thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

Leader: I have no master but Thee, no law but Thy will, no delight but Thyself, no wealth but that Thou givest, no good but that Thou blessest, no peace but that Thou bestowest. I am nothing but that Thou makest me. I have nothing but that I receive from Thee. I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.

All: Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with living water.

- The Deeps, Puritan Prayer

Observe a time of silence before the Lord

(1 – 5 minutes)

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Leader: Let us remember the word of the Lord:

All: You will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation.

Sing to the Lord a song of praise

(acapella, or accompanied by instruments / recorded music)

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Leader: We are praying from the gospel of Luke:

All: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),

Leader: Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us -- to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

All: And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."

- Luke 1:67-80 (New International Version)

Leader: Lord, purify our hearts that we may look with joy on your coming.

Draw near God’s throne of grace

with the thanksgivings, prayers, & intercessions that are on your heart

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Leader: The Spirit and the Bride say,

All: “Come!”

Leader: Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

All: You will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation.

Praise / prayer / silence / sing a new song

(follow the leading of the Holy Spirit)

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Leader: Let us pray:

Leader: Father, we have become a reproach to the lost world around us. Our lack of holiness and failure to deal with sin has brought on us the contempt and ridicule of the world. How can you let your church be ridiculed? How can you stand the fact that your church lacks influence in this community?

All: O God, have mercy on us! Revive your church that we may exercise a righteous influence in the world. Cause your presence and power to be displayed in this church so that believers and unbelievers will be in awe of you. Do this, O God, for the sake of your Son, who bought and established the church with His own blood!

Leader: For the sake of Jesus and His love for the church, grant revival to your people.

- Prayercloset ministries

All: In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Isaiah 57:14-21

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Leader: We join together as one in Christ to pray ...

All: ... to the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

All: God be with us on this Thy day; to us and with us on this Thy day. Grant us forgiveness, grant us Thine own forgiveness, Thou merciful God of all.

- Celtic Daily Prayer

Observe a time of silence before the Lord

(1 – 5 minutes)

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Leader: Let us proclaim together:

All: Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.

Sing to the Lord a song of praise

(acapella, or accompanied by instruments / recorded music)

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Leader: We are praying from the book of the prophet Isaiah:

Leader: "Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people." For this is what the high and exalted One says -- he who lives forever, whose name is holy:

All: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me -- the very people I have created. I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways. I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel's mourners, creating praise on their lips.

Leader: Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the Lord. "And I will heal them." But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

- Isaiah 57:14-21 (New International Version)

Leader: Holy God, our Father, you dwell with the humble and contrite. Give us the grace to humble our hearts so that You will come and revive them.

Draw near God’s throne of grace

with the thanksgivings, prayers, & intercessions that are on your heart

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Leader: The Spirit and the Bride say,

All: “Come!”

Leader: Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

All: Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.

Praise / prayer / silence / sing a new song

(follow the leading of the Holy Spirit)

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Leader: Let us pray:

All: O Lord our God, grant us grace to desire thee with our whole heart, that so desiring, we may seek and find thee, and so finding thee we may love thee; and loving thee we may hate those sins from which thou hast redeemed us, for the sake of Jesus Christ.

- the Oxford Book of Prayer

All: In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Isaiah 40:3-5

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Leader: We join together as one in Christ to pray ...

All: ... to the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Leader: Father of mercy and grace, we acknowledge that we have sinned and that our world is gripped by the power of sin.

All: Our hearts are grieved by injustice, hatred, and violence.

Leader: We are shamed by oppression, racism and bloodshed in our land. We mourn all loss of life in murder, war and terrorism.

All: Our homes are broken and our churches are divided by rebellion and pride. Our lives are polluted by selfishness, greed, idolatry and sexual sin.

Leader: We have grieved Your heart and brought shame to Your name. Have mercy on us as we repent with all our hearts.

All: God of mercy, forgive our sins, pour out Your grace and heal our land.

- Global Day of Prayer 2009

Observe a time of silence before the Lord

(1 – 5 minutes)

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Leader: Let us proclaim together:

All: Prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Sing to the Lord a song of praise

(acapella, or accompanied by instruments / recorded music)

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Leader: We are praying from the book of the prophet Isaiah:

All: A voice of one calling: In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

- Isaiah 40:3-5 (New International Version)

Leader: Lord God, indeed you love truth in the inward parts. Look with mercy on our contrite hearts and teach us wisdom.

Draw near God’s throne of grace

with the thanksgivings, prayers, & intercessions that are on your heart

🔔

Leader: The Spirit and the Bride say,

All: “Come!”

Leader: Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

All: Prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Praise / prayer / silence / sing a new song

(follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit)

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Leader: Let us pray:

All: O God, who divided the sea for those leaving the land of Egypt, and commanded the streams to stand on one either side as thick walls, be pleased to free our souls from the flood of sins. May we have the strength to pass through the depth of our faults, in scorn of the adversary, O Savior of the world, who live and reign with the Eternal Father, in unity with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

- Bangor, Ireland, 7th Century

All: In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.