A prayer based on Titus 3:4-7.

<aside> 🙏🏻 Gracious Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, We give you our thanks that: When we were foolish and disobedient. When we lived as though You did not exist – suppressing and rejecting this truth. When we were deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. When we had neither the desire nor the ability to be anything but sinful. When we lived in malice and envy, wishing ill on others and jealousy of the good that had happened to them. When we were facing nothing but death and hell and wrath. Your kindness and love appeared in Jesus and was shown to us by saving us.

We thank You that it is by Your mercy we have been saved. We don’t deserve this rescue. There is nothing in us or could ever be in ourselves that would warrant You doing this for us. It is all of grace and not of works.

We thank You that by Your Spirit, You have given us the gift of faith that enabled us to trust in Christ and be saved. To trust that His perfect life of righteousness has been transferred to us so we can be accepted. To trust that His death on the cross was in our place taking the penalty that was ours so we can be forgiven. And we thank You for the work of Your Spirit in our lives. Washing us clean and removing the filth of our sin. Renewing us and making us into new creations. Giving us a new purity, power, and responsiveness to Your ways.

Help us to live out this new life we now have by being committed to doing what is good. Taking an active part in society, and seeking to be a blessing to those in authority and those in the community, by being model citizens and brilliant neighbours. May our lives adorn the gospel and give us opportunities to speak to people about the hope that we have, and they can have, if they put their trust in Christ.

Thank you for every opportunity we have as a local church, both formally and informally, to serve our community. And we pray that fruit would come from them, and as You have promised, none of our labours for You would not be in vain. God, be gracious to those we come into contact with. By Your Spirit give to them the gift of faith. We believe that there are people who are Yours, where You have placed this local church to be. May we share in the joy of heaven by seeing these sinners repent and publicly profess faith in Christ by being baptised.

For Your glory.

Amen.

</aside>