Prayer

Worship prayers for 05-03-15

/ The Pastor

Below are some more prayers I prepared for worship tomorrow (I posted the opening prayer yesterday). The text for preaching is Mark 9:42-50. This is the text of Jesus talking about the seriousness of sin. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off…” For the sermon, I begin with some opening words from Jonathan Edward’s sermon from 1741 titled, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. It’s definitely one of those “fire and brimstone” type of sermons. I wish I had more time to share more from that sermon. If you haven’t read it, simply Google that sermon and you can find a copy to read. I would suggest finding an audio version to listen to.

So with that context I commend these prayers to you. May God bless your Sabbath day as you worship and praise our awesome God.

Prayer before the sermon
Oh God of power and might; worthy and righteous; holy and awesome. You hold our lives precariously in Your holy hands, and as sinners this should cause us to pause and shutter, because really, we are deserving to be dropped into the fires of hell. But You are also a God of compassion and mercy; love and forgiveness; A just God who sees our fallen-ness and our need for a Savior. So it is through Jesus Christ that we worship You and give You thanks.

Oh God, send Your Spirit that those who are here gathered, listening to Your words, may come to a holy fear of You but yet also run to You for mercy and know Your holy love. May sin be adhorant to us and may repentance be our daily worship of You. Through Jesus’ most holy name I pray, Amen.

Offering prayer
This offering here is an extension of our worship of You, oh God; as we place our lives into Your gracious and holy hands. We don’t give these gifts as an investment program; hoping to receive even more from You. We give these gifts because You are worthy and we give them as a matter of trust that You will continue to bless us to be a blessing to others. And so may these gifts bring glory to You, oh God, as we continue to share the love of Christ in this mission field. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Post-communion prayer
Holy Father, You have fed us with Your holy Word and now You have fed us with this holy food. And so with these may Your Spirit drive us to our Savior, Jesus Christ, as we humble ourselves with the fact that we are sinners worthy of hell. But through Christ’s redeeming work, You have shown amazing mercy. Send us forth, now, to live lives of worship and praise of You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Panting and Longing (Psalm 42:1-2)

/ The Pastor

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Oh God, this world makes me weary and tired;
physically
emotionally
mentally
spiritually
And when I feel like I am just scraping by I long for something to quench that which is lacking in me.

I long to be satisfied.
I long to be quenched.
I long for You.

But why only then? Why not when I feel full and satisfied and charged? Why not then, oh God, why not then? I loathe the fact that my sinful self leads me to complacency when I feel full.

But then there are times when I am lacking that,
I seek other waters
I seek other streams
I seek other wells
and they fail to do what they promise.

Oh how foolish I am.

But You, oh God, do not fail in what You promise. You are a faithful God. You are a faithful God to give to Your children as they need. When we are lacking, you provide.

May my heart pant for you as a deer pants for flowing streams.
May my heart thirst for You.
May my soul wait for You.
May I live for You.

Oh God, this world makes me weary and tired; through my faith in Jesus Christ, when shall I come and appear before You? When shall I lie down in those green pastures and walk beside those still waters? When shall my soul be restored? When shall my cup runth over and over and over and over…

When shall I dwell in Your house forever and ever.

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for You.

Father God,
sustain this holy longing in me for You;
sustain my thirst for You alone;
sustain my faith and trust in You. Amen.

[pant, pant, pant…]

The Pastor -|—

Worship prayers for 04/26/15 (Belonging to Christ)

/ The Pastor

I offer these prayers to you for the glory of God; prayers written/compiled for worship on Sunday. A common thread running through many of these prayers is the theme of “belonging to Christ”. The sermon text is Mark 9:38-41 with the focus verse: [41] For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward. 

May God be glorified in our worship.

Opening prayer [the italicized portion are the words of Charles Spurgeon]
“Hallowed be Thy Name.” Oh that all the earth would ever reverence it. As for ourselves, enable us by Thy grace to use it with awe and trembling; and may a consideration of the glorious character which is intended by Thy gracious name, ever lay us in the very dust before Thee, and yet lift us up with holy joy and with an unwavering confidence. We come before Thee this morning through Christ Jesus to express our entire confidence in Thee. Oh God, may our songs and praises be pleasing to your ears as we come before You in humble obedience. All praise and worship to you, holy Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Prayer before the sermon
Holy Father, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to You, for You are worthy, oh God. May we be found faithful and obedient to Your Word and to Your commands. So please send Your Holy Spirit to give life to the words that I speak here this morning; that they may create and/or nourish faith. May the ears of those listening be turned away from me and directed towards You. May any praise that comes from the lips of those listening be directed towards You and not towards me. And therefore may all praise and glory and honor and worship be to You, holy Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Prayer after the sermon
Once again, holy Father, I ask that Your Holy Spirit may take the words I have spoken here and use them for Your glory. May those hearing these words this morning see their lives as belonging to Jesus, for without Jesus there is no life. It’s a hard thing to be submissive like this; to turn everything over to Jesus; including our very lives, but it’s our very lives You came to redeem from sin and death and the power of Satan. So send us forth as beloved children belonging to You through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Offering prayer
We offer these gifts this morning as an act of faith and worship; remembering that all that we have belongs to You. Be pleased to use them for Your glory and multiply these gifts as You see fit to advance Your kingdom. Through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom we belong, Amen.

