Repentance
Reading: Matthew 4:12-17
Speaker: Rev Andrew McCausland
Prayers of Repentance
Prayer = Normal; Bible Verses = italic
Heavenly Father,
Lord you are good; Your steadfast love endures forever, and your faithfulness to all generations
We come on bended knee to acknowledge our utter dependence upon you, our Creator, God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are God of the Old and New testaments. Your Covenant of love with us who believe is sealed by the blood of your Son. Your promise to bless us if we believe, honour and obey you and to judge us if we do not, continues in force
Come let us bow down in worship,
Let us kneel before the lord our maker.
For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture,
The flock under his care.
Lord we unite with fellow Christians from many backgrounds, falling to our knees before you humbling ourselves, not only today, but everyday. Hear our prayers, forgive us our sins and heal our land
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
We have been proud and arrogant, as individuals, families, churches and as a nation. You have singularly blessed us, but we have taken your blessing for granted.
But he gives us more grace. That is why scripture says ; God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
You are worthy of our love and devotion. Instead we have forgotten you and ignored your word. We have not esteemed you as Almighty God nor have we honoured served and obeyed you as we ought
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.
Few of us are walking in pure devotion to you, worshipping whole heartedly, praying without ceasing, and daily feeding on your word. Too few of us have given ourselves enthusiastically to do your will and laboured diligently to finish your work. Rather we have forsaken you, the spring of living water, and imbibed the stagnant waters of our modern culture .
My people have committed two sins : they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water
You call us to be a light to live holy lives, to walk in Christian love and carry the gospel of Christ to the nations. Instead, we have withheld the grace of your gospel from our family, friends, neighbours, and co workers allowing far too many to face a Christ less eternity. You command us to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, yet our youth are abandoning the faith in unprecedented numbers
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.
You charge us to be salt to our culture to preserve truth and all that is godly and pure. But instead of changing the world, the world has changed us. We seem impotent. Having failed to be the salt of the earth we are fast becoming good for nothing except to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
Lord, the living faith of our forefathers, their love and devotion to their children, and their commitments to future generations compelled them to sacrifice their lives for us. Yet we have become the ‘me’ generation. We elect leaders not for their righteousness but their promise to give us benefits. Absorbed with our own lives and material positions we have lost sight all that is important; God and family, our neighbours, our fellow countrymen and the people beyond the seas whom you love and for whom you gave your son.
When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice. When the wicked rule the people groan.
Now our nation is under judgement. Evil is called good, and good is called evil. The curses you warned would come to a disobedient people have all come upon us.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Lord we cry out to you today to hear our cry. Help us to seek your face. Show us your face , and help us to turn from our wicked ways .
If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal the land.
Lord heal our land. Show us mercy. Forgive us our sins. Revive your churches. Set them aflame with righteousness. Purge compromise from us and cause your word to go forth to every city and town. Make your people salt and light again. Raise up godly leaders in church and state and grant that we might lead quiet and peaceable lives in godliness and honestly. Help us to return wholly to you .We pray in the name of Jesus , knowing your word declares
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Amen