Prayer of Preparation

Our Father, prepare our hearts to receive this great blessing of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. He was wounded for us and we are redeemed by His blood. Grant life to our mortal bodies, in this life, and faith to know that we will one day laugh at sin and death, with Jesus, in the life everlasting. Great God in Heaven, bless us, we pray, as we eat and drink of Christ in faith. Amen.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Our Father in Heaven, You have poured out Your blessings upon us in great abundance. We thank You for meeting our needs and wants. We lack no good thing. Bless us, O Lord, according to the measure with which we give that the words of the Lord Jesus would be true in our lives. To You be the glory, evermore. Amen.

For He is Kind

We have seen this morning that the Father loves us of His own accord. This is hard to reconcile for some of us because we know what awful sins we have committed in times past. Some even struggle still, in Christ, because we know that we continue to sin, even in a state of grace.

       But I remind you that the Father loved you, even when you were dead in your sins. It was His love for you that brought you confession, repentance, forgiveness and life in Jesus Christ.

       It is His kindness that leads us to repentance. Kindness is always rich in mercy. So, we come now to our kind Father and we take comfort knowing this, His continued kindness leads us to continued repentance which brings us peace and assurance in Jesus, our Savior.

Over the Top

I mentioned last week that God has expressed the exceeding riches of grace in kindness towards us through Jesus Christ. Previously, we were told of His exceeding power towards us who believe. This excess was towards us in raising us from the dead in Jesus.

         In both instances this word exceeding means, hyperbolic, over the top. God has shown His power over the top towards us. God has shown how over the top rich He is when it comes to grace towards us.

         Dear Saints, these are comforting words. God is excessively powerful and gracious to and in us in Jesus Christ.

Prayer of Confession

Our Father, we confess our unbelief, fear and disobedience to You. Give us eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to obey and faith that moves mountains. Renew a right spirit within us and grant us the joy of our salvation, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of Praise

Our Father, You have chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love You predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of Your will, to the praise of Your glorious grace, with which You have blessed us in the Beloved.

In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which You lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of Your will, according to Your purpose, which You set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. All Glory, praise and honor is due You, our Father. Amen.