Benediction/Blessing [based on Colossians 1:11-14]
May you be strengthened with all power, according to HIS glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. So go and make disciples; proclaiming this Good News, as people belonging to Jesus. Amen.

May the joy of the Lord give you hope and peace this day and always.

The Pastor -|—

Belonging to Christ (Mark 9:41)

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

“For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.” [Mark 9:41]

The text for preaching on Sunday is Mark 9:38-41. And as I pray about and ponder this text I am caught by the phrase, “belong to Christ”.

And as I reflect on this phrase a few thoughts come to mind:
~ There is a big difference between Christ belonging to you and belonging to Christ.

~ Saying, “I’m a Christian” is not the same as belonging to Christ, often that simply reflects that Christ belongs to you.

~ If Christ belongs to you then you are in control of the relationship.

~If you belong to Christ, He is in control of the relationship, and you’re glad about that.

~ Belonging to Christ implies commitment and love.

~ Christ belonging to you implies manipulation.

~ If Christ belongs to you then you are less apt to share that which belongs to you.

~ If you belong to Christ you are more apt to shout this from the mountains tops and worship him.

Just a few thoughts as I prepare for the sermon on Sunday. What do you think? Does anything here resonant with you? What does it mean to you to say, “I belong to Christ”?

Here’s what it means to me:
Jesus is Lord of my life. He has saved me through his death and resurrection and therefore I owe him everything; especially including my very life. On my own I am weak and vulnerable but under Christ’s Lordship I am safe in his loving arms. But that’s not why I gather under his wings like chicks with a hen. I am drawn to Christ because of his awesome love for me; a love that I know will never fail despite the fact that I am a miserable sinner. And so therefore, I worship Christ and praise his name. I belong to Christ and gladly submit to him.

Now you’re turn…

Holy Father, thank you for coming to us in Jesus Christ. My life is yours. In Jesus name I pray, Amen

The Pastor -|—

Your Peace Is Here

/ The Pastor

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Oh Lord God,

at the break of day, your peace was there.

In my work,
in my play,
with my children,
with my wife,
with my friends,

Your peace was there.

In the midst of conversations, Your peace was there.
While pondering your will, Your peace was there.
Immersed in study, Your peace was there.
Pouring my heart out to You, Your peace was there.
Struggling with temptation, Your peace was there.
Grappling with decisions, Your peace was there.
Receiving a hug from my little girl, Your peace was there.
Melting while my little boy gazes into my eyes, Your peace was there.

All through my day; in all situations; through the ups and downs, Your peace was there.

And now…

Relaxing at home, Your peace is here.
Reflecting on my day, Your peace is here.
Remembering Your grace, Your peace is here.

Your peace was with me throughout this day and now Your presence overwhelms me as I prepare to commit my tired body to the vulnerable state of sleeping. And I am thankful for…

Your peace is here and Your presence is here and therefore…

I shall not fear.

In the name of Jesus Christ, my Prince of Peace I pray, Amen.
——————–

May the Prince of Peace give you comfort and peace this night.
The Lord be with you all.

The Pastor -|—

Worship Prayers for 04/19/15

/ The Pastor

I was on vacation last week so that is why you didn’t see any worship prayers posted. But now I am back in the saddle and excited to be leading worship and preaching again.

Below are some of the prayers I wrote for worship today.

May God be praised, worshiped and glorified.

——————–

Opening prayer
Your holy Word, oh God, in Revelation 4 says, “Worthy are You…to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.” And it is for this reason and this reason alone that we gather here this morning. You are the Creator and the giver of all good things. You are the author of life and the giver of New Life through Jesus Christ. You are the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end. And no one else is worthy of our praise. So we beseech You to turn Your ear towards us and receive our praise and worship this morning. Bless our hearing of Your holy Word and send us forth to make disciples of all nations. May You be glorified. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Prayer before preaching (Sermon text ~ Mark 9:33-37)
Holy and Faithful God, send now Your Holy Spirit to stir our hearts that we may receive this word. And may this holy word, convict us of sin and our need for a Savior. And may we run to this Savior, Jesus Christ, and cling to the life he brings. And may we proclaim this life to the world around us that others may come to know salvation. And may this salvation be the greatness we focus on in such a way that You, oh God, are glorified. Bless these words and our hearing of them. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Closing prayer
[From Charles Spurgeon] We cry to Thee this morning for the preservation of Thy church in the world, and especially for her purity. Oh Father, keep us, we beseech Thee, with all keeping, that the Evil one touch us not. We shall be tempted, but let him not prevail against us. In a thousand ways he will lay snares for our feel, but, oh, deliver us as a bird from the snare of the fowler. May the snare be broken that we may escape.

