Father,

We come to you as the new people that you have created in Christ. Formerly we were far away, outsiders, without hope and without God in the world. There was a gulf of separation that alienated us from you.

But now through Christ, we have been brought near to you. Reconciliation has been made through the cross. Where there was once hostility and your rightful judgement for our sin, now peace has been made. Our offenses are dealt with – Christ took the punishment we deserve upon himself.

And you have helped us not just with the vertical broken relationship – but also with our horizontal relationships. “in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body and were all made to drink of one Spirit’. Those of us who follow Christ now have commonality, in Christ, as the parts of His body that God has arranged as he purposes. We belong together – and all drink of His Spirit. Black and White, Male and Female, Wealthy and Poor, young and old – whatever our earthy points of difference, are not reasons for us to be divided any more – since we all have a common experience and identity in Christ. Our outward differences rather enrich and highlight the greater and deeper unity that we possess as your children. We are all sinners, saved by your grace, waiting for your coming Kingdom.

Yet Lord, as we reflect upon the past week, we know that we struggle at times to remember who we we really are. We often live superficially and allow those outward differences to impact the way we relate to one another. So often the path of least resistance is to gravitate toward and relate to only the people that look outwardly just like us. Forgive us lord for our small minded selfishness.

• Forgive us for only talking to those after church who we find it easy to talk to

• Forgive us for only being eager to meet up with people who we find easy to spend time with.

• Forgive us judging our experience at community groups on the basis of what we get out of it rather than how we might love and serve the other members

• Forgive us for the times when we have not rejoiced at others good news or suffered alongside our brothers and sisters in their times of trial

Though we are aware of our sin Lord, we also recall your promises of forgiveness to those who repent; you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This week help us especially as we seek you as a church through Fasting and Prayer. May you draw us closer together in love and unity – even as we draw close to you. May our desires for the pleasures of this world diminish and our longing for You and your eternal kingdom increase. Show us afresh how we are like flowers of the field, flourishing for a few short days and then withering. Teach us to number our days aright and to gain a heart of wisdom. Amen.