Matthew 20
Pastor Lawrence

Prayer of Praise/Thanksgiving: Our Father, we praise you for your great power and authority. You are the owner of the vineyard in which we work. You are the Lord over all our days and all our labor. And we give you thanks for giving us a fair wage, for treating us much better than we deserve and for giving us our daily denarius and our daily bread to supply all of our needs. You are a faithful and just master and we are privileged to serve in your kingdom.

Prayer of Confession: O Lord, have mercy on us Son of David, forgiving us for our poor service, for our idleness and for grumbling against the master of the house, begrudging your generosity and challenging what you choose to do with all that belongs to you. As servants, we should know and appreciate our humble estate, but we have often sought to be the first rather than the last, the master rather than the slave, even pretending to be gods rather than creatures of God in whom we live, move and have our being. Likewise, we have pitted ourselves against our brothers, seeking to elevate ourselves over them and to lord it over them, treating them harshly if they would not serve our demands. Have mercy upon us, your unjust and ungrateful servants, and forgive us of these sins, for we ask it in your holy name, Jesus, for you came not to be served, but to serve, and to give your life as a ransom for many. You are our savior, and you are our only confidence before the Father’s holy throne.

Prayer of Sanctification: O Holy Spirit, help us to follow Christ this day, not to go our own way, or to demand our own way, but to follow the one who was condemned, mocked, flogged, crucified and raised from the dead. Help us to take up our cross and to follow him, to die to our flesh and pride and to take on new life. Lord, give us desires of greatness in your heavenly kingdom, a desire to serve and a desire to love, a desire to work and a desire to promote your greatness and glory. Open our eyes to see the splendor of Christ’s kingdom this day and to be enthralled with the beauty and majesty of our king.