Prayer: Based on Nehemiah 9
Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.
You revealed yourself in Jesus Christ, who is your Word-made-Flesh, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the only way to You, O Father. We confess that we are stiff-necked; we refused to listen and failed to remember the gracious acts of salvation in Christ.
You are a forgiving God gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore You have not deserted us. Because of your great compassion You have not abandoned us. Your presence have not failed to guide us on our path. You gave your good Spirit to instruct us. You did not withhold your manna from our mouths, and You gave us water for our thirst.
But we are disobedient and rebelled against You; we have turned our backs on your law and sin against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. But when we call for mercy and cry out to You, from heaven You hear, and in your great compassion on You deliver us. But we keep walking away in rebellion, and yet, in your great mercy You do not put an end to us or abandon us. You are gracious and merciful. In all that has happened to us, You have remained righteous; You have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly. We are slaves today, slaves in the land You gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to others. We are powerless before our enemies. We are in great distress. Forgive us, O Lord, for the sake our your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Ultimate Standards 