Reading of the Law of God
Ask, and it will be
given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For
everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who
knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will
give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you
then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more
will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Matthew 7.7-11
Confession of Sin
Our Father, once
again we come upon an invitation to pray. We come upon another promise to
encourage us to be confident in our prayers. And yet, we are so slow to believe
You. We are slow to be bold in our prayers. What is this but unbelief? We ask
that You would forgive our sinful doubt. We ask that You would change us. Make
us into people who pray because we believe Your promises. Amen.
Declaration of Pardon
For Christ also
suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring
us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
May the Father of
all mercies cleanse us from our sins, and restore us in his image to the praise
and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Book of Common Prayer