Matthew 25:34-36

Matthew 25:34-36
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

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Gracious and loving God,
thank you for the provision of feeding us heavenly manna
when we have been hungry, both in body and in spirit.

Thank you for covering us with physical clothing
and with the anointing of your Holy Spirit.

Thank you for giving us living water for our deep thirst,
from your well that never runs dry.

Thank you for always looking out
for our spiritual, physical and emotional needs.
When we don't know where to turn,
the abundance of your welcoming spirit invites us
to a seat at your table of grace.

When we have been strangers and life absolutely overwhelms us,
we forever give our whole selves to you.

Thank you for your sweet peace that rests on us
like a gentle rainfall from heaven.
You have been so good to us!

And we pause this day to say thank you.
Amen.

Matthew 18:10-14

Matthew 18:10-14
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones.
For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away,
will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills
and go to look for the one that wandered off?
And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep
than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.

In the same way your Father in heaven
is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

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Lord Jesus,
I thank you that our angels in heaven
are always looking into the face of God on behalf of your children.

I thank you that Jesus, the Righteous One, sits at your right hand
making intercession for us
for the blessing of your great protection and provision,
your power and your anointing in our lives.

We give thanks, Lord—
we thank you that you see us as so very significant,
so very precious, and so enormously valuable
that you would come looking for us
as a shepherd looks for our lost sheep.

My hope and my peace are in the name of the Lord.
Thank you for the blessings of your radiant glory
that forever light our path.
We will walk in your goodness with the assurance of your guidance
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
always and forever.
Amen.

Matthew 18:19-20

Matthew 18:19-20
[Jesus said] “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for,
it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

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Lord, your word reminds us
that if two of us are gathered together in your name
and our hearts are one with the other,
that we can ask anything in your name
and that you would do it.

We recognize
that when we are gathered together in your name,
that you are in our very midst.
We can turn to you
knowing that not only do you hear the words from our lips,
but you also hear the unspoken request in our hearts.

We thank you that you hear us each and every day.
That whatever we prayed yesterday
or last week or last month or last year,
you have not forgotten,
and that in your perfect will and in your perfect time,
you will do what is best for us.

So we thank you, God,
that you are father to us.
We thank you, God,
that you are creator, that you are healer to us.
We thank you, Lord God,
that you are counselor and you are guide to us.

We thank you, God,
that when two of us are gathered, or three of us,
or gathered as five of us, or gathered in ten of us,
that you are the honored guest at our table,
you have the seat of honor.
Because there is no place
that we can go from your presence,
and we want to always acknowledge you.

Come and sit and sup with us, our God.
We lift up our petitions to you.
We thank you because you're so good
and that you hear us and that you bless us.

And that not only do you open doors of heaven
and windows of heaven,
that you open heaven itself on our behalf,
and for that we say thank you.

We bless you today, O God,
because you are so good.
You're so gracious and you're so kind and you're so forgiving.
Thank you for being our God.
And thank you for your son Jesus,
who is our healer and our company keeper.

We thank you, God,
for all that you do for us,
and we pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.