Deanery Festival Prayer Chain Service

“Building hope and confidence” is at the heart of our call to support individuals and families to transform their lives. So even though we cannot gather at the moment, we can still celebrate our hope and confidence in God, which inspires and equips us to build hope and confidence in others, as we reach out in love and service.

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

Living God, we thank you that we can put our hands in yours, and walk where you will lead us, confident that, though all else may fail, you will not. So, in faith with joyful hearts, we dedicate our lives once more to your service. You have given us hope, and hope does not disappoint us. In Jesus name. Amen

 

Confession

Merciful Lord forgive us when we shun the security of your eternal promises and build our hope and confidence on the shifting sands of this world.

Help us to anchor our lives on you that we may place our confidence in your unfailing word and build hope that endures in those you call us to serve. Amen

 

Absolution  

May our loving Lord bless us with forgiveness and grace that we may be renewed in hope and confidence to gladly serve his world. Amen

 

Gospel Reading: John 14:6-7; 12-16

Jesus said: I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.

¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—¹⁷ the Spirit of truth.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.  Praise to you, O Christ.

 

Thanksgiving and intercessions  

We bring our prayers for the witness and work of Mothers’ Union; placing our hope and confidence in God’s willingness to hear and in his power to answer.

God of sure and steadfast hope we draw near with confidence to ask for your blessing on the witness and work of Mothers’ Union worldwide.

We bring you our thanks for lives which have been transformed as we have reached out with your love; for those who now face the future with hope and confidence.

We pray for the many who still despair that life can ever change and ask for your abundant resources to transform mind-sets and circumstances and create a hopeful future.

Today in our Chain of Prayer travelling across our Diocese we pray for our deanery and all the branches within it. We also pray for the deanery of (see below), who were due to hold their deanery festival next.

Date	Deanery	Date	Deanery
5th May	Bridgend	14th May	Penarth and Barry
6th May	Cynon Valley	18th May	Caerphilly and Merthyr
11th May	Margam	19th May	Rhondda
11th May	Neath	20th May	Llandaff
12th May	Vale of Glamorgan	27th May	Pontypridd
13th May	Cardiff

God of sure and steadfast hope we look forward with confidence; trusting in your loving guidance as we continue to walk in step with you. Amen

 

Sure and steadfast hope symbolic prayer

God’s promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls.

Hebrews 6:18-19 (CEV)

(Members are asked to make a link of a paper chain at home where the link represent the hope and confidence that Mothers’ Union brings to you, your branch, deanery, diocese and worldwide. When meet again in our branches, they can be joined together and attached to an anchor for each deanery.)

We offer up these symbols of our sure and steadfast hope in God. We affirm our confidence in his promises and commit our witness and work to him. Amen

 

Final Prayer and Blessing

Loving Lord, we thank you for your love so freely given to us all.

We pray for families around the world. Bless the work of the Mothers’ Union
as we seek to share your love through the encouragement, strengthening
and support of marriage and family life. Empowered by your Spirit, may we be united in prayer and worship, and in love and service reach out as your hands across the world. In Jesus’ name.  Amen

 

Whatever today may hold, whatever tomorrow might bring, the future is secure, for Christ is with us, the same yesterday, today and forever.

Live each moment with him in quiet confidence and joyful celebration, for he is ours and we are his for all eternity. Amen ©Nick Fawcett

 

May the God of hope fill us with joy and peace as we trust in him, that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen