Prayer

Morning Lifting

/ The Pastor

Holy Father, mighty God,

I lift my prayer to you this morning as I begin my day; ready to face all that will confront me.

I lift my prayer to you this morning as I begin my day; seeking Your will and the faith to stand strong.

I lift my prayer to you this morning with a heavy heart for those who are around me; those who know you and those who know you not:
~ For the lost that they may see Your redeeming face.
~ For the misguided that they may know the Truth of Your son, Jesus Christ.
~ For those who serve false gods as they should serve You; may they see the error of serving gods that will not and can not save.
~ For those who have heard Your name but live in fear of living for You. Grant them confidence, hope and peace.
~ For those who believe in Your Son, Jesus Christ, but feel they have nothing to offer; show them their worth.
~ For those who believe in Your Son and live boldly; may they continue to live boldly for You.
~ For those in leadership that they may live above reproach; giving glory to You through their lives.
~ For the Church that it may be faithful with it’s gifts and talents; boldly proclaiming the coming Kingdom and serving those in need.
~ For those who have heard the name of Jesus but have turned away; carry them home as a shepherd seeking and restoring a lost sheep.

And I pray for those who I have not thought of praying for; may they be brought into my life that I may serve them as You would have me serve them.

Receive my prayer this morning, oh God, that Your glory may shine bright in this dark world.
Receive my prayer this morning, oh God, that I may live for You.
Receive my prayer this morning, oh God, that Your Kingdom may come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

And as I do this “heavy lifting” this morning, lighten my load with the knowledge and faith that all those who come to You will find a burden that is easy and a load that is light; for it is You that does the “heavy lifting”.

So…

I lift this prayer to you as I head out into this wonderful creation.
Guide me,
Teach me,
Show me
Your most holy way.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen

The Pastor -|—

Worship prayers for 6/21/15 ~ Happy Father’s Day

/ The Pastor

Happy Father’s Day to fathers of all kinds as God, our heavenly Father, continues to bless and use you for His glory.

I also pray for those affected by the tragedy in Charleston, SC. On Father’s Day (or any day for that matter) we shouldn’t have to deal with something like this hanging over us. But I praise God that Jesus was found hanging on a cross for sinners that His Kingdom may be established, and thus sin and evil ultimately stamped out. So on this Father’s Day, cling to that hope as we praise and worship our heavenly Father.

So with that I commend to you these worship prayers/blessings prepared for today. May God be glorified.

Opening Prayer
Holy God, mighty King, loving Father, we come before You in holy awe; for there is no other response that is close to being worthy. We also come before You in fear and grief and sadness and confusion and anger and a myriad of other emotions we dare not name; but ones You know very well. We hold close to our hearts those who died in the Charleston shooting along with their friends and family members and others who are intimately connected to this tragedy. And today we especially remember those who are mourning the death of a father. We struggle to make sense of things; why in a house of prayer did this happen; why these people; why this event; why, oh God, why? There are so many questions; so many conflicting emotions. But You are a God of peace in a world that is anything but peaceful. So I ask that Your peace may be what wins the day. Grant faith to make us witnesses of Your love in this world and may our lives be a living worship service that brings You glory each and everyday. Bring healing. Build hope. Erase hate. Ignite Revival. Draw people together as Your bring Your glorious Kingdom. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Prayers of Intercession
…For The City of Charleston, SC as they mourn. It’s hard to imagine the feelings these people are experiencing. So instead of us trying to imagine and thus minimizing their grief, grant us empathy that we may mourn with our brothers and sisters in Christ and then work to be grace-filled witnesses in this world that Your Spirit may affect a world-wide, heart-changing revival. Lord in Your mercy…

Father’s Day prayer (based on Tweets from my colleague @rev_david)
We give thanks for loving wonderful fathers, who have given their children so many invaluable gifts.
We pray for all those whose fathers have died, who grieve on this day; celebrating their father in his absence.
We pray for fathers who have made the difficult and loving decision to give a child up for adoption.
We pray for those who were given abuse and heartbreak by the very ones called to love them.
We pray for all who are spending this Father’s Day in a hospital bed or at a hospital bedside.
We pray for the fathers of children with special needs and chronic illness, who know anxiety and exhaustion better than most.
We pray for those who struggle with infertility, whose desire to share parental love is met with frustration.
We weep with fathers who have born the silent grief of stillbirth or miscarriage.
We weep with every father who has had to bear the unimaginable burden of burying a child.
For men who choose to remain without biological children, sharing love with the world, we give thanks.
For far too often overlooked stepfathers, we give much needed thanks.
For uncles and godfathers and neighbors, who share fatherly love with so many children, we give thanks.
We give thanks for those who have answered the call to fatherhood through adoption and foster parenting, who model the adoptive love of God.
We pray for new fathers, with bleary eyes and hope for the future, welcoming new life into the world.
We pray for all men; for showing fatherly love to children of all ages; serving as an example of Your Fatherly love, oh God.
Lord in Your mercy…

Offering Prayer
Father God, You offered Your life that we may live. We therefore offer these meager gifts in response to the enormous gift of eternal life that we have through faith in Jesus Christ; knowing that we can never give enough to match Your gracious love. So may we continue to offer You our lives in faithful witness to others that our living offerings may bring You glory. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Benediction
May you be blessed to be a blessing to others.
May you be strengthened that you may strengthen others.
May you know God through Christ Jesus so well that others see Him in you.
May your light shine bright that others are blinded by His love.
May you show grace and mercy and love that hate and racism are stamped out.
And may the peace that surpasses all understanding sustain you through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Groaning and Sighing for Charleston

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

This pastor’s heart is breaking today over the senseless killing of 9 people (including the pastor) in Charleston, SC yesterday by a disturbed gunman who felt it necessary to commit such an atrocity. These people were gathering at their church for prayer; lifting up their petitions and cries and confessions and praise to God. These people were gathering in a seemingly “safe” place as they were in a “safe” place.

[54] When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” [55] “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” [56] The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. [57] But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
[1 Corinthians 15:54-57 ESV]

This is the first text that came to mind when I started perusing the news this morning. I don’t know if this gunman thought he had gained a victory by killing 9 unsuspecting people in a church prayer group, but the victory is not his. I don’t know if Satan honestly thinks that he gained some sort of victory by leading this young man to open fire like that, but the victory is not his. Worldly corruption has not gained a victory. Sin has not gained a victory. Despair has not gained a victory.

There are no words that can explain what happened yesterday and why. There is nothing that can come from the gunman’s mouth that will make this easier to digest. There is much that I don’t know but one thing I do:

[57] But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

For me, this is the truth I cling to. Yesterday I wrote about Good News in a bad news world, well, this is yet another prime example of the need for the Good News in a bad news world. Instead of trying to make sense of why some man would walk into a church and kill people, go to scripture and listen to God. Don’t bestow a false victory on this gunman or Satan or death or what/who ever. Acknowledge the victory already won by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Place your faith in him and the victory of all victories is yours.

In the mean time, join me in praying for those families who are mourning the death of loved ones. Pray for those who are left with the memories of this tragedy. Pray for the Charleston community. Pray for law enforcement as they investigate and sort through evidence. Pray for all who are haunted by this event.

May the victory gained by Jesus give you hope in a bad news world.

Holy God, loving Father, in a Romans 8 type of way, words escape me and so I ask that Your Spirit may intercede with mine as it groans with sighs too deep for words to express. Grant Your suffering and mourning children the hope of the resurrection and may they cling to You during this time and always. All glory and honor and praise and worship be to You, holy God, through Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Worship Prayers for 06/14/15 ~ Sinners/Saints

/ The Pastor

Good morning sinners/saints. Once again it is my joy to share with you the prayers that have been prepared for worship this morning. Use them as you may to the glory of our awesome God.

Opening Prayer
Holy God, to come before Your throne in worship brings a sense of awe and holy fear; for we are sinners; stained, spotted, wrinkled and riddled with uncleanliness. We are unworthy to even glance in Your direction to soak in just a tiny morsel of Your holy beauty. We are unworthy to even utter Your holy name in a desperate cry for help. But You, oh God, do not turn us away; but rather receive us in Agape love. And as we crawl to you and fall at Your feet, You lift us up through faith in Your only Son, Jesus; our Redeemer and Savior and Lover of our souls. And therefore what a joy it is to gather as Your children and praise Your awesome and holy name. So receive our praise and thanks, and fill us with Your Spirit as we lay our very lives at Your feet. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Prayer before Preaching
Awesome God, mighty King, Your Word is too deep for our feeble minds to probe. Your Word is too wide for our limited understanding to navigate. You Word is too weighty for our weak faith to bare. Who can handle such an awesome Word without being crushed under the weight of its judgment? But we are not crushed for Your Word gives life to those who would receive it through Jesus Christ. So I ask that you would send Your Holy Spirit, now, so that as I bask in Your Word this morning, I may be able to impart Your Way, Truth and Life to the sinners here gathered; that they may see themselves as saints through faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Convict my heart and humble me in Your presence. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Post-communion Blessing
Now may the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ embolden your words and deeds as you live as forgiven sinners; saved by grace through faith, and proclaim the life and death of Jesus to the glory of God our Father. Amen.

Prayer after Communion/Closing Prayer
[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, deliver us as a bird from the snare of the fowler. May the snare be broken that we may escape and thus bring glory to Your holy name. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Now may the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, strengthen you for every good work; keeping you humble so that glory may always be to God. Blessings to you this day and always.

The Pastor -|—

Words for Thee

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

Let’s pray…

Lead me down the path that’s true;
guide me in the ways of you.

Help me see where I should go;
may I seek Your Word to know.

Grant me faith to trust You now;
bring me to Your throne to bow.

Grant me words that I may lead,
Words of life that I may feed.

Thank you God for hearing me,
each and every word for thee.

The Pastor -|—

The “Worm” of God

/ The Pastor

image

Oh God, feed me
Oh God, nourish me
Oh God, provide for me

Fill me with Your holy Word and satisfy my deepest longings.
Fill me with Your love that it may overflow to others.
Fill me with Your wisdom that I may teach others Your ways.

May I be dependent on You for life.
May I be dependent on You for peace.
May I be dependent on You for direction. 

And when that day comes that You push me out of the nest;
calling me to obedience,
may I mount up with wings like eagles
as You provide the lift.

But unlike the vulnerable little bird,
leaving the safety of the nest,
may I know the cradle of Your hands
keeping my life from the snare of the evil one.

So no matter what I find out there may my cry always be:
Oh God, feed me
Oh God, nourish me
Oh God, provide for me

The Pastor -|—

Sunday Worship Prayers ~ God’s Kingdom

/ The Pastor

The preaching text for Sunday is Mark 10:17-31; the rich young man asking Jesus about what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. So the prayers today are Kingdom focused. Use them as you see fit that God may be glorified.

Opening prayer
It is our joy to enter this place of worship this morning. It is our joy to come into this place with our brothers and sisters in Christ to praise Your holy name. It is our joy to come into Your presence to worship You. And as we enter this time of worship, dismantle the walls of our kingdoms, that we have built, and grant us the faith to embrace Your Kingdom, oh God, through Christ Jesus our Lord. May we see Your beauty and flee from our filth. May we see Your holiness and flee from our sin. May we see Your power and flee from Satan. May we see Your love and flee from our selfishness. Holy Father, loving God, mighty King, establish us in Your Kingdom now, through the blood of Jesus, and cleanse us from all impurities. Receive our praise and hear our prayers as we joyfully assemble as Your beloved children. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Prayer before preaching
It’s Your Kingdom I desire, oh God. It’s Your salvation I seek.
It’s Your Kingdom I long for, oh God. It’s Your mercy I need.
It’s Your Kingdom I want, oh God. It’s Your love to which I cling.
And because it is all about Your Kingdom, I desire, seek and need Your Holy Spirit. I need the wisdom that only comes from You. I need Your strength through which I can truly be bold. I need Your Words through which faith and life are created. May Your will be done as I faithfully engage Your most holy Word. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

May God bless your day as you enjoy the hope of the resurrection; looking forward to eternity in God’s glorious Kingdom.

The Pastor -|—

Living In This World

/ The Pastor

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. [1 John 2:15-17]

Living in this world I see the glory of God
but,
Living in this world I fall in love with that which is fading away

Living in this world I draw closer to God
but,
Living in this world I fall away from God

Living in this world I see the beauty of God
but,
Living in this world my eyes are tempted by false beauty

Living in this world I experience God’s provision
but,
Living in the world my flesh wants more and more

Living in this world I am driven to give all that I am
but,
Living in this world I am tempted to gain all I can

Living in this world I see God
but,
Living in this world I see me

Living in this world I am recreated in God through Christ Jesus
but,
Living in this world I feel torn

Oh God, I am at odds living in the beauty of Your created world; wanting to satisfy my desires while at the same time wanting to glorify You. Break this conflict in me that I may worship You and You alone and fall in love with You over and over again. May this world be just a stopping off point to something better.

Oh God, as this world passes away, my I be found in You though Jesus Christ, that I may pass from this world with You to life eternal; living in a better world.

So,

Living in this world, may proclaim Your goodness and lead others to You.

In Jesus name (as I am living in this world), Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Prayer Before Preaching ~ Running Wild

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

In preparation for preaching on Pentecost Sunday and on Mark 10:13-16.

Holy God, loving Father, mighty King, I humbly ask for Your Holy Spirit to be given as we hear Your Word proclaimed. May childlike faith bubble up from deep within; from that place it was first born; but sadly now serves as a prison. May those locks be destroyed and that childlike faith be free to run wild. May we not be ashamed to let our guard down and seek You as our “Abba, Father”. Bless now our hearing and bless later our going that our childlike faith may infect people around us. Come, Holy Spirit, and set our heart aflame. Through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray, Amen.

May the Holy Spirit run wild in your life.

The Pastor -|—

I Give You Thanks, O God

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Awesome and holy God,

the sound of the rain,
the singing of the birds,
the peacefulness of the morning;

I give You thanks, O God.

Time with Your Word,
moments of prayer,
worship with the saints;

I give You thanks, O God.

The cooing of my child,
the babbling of my child,
the love of my family;

I give You thanks, O God.

My parents,
my sister,
all my family;

I give You thanks, O God.

The loyalty of friends,
the strength of community,
the joy of Your church;

I give You thanks, O God.

My shelter,
my clothes,
my food;

I give You thanks, O God.

Your grace,
Your love,
Your faithfulness;

I give You thanks, O God.

Your grace,
Your love,
Your faithfulness;

I give You thanks (again), O God.

The beauty of Your creation,
the presence of Your Spirit,
the love of Your Son;

I give You thanks, O God.

A good cup of coffee,
another good cup of coffee,
and another good cup of coffee;

I give You thanks, O God 🙂

My Father,
my Lord,
my Savior;

I give You thanks, O God.

Your glory,
Your power,
Your kingdom;

I give You thanks, O God.

Your victory over death,
Your victory over Satan,
Your victory given to me;

I gave You thanks, O God.

For the fact that I could go on and on and on and on and …

I give You thanks, O God, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

——————————————————————-

May God bless you and keep you as you give thanks and praise to our most holy and awesome God.

The Pastor -|—