Opening Prayer for a Church Service

Loving, Heavenly Father.

Once more we gather together in your Church, joining for a short while in Prayer, in Praising, in Communion with Thee.

First of all we want to thank you for all the gifts that you have given to us. Particularly for the things that we take for granted: our homes, the food we eat, our families, the beauty of the world around us, for the glory of the sunsets, for all the things that make our world a place in which we can live and work, and make progression. But most of all, Father, we would thank you because we have got this knowledge that life is eternal. That our period on the earth plane is just one short interlude in our lives and the obstacles and the difficulties that we face here are lessons that we have got to learn. And we know, Father, that there are those from the Other Side of Life, whom we term our Guides, our Helpers, that they will be with us; not making our pathway smooth, but helping to give us the strength to overcome the obstacles.

We know, Father, that as we try to follow the teaching that Jesus of Nazereth gave, so we must learn to give love to all the peoples on the earth plane. And so we send out our thoughts far and wide, praying that there may come about an understanding between the Nations. That the difficulties that divide them at the moment can be overcome with good will on both sides, with communication, with understanding. We pray for peace in our world, Father, so that mankind can progress spiritually as he was intended to.

When we look round our world we see all the things that have been going wrong over the last few years and we almost despair at times, and we cannot see how we, as individuals, can put things right. Yet we know that the Power of Spirit can work miracles. So our prayers go out to those on the earth plane who are suffering and to those on the other side of life who can help them.

We pray for the animal kingdom, Father. Particularly for those animals in the wild whose habitats are being destroyed through man's greed. And we pray that people will come to an understanding of the ecology of the world so that the beauty of nature that we see around us may be passed on to those who come after us.

We pray for this little Church, Father, that those who come here to worship will find peace and friendship, that those who are seeking will find knowledge, that those who are lonely will be given the comradeship they want, and those who despair will find hope.

Bless our Service tonight, Father, and may everything that is said and done here be in accordance with Your Holy Will.

We ask these things in the Name of Him whom we try to follow and serve, Jesus, the Master Christ.

Amen.