St Peters RC Church Hamilton

Sunday, a quieter day,

More time to pray

And offer thanks.

Thanks for the week passed

With many blessings

Addressing us as favours.

Let us pray with thanksgiving,

Especially if our faith is deepening

Or strengthening or widening.

For life is about friendship

Arising out of turning to Jesus.

When we realise how much

The Lord God loves us,

Wanting to keep in touch,

We realise we are meant to be

Ever living lovingly.

This can be tricky,

But prayer helps us,

For prayer draws us

Closer and closer to the Lord Jesus

His Spirit touching us,

Through this way,

As and when we pray.

Sunday, a day of opportunity,

A quieter, slower time.

What should we usefully

Do with this bonus?

Turn to the Lord Jesus,

That through Him we worship

Offer all thanks and praise

To the life giving Father,

Seeing how He is preparing us

In our friendship with Jesus,

To be one day,

We know not how far away,

A part of that company

We call heavenly.

For we will be seeing

The very reason for living,

Which is the daily love

Of the almighty Trinity

Shared continuously with us.

Until then, time is preparatory.

So let us pray today,

This Sunday, and feel happy,

Life being a wonderful gift,

An exciting journey home,

A journey of discovery.

Our Father comes to us

Through the Lord Jesus,

By means of the Holy Spirit,

Herein is our highest hope,

Our deepest peace

And our richest joy,

Learned as we pray.

Pray today, this Sunday.

Pray and be happy.

Stillness before God

Helps shape life’s purpose,

That of learning holiness

Wherein lies our forgiven past,

Our blessed present

And our consecrated future.

Lord, we pray and we see that You, “Will surely supply for all our needs through our unity with Christ Jesus,” (based on Philippians 4 v 19) as we open ourselves up to the faith building Spirit who helps us to pray.

Thank You for Sunday, a quieter day away from the daily routine of very many daily demands upon our time.

May we choose to use this free time well, seeking You throughout worship, our appreciation of the week’s many blessings expressed gratefully.

And I ask for the week ahead, that the Holy Spirit will keep our hearts and minds at one with the Lord Jesus, Your Son, our Saviour. For then we will be more likely to pray about everything.

Oh that this would happen, that we pray, not just on a Sunday because time permits, but daily, regularly. For we have made the discovery that prayer is one of the most precious gifts we possess.

Thank You for this understanding. Dearest Father, Lord of everything that is excellent and worth praising, please keep us praying, that blessed by Your love which gifts us hope, we will be well defended, really

safeguarded from all that is evil and harmful. It is through prayer we find true happiness, our life in You as a Trinity, as in You we inherit the hope and confident expectation of heaven, thank You. Sunday, a day more

leisurely, please help us to pray. Amen.