16^th August 2019

There are occasions when family relationships break down or where upon a persons death no obvious restoration or healing has taken place. The prayer that follows has been used to address such an occasion, aiming to help people honestly face up to their frailty, the fact of a broken relationship, to seek forgiveness and to bring finality and healing to those who’s lives have been marked by unfinished business.

Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest.” Matt 11:28.

Reconciling Prayer

Lord we thank you that your love will not let us go and that we can find our rest in you as with courage we face up to the realities of life and our relationship with  ---------.

We confess to you and to one another we are not the people we often like to think we are. We have contributed to a restless world because we have often been indifferent to the need and wounds of others around us.

We confess to you and each other that though time has past, there were times when we let --------- down. Lord we are sorry. Forgive us for our past ignorance when we failed to listen or understand. Forgive us for our broken relationship and the institutions that made mistakes that led to fear, insecurity, and dysfunction in .....'s life. The brokenness and disorder that seemingly could not be changed or undone. Lord forgive us for any hurt or neglect.

 

Lord we ask you to forgive --------- where he/she let us down, where he/she was overwhelmed by life and things seemed wrong. Forgive him/her for his/ her independence that led to bad choices and mistakes that hurt others.

Lord we are sorry and our sin weighs us down, but you are a man of sorrows acquainted with our grief. Where we were frail and weak you understood the details of ----------  life and his/her deepest need.

 

Lord you alone are our hope and our salvation.

In this moment, in your mercy and compassion receive ---------- into your keeping and care.

In your mercy and compassion we surrender any hidden anger, hurt or grievance that we may have held onto, knowing that in your death on the cross you have already taken our shame and darkness and made it your own.

 

Lord you alone are our hope and our salvation.

Now lift us up, out of ourselves and the past, into the light of knowing sin forgiven.

Strengthen us in the faith and hope of knowing that in our weakness you have done what we cannot do.

We now claim the scripture that say , “We are justified by faith. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom 5:1

Lord you alone free us from the past, to experience the joy and energy that comes with the deep healing of your love. Continue to pour that love that knows no end into our lives and today be especially with, --------  ---------  ---------  and those bothers and sisters close to  -----------  as they take hold of the future with the assurance of your presence, now and always.

We pray in Jesus name, Amen.