Worship
How we pray
Prayer is the foundation for our relationship with God. We are facing difficult times, as we manage the challenges of the aftermath of the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, as well as divisions over Brexit and our changing position within Europe and beyond. Now, the comfort and strength we draw from prayer is more important than ever.
Prayers in our Church
Prayer is usually a part of our Church services and is also included in other church meetings and events. In our services we usually pray for ourselves and for others.
There are many different styles of prayer and the style used in the Church of Scotland can vary from church to church and even within an individual church.
Sometimes we use informal, spontaneous times of prayer; sometimes we use more formal language and quite rigid orderings of content. In our church many different people lead the prayers and sometimes it is only the Minister that leads a prayer. They include prayers of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, intercession and petition
In our Sunday services we always include a special prayer that was taught by Jesus. This is known as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. We say these words all together…
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.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom,
the power and the glory forever.
Amen
Personal Prayer
Personal prayer is a big part of a Christian’s life. We pray – when we’re happy, when we are sad, when we’re in trouble, for others in trouble, for help, for guidance, for reassurance, for peace. For Christians, prayer should be as natural as breathing; it is our lifeline to God and the powerhouse from which we gain strength and support for ourselves and others.
Is there a right way to pray? The simple answer is no. How do we begin? How should we address God? If these questions you have, we hope the suggestions below may help.
Speak with God in simple, ordinary, everyday language. God will lovingly accept your prayers. There is no special virtue in long prayers – they can be any length. Take your time to say what you want to say and pray from your heart. Always remember that God is waiting to meet with us at any time, in any place, and He will answer our prayers.
When we look at the Lord’s Prayer, we find that Jesus taught his followers to speak to God simply and directly, as a child talking to a parent – ‘Our Father in heaven’. So our approach should be simple and natural, while still being respectful.