Daily Prayers Thursday, 3 February 2022

A reading from the Psalms

¹ I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the ‘gods’ I will sing your praise.
² I will bow down towards your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
³ When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.

⁴ May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵ May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord is great.

⁶ Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
⁸ The Lord will vindicate me;
your love, Lord, endures for ever –
do not abandon the works of your hands.

Psalm 138 NIV®

Dear Lord and father of our Saviour Jesus Christ,
we praise you with all our heart, for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
We thank you that you answer all our prayers
when we pray in faith and in the name of your Son our Lord Jesus.
Give us, we pray, the strength and courage to obey your will
and to be your agents meeting the needs of all your people here in Milton Keynes.
We thank you, that you spoke your Word, which your prophets have recorded,
and which has been handed down through generations for us all to study,
and that you revealed your good news in Jesus Christ.
We pray that you will fill all creation with that Word again,
so that by proclaiming your joyful promises to all nations
and singing of your glorious hope to all peoples,
we may become one living body,
your incarnate presence on the earth.

Bless, we pray, your people of the Church of Christ the Cornerstone.
that we may all work together as a team, each with our own part to play
and each collaborating with others to make your living Church
here in the heart of the city an Oasis of Hope.
Like the exiled Children of Israel in Babylon,
may we pray and work for the good of the city of Milton Keynes.

With true humility, we praise you and bless you, Lord, that your love endures for ever,
and that you look kindly upon your lowly people.
Help us to recognise that you want only that which is best for us and for all your people.

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