Opening Prayer or Prayer of Adoration

A good way to introduce an Opening Prayer or a Prayer of Adoration is to simply say, “Let us pray.”

If the prayer is not printed in the bulletin, you may construct the prayer in your own words.

This prayer should be brief and to the point. It should contain elements of praise and adoration.

If there is no Prayer of Confession in the service, it is good to include an element of confession in this prayer.

If there is an obvious theme for the day’s service, such as a national tragedy that has occurred or an installation of elders, feel free to use that theme as a part of the prayer.

You may also want to have the prayer reflect the Christian calendar.

The following are simply suggestions. You may use any of these prayers verbatim, or to help you construct your own prayer.

1.
Almighty God,
unto whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hid;
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love thee,
and worthily magnify thy holy Name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

2
Gracious Lord,
We come with joy to worship you.
Forgive our sins
that this joy may be pure.
Receive our praise and adoration
that you may be blessed by our worship.
Speak to us through your Word,
that we may hear your guidance for our lives.
In the name of Christ we pray, Amen.

3.
Almighty God,
who pours out on all who desire it
the spirit of grace and supplication;
deliver us, when we draw near to thee,
from coldness of heart
and wanderings of mind,
that with steadfast thoughts
and kindled affections,
we may worship thee in spirit and in truth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray, Amen.

4. For Advent
O Lord:
Keep us awake and alert, watching for your kingdom.
Make us strong in our faith
so we may greet your Son when he comes,
and joyfully give him praise.
Amen

5. Christmas Eve
Give us, O God,
such love and wonder,
that with shepherds and wise men and pilgrims unknown,
we may come to adore the holy child, the promised King;
and with our gifts worship him,
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.

6. Christmas Eve
As you come into the stillness of night, great God,
enter our lives this night.
Overcome darkness with the light of Christ’s presence,
so that we may clearly see the way to walk,
the truth to speak,
and the life to live for him,
Amen

7 Epiphany (January 6th)
God our Father,
who by a star led people from far away to see the child Jesus:
draw us and all people to Christ,
so that praising you now,
we may in life come to meet you face to face.
Through Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

8 Lent
Almighty God: you know that in this world we are under great pressure.
At times, we cannot stand.
We yield to temptation and fall into sin.
Stiffen our resolve and make faith strong,
so we may dig in against temptation and, by your power, overcome;
through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

9 Lent
Almighty God,
your Son fasted forty days in the wilderness,
and was tempted as we are but did not sin.
Give us grace to direct our lives
in obedience to your Spirit,
that as you know our weakness,
so we may know your power to save;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

10 Lent
Almighty and most merciful God,
kindle within us the fire of love,
that by its cleansing flame we may be purged of all our sins
and made worthy to worship you in spirit and in truth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

11 Lent
O Lord God,
you led your people through the wilderness
and brought them to the promised land.
So guide us.
Enable us to follow our Savior,
so that we may walk through the wilderness of this world
toward the glory of the world to come;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.


12
Almighty God, we pray for your blessing
on the church in this place.
Here may the faithful find salvation,
and the careless be awakened.
Here may the doubting find faith,
and the anxious be encouraged.
Here may the tempted find help,
and the sorrowful find comfort.
Here may the weary find rest,
and the strong be renewed.
Here may the aged find consolation
and the young be inspired;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

13
O God, you pour out the Spirit of grace and love.
Deliver us from cold hearts and wandering thoughts,
that with steady minds and burning zeal
we may worship you in spirit and truth, Amen.