Daily Prayers Thursday, 24 February 2022

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Peter Speaks to the Onlookers

¹¹ While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. ¹² When Peter saw this, he said to them: ‘Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ¹⁴ You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵ You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ¹⁶ By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

Acts 3: 11–16 NIV®

Dear Lord, we thank you for calling us to be your followers, and disciples of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Help us to recognise that, in spite of our shortcomings and imperfections,
we can be your agents to bring the good news of your love to all people.
Like Peter, who was an ordinary humble fisherman before he was called by Jesus,
we can be transformed by faith in Jesus
to work for the coming of your kingdom here on earth, in Milton Keynes.
Let us set aside our own aspirations and goals
and learn to discern what you are calling us to do and to be.
On our own, we cannot make your Church of Christ the Cornerstone
be an Oasis of Hope in Central Milton Keynes,
but if we can learn to be still and know that you are God,
and in that stillness listen to your voice calling to us,
only you know what can be achieved.

We pray for your healing power to fall upon us all,
so that we can support one another and build up the living stones of your Church,
to go forth in the powerful name of Jesus,
and work to bring an end to inequality and injustice,
and to close the growing gap between the rich and powerful on the one hand
and the ordinary, poor and powerless people on the other.

Help us all to recognise that how we relate to one another within our Church community
is a sign of how we relate to you and it projects a powerful message to the folk about us.
In all our doings and deliberations may we treat each and every one of our fellow workers
as another beloved child of God.

We gather together these and all our prayers in the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen

Robin & Pat Kyd