Praying Together 2021

56 Gather Light a candle as a sign of God’s presence and sit quietly. Ring a bell or chime to start the prayer. The Lord be with you. Alleluia! And with your spirit. Alleluia! COLLECT Let us pray that we will grow in love and obedience. (pause ) God, our Father in heaven, teach us to show our love for you by doing what you ask of us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. SCRIPTURE A reading from the first letter of St John 5:1-3 If we believe that Jesus is truly Christ, we are God’s children. Everyone who loves the Father will also love his children. If we love and obey God, we know that we will love his children. We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. RESPONSE As God’s children, let us pray together to our Father with the prayer that Jesus taught us: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. When children are still learning th e Our Father, it may be helpful to present each line of the prayer slowly. DISMISSAL May the love of God guide our minds. Alleluia! Alleluia! May God bless us in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Ring the bell or chime to signal the end of the prayer. Extinguish the candle. Thursday Week 2 Easter 15 April 2021 “If we believe that Jesus is truly Christ, we are God’s children.”