Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee

Prayer & Praise

O God, make speed to save us.
		O Lord, make haste to help us         Gladden the soul of your servant,    for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. . Praise Great and wonderful are your deeds, Lord God the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O ruler of the nations. Who shall not revere and praise your name, O Lord? for you alone are holy. All nations shall come and worship in your presence: for your just dealings have been revealed.  To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honour and glory and might, for ever and ever. Amen. Psalm 47 Refrain: O sing praises to God, sing praises. 1  Clap your hands together, all you peoples; • O sing to God with shouts of joy. 2  For the Lord Most High is to be feared; • he is the great King over all the earth. 3  He subdued the peoples under us • and the nations under our feet. 4  He has chosen our heritage for us, • the pride of Jacob, whom he loves. 5  God has gone up with a merry noise, • the Lord with the sound of the trumpet. 6  O sing praises to God, sing praises; •  sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth; • sing praises with all your skill.  8  God reigns over the nations; •  God has taken his seat upon his holy throne. 9 The nobles of the peoples are gathered together • 6 with the people of the God of Abraham. 10  For the powers of the earth belong to God • and he is very highly exalted. Refrain: O sing praises to God, sing praises. As Christ was raised by your glory, O Father,  so may we be raised to new life and rejoice to be called your children, both now and for ever Reading Luke 11:9-13 Response Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Prayers may include these concerns: God's royal priesthood, that it may be empowered by the Spirit Those who wait on God, that they may find renewal All people that they may acknowledge the kingdom of the ascended Christ All who are struggling with broken relationships Our city of Brussels  O King enthroned on high, Comforter and Spirit of truth, you that are in all places and fill all things, the treasury of blessings and the giver of life, come and dwell with us, cleanse us from every stain and save our souls, O gracious one. Amen. The Lord's Prayer May the grace of the Holy Spirit enlighten our hearts and minds. Alleluia, Amen Conversations at the Crossroads  Jesus and the child’s offering LOOK…and be curious.  WAIT…with prayerful expectation. Come Holy Spirit: meet us at our crossroads.  READ…the text with an open mind. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. (John 6.3, 5-13)  LISTEN…for a word with a willing heart.  RESPOND…with prayer and action. Providing God, help us to recognise what children and young people are bringing to your Church so that the hungry may be fed. May we lose nothing of their openness and engagement and may we too discover a childlike joy sharing your gifts with all who are in need and blessing them in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. God and Me Each feather or wing of the eagle has room for text.  Isaiah promised that if we wait on God we shall become able to soar – and that is what we are doing this week.  What do we need on those wings?  The new Testament is full of lovely abstract nouns –mercy,  peace and grace and we certainly need them, so you can put them in.  What about more concrete needs, sleep, a job, an answered prayer, a calling? What has God given you already?  Are you aware of those things as gifts from God?  They can also go in. Why do we want to fly?  Jesus said at the Ascension that the disciples would receive empowerment from on high to become his witnesses.  The eagle wants to fly to the mountain.  So, the other part of this picture is the mountain, your goal.  Can you draw/write on it the needs you believe God is calling you to meet?  Perhaps your mountain is still shrouded in mist – can you make guesses about what you might find there? Look back to the gifts you wrote in on the eagle, can you see how they relate to the needs you’ve picked out?  If they don’t relate, why the mismatch?  Do you want to add other gifts that tie in more closely with your goal? Do some of your wings need question marks, as you don’t know what God might give you, or even what he might already have given you which you do not understand. Prayers to continue into the day Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Lord of Life, Hear our prayer. Reading Romans 12. 1- 13 Pause, reflect on your gifts and your use of them for godly purposes or otherwise. Conversation with God Our Father… Lord what I have and use it. Lord we knock at the door and ask. Please give us your Holy Spirit Lord empower us by your Spirit Empowered by you Lord open hearts to your will Empowered by you Lord  guide our ministry within our church and our city. God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking; God be in my heart, and in my thinking; God be at mine end, and at my departing. The Blessing God the Father, who has given to his Son the name above every other name, strengthen us to proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord. Amen God the Son, who is our great high priest passed into the heavens, plead for us at the right hand of the Father. Amen God the Holy Spirit, who pours out his abundant gifts upon the church, make us faithful servants of Christ our King. Amen And the blessing of God almighty, the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always. Amen Copyright material is included from Common Worship: © Archbishops' Council