Daily Worship

All-age prayer of thanksgiving

Robert Allan August 31, 2015 0 0

Luke 14:15-24

The Parable of the Great Banquet

15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

Lord Jesus, we thank you for our friends; they are with us at school and at work, sharing our day; they are living near to us and some live far away though we like to keep in touch with them; some we see often; some we don’t see much but still have a special bond with them.

Our friends are there when we need them, cheering us up, encouraging us; they save us form our loneliness; and they also can be brave enough to tell us the truths we don’t really want to hear, but it helps us.

Lord, we do thank you for all our friends, and especially those we know in the Church too, our friends in the faith; some we have known for years, some we are juts beginning to know; though friends, we are really like brothers and sisters, bound together in your love.

As we thank you for all our friends, we thank you, Jesus, that you are our friend too; we can speak to you in any place and at any time and you listen; you hold nothing against us, but accept us as we are and love us without condition, a true friend.

Hear this prayer of thanks we offer in your name and now as we share the prayer you taught:

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.