Holy God, I pray that this worship was pleasing to your ears as You are deserving of all worship. Send us now into this great mission field as we proclaim that Jesus Christ has been crucified and raised for sinners. May Your kingdom come among us. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

——————–

May your Sabbath Day be blessed as You worship this great God of ours.

The Pastor -|—

Mountains

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

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The mountains before me, oh God, look treacherous and dangerous and daunting and overwhelming. Seeing them I almost want to pull off the road and head in the other direction.

But You, oh God, are bigger than the mountains. 

So,

help me to know You better,
teach me Your ways,
and guide me in YOUR Truth.

Grant me patience as the climb gets tough and the way becomes dangerous. Grant me strength when the mountain screams at me, “You can’t do this”.
Grant me courage when the mountain threatens my security.

You are the God of my salvation and on You I will wait all the day long.

The mountain is there, oh God, but in You may I find peace; for it is Your will that I want to follow and obey.

All honor and glory and praise and worship be to You, forever and ever. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks and Repeat

/ The Pastor

I have been writing a bit on prayer recently and committing things to the Lord. And this is not just some random topic to flush out but something that is at the heart of my ministry (especially now). And as I pray I am constantly being drawn to 1 Thessalonians 5:17 where it talks about praying without ceasing. But in addition to praying without ceasing it also says (before that) to Rejoice always. And then following the praying with ceasing part it says, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

And it makes no difference what you are praying for or who or what circumstance. This call to prayer should be a joyful one considering the God we are praying to. You could be praying in great anguish but if you are praying to God almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, then you can rest assured that God is listening and therefore all will be good; no matter the outcome.

But I still find it difficult, at times, to rejoice when I am praying or to give thanks. I want God to fix my problems or give me a clear answer. But that is not God’s will for me. God’s will for me is to enjoy the fact and take comfort in the fact that God is in control and that God is for me. God wants me to take comfort in the fact that no matter the prayer request, that it is not too big. The only thing big in praying is God almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

God’s will may be different than mine (and it often is) but God’s will is perfect. And it you believe that God’s will is perfect then rejoicing and giving thanks should flow naturally.

Wow, I’m feel much better about this praying without ceasing thing now.
Thanks for letting me talk through scripture with you.

Rejoice always
Pray without ceasing
Give thanks

for God is awesome!!!

Father God, calm my heart and help me see your awesomeness. You are faithful. You are loving. Your will is perfect. Grant me the faith to cling to that; that I may joyful commit everything to You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen

The Pastor -|—

Table prayer

/ The Pastor

Earlier today I submitted this to Twitter:
Don’t just teach your children specific prayers or how to pray; teach them to know whom they are praying to. #parenting #God #Jesus #Lord

So that is where this table prayer came from.

I started thinking about this because I want to develop a prayer habit in my kids that is genuine. I want prayer to be something that is not rote; a formula prayer that we just spout off before we eat. I want my kids to think about why we pray and what we are praying for. But even more than that, I want my kids to know this awesome God to whom we are praying. I want my kids to have a relationship with our provider God and learn to give Him genuine thanks.

So here it is. I do not claim any artistic ability in writing poetry. I’m only a father trying to teach his children:

Jesus, we invite you to this table,
to bless this food so that we are able,
to live and serve you,
to praise and give you
honor and glory,
telling your story.
So bless this food, Lord, to help us live now,
Oh Jesus we praise your holy name now.
Amen.

What do you think?

The Pastor -|—

Doing Prayer Right (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. [1 Timothy 2:1-2]

As a man of prayer, one of the things I struggle with is prayer. Sounds like a contradiction but if, as a Christian, you are not struggling with prayer, then you might be doing it wrong.

What do I mean by this?

Paul is teaching his young companion, Timothy, to pray for ALL people, not just family or the people you like. Not just for those you want to manipulate, but for ALL people. And Paul says that “all people” includes kings and those in high positions. Today, the “all people” would include our president, lawmakers, judges, state and local leaders, school board members, your church council/session.

All people, no matter how you feel towards them.
politicians
that cranky neighbor
that ex who cheated on you
ISIS
ruthless dictators
that parishioner who is spreading lies about you

All people

Paul says that we ought to do this that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. But also, we ought to be doing this because God desires to see all people saved. This doesn’t mean that all people will be saved, but God desires it. God knows whom he has elected for salvation but you and I don’t. So therefore we are to pray for all people. But your prayers shouldn’t be selfish in nature but rather that they may come to know God or have their faith strengthened or that they may not fall into temptation or that they may lead with wisdom or…(and you get the point).

We are to pray for all people not to get ahead but rather that they may come to know salvation through Jesus Christ.

But I have also come to discover a “selfish” side effect of praying for all people. Is there is a person in your life who has hurt you or raises your blood pressure to a point that you feel chest pains?

Pray for them.

I have discovered that it is really hard to be mad at someone that you are praying for. And if you are still mad while praying for that person, then you might be doing it wrong.

Pray for ALL people that GOD may be glorified.

Holy God, I desire to have a relationship with you but I also know that your heart is for all people. May my heart be like Yours, oh God, that I may see others as people worthy to be prayed for as You would like. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Pastor -|—