Prayer

Gazing and Reflecting: A Holy Moment

/ The Pastor

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I was captivated by this figure from the first moment I saw it and was honored that my wife’s grandfather wanted me to have it. It’s a simple piece; beautifully carved in Mexico that, by some divine providence, has made it’s way to my study; where it now sits (actually, it’s kneeling). The figure is seemingly bowing it’s head in prayer as it meditates on scripture; showing me a faithful engagement with God through his holy Word.

The figure’s face is determined, peaceful and focused as it holds the Word of God. I Imagine him reflecting on a passage he just read and listening; listening intently for the voice of God, hence the determined face. He’s at peace because not only is he cradling the Bible but he feels cradled by the promises of God that he is reflecting on, hence the peaceful face. He also seems to be in his own little world as he meditates on God’s Word; not drawn away by the lure of cultural forces, hence the focused face.

I gaze at this figure and notice the cross dangling at his knees. For him it is not just some piece of jewelry or something to adorn his outfit. The cross is something that brings him great joy and hope (as it does me), thus the attitude of worship that I also see emanating from his face.

I gaze at this figure and I almost feel guilty; like I am invading his privacy as he worships. Sounds weird and goofy and maybe a little disturbing, but as I am gazing I notice something else. I notice that I am being drawn into worship as I reflect on him reflecting and on whom he is reflecting. I find myself drawn to enter a time of prayer; engaging God through scripture; and I like this. For there is much the world wants me to embrace as truth but I refuse to embrace that truth. For me, THE Truth is God almighty through Jesus Christ my Lord. And that Truth is found in God’s most holy and inerrant Word.

I gaze at this figure and see a person; loved by God and loving his God. I see a person who would readily acknowledge that he is a redeemed sinner. I see a person who devotion to God is not only in his moments on his knees but in every moment of his life. And I like what I see.

I gaze at this figure and see a beautifully crafted piece of wood but I also see a God who loves me beyond anything this world is able or willing to do. Weird, goofy, disturbing; call it what you may, but for me, I will gaze and listen and pray and listen and worship and listen and read and listen and remember and listen and…

Holy God, I am thankful for the many ways You speak to me and proclaim Your amazing love to me. You do so through Your most holy Word. You do so through people in my life. You do so through “usual” means which just shows You are not limited by anything or anyone. Thank you, Father, for the right to be called a child of Yours, through Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.

As you gaze at that figure, what do YOU notice?

The Pastor -|—

Prayer of Discernment

/ The Pastor

As I am constantly praying; seeking God’s will and direction in my life. As I speak to people who are doing the same, the prayer at the end of this was placed on my heart.

Are you searching,
wondering,
looking,
floundering,
lost,
confused,
frustrated?
Are you seeking God and looking for a black and white answer? Whatever it is, lift it up to the Lord and then…

…listen.

I am not writing a discernment prescription. I am not guaranteeing a black and white answer for you. Rather, I’m encouraging you to do something you already know…

…PRAY.

So let’s do that…

Oh God, holy and mighty, immortal and omniscient,

You see the whole picture for You are the whole picture. You have my life in Your mighty hands for You are the giver and sustainer of life. You keep my going out and my coming in, now and forever more.

And so I appeal to Your wisdom and ask for Your Holy Spirit.

I feel caught in between what seems to be a myriad of
options,
paths and
opportunities,

and I don’t know where to go. One moment I think “This is the path” and then the next moment that doesn’t look good. And then, “Maybe that is the path” and then I am not so sure. Oh God, my wisdom is fleeting and flawed and incomplete.

I’m so discouraged. So,

I ask for Your wisdom so I may see.
I ask for patience that I may listen.
I ask for courage that I may follow.
I ask for boldness that I may lead.
I ask for faith that I may show Your glory.

And I ask for Your will to be done through me. Holy and mighty God, hear my prayer and glorified through Your holy will through me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

May God bless your day 🙂

The Pastor -|—

Worship prayers for 05-10-15 (Mother’s Day)

/ The Pastor

Good morning and blessings to you on this Lord’s Day and Mother’s Day. Below are some of the prayers I have written for worship this morning. I usually get this out earlier in the weekend but the chaos of life prevented me from doing so. Hopefully I can get back on track next week 🙂

So with that I commend these to you; praying that God is glorified in your worship.

Opening prayer
Holy God, on this Mother’s Day, we come first and foremost to worship You. For it is You, though the love of mothers of all types, who show what it truly means to love a child. For it is through the death and resurrection of Your one and only son, Jesus, that we have eternal life. And that right there is deserving of our worship and thanks.

But also, Lord God almighty, we honor those woman You have used as instruments of Your love in our lives. In whatever form they come, we thank You, oh God. In whatever role they have played in our lives, we thank you, oh God.

May women not see the passage of DNA as a barrier to living out their calling to mother someone. And may You continue to raise up Your children through the self-sacrificing love of a mother. To You, oh God, be all worship and praise this day and always. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Prayer before preaching
Holy Father, Creator of heaven and earth. I am about to embark, once again, on the awesome task of proclaiming Your holy Word. This is something not to be taken lightly so I humbly ask for Your Spirit to guide and give life to these words. My words are dead words and with no power, but Your words, oh God, have power to create and destroy; resurrect and heal; kill and bring to life. Your Words are grace and truth; law and Gospel; command and freedom. Your Word is awesome and so I approach Your holy Word with fear and trembling; committing everything to You. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to You, oh God, our Rock and Redeemer, Amen.

Post-Communion prayer
Holy Father, You have blessed us and fed us with this holy food, the body and blood of Jesus. I ask that You may make us so bold to live lives of hope as we cling to Your promises given through the death and resurrection of Jesus, Your son. And in light of the forgiveness proclaimed to us today, may we live lives of repentance as we strive to be more like Your dear son, Jesus Christ our Lord and in whose name we pray, Amen.

May God bless your day as you love on your mothers 🙂

The Pastor -|—

National Day of Prayer 2015

/ The Pastor

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Today is the National Day of Prayer. It is a national observance that takes place on the first Thursday of May. The Jackson Kiwanis Club alongside the Jackson Ministerial Association leads prayer time for the teachers early in the morning and then at the flag poles, just before the school day starts, at the four schools in our district. At 12 noon today there will be a prayer service on the steps of court house (weather permitting, otherwise we’ll be inside).

Today, I was leading the prayer time at Riverside Elementary which is next door to Salem Lutheran Church. There were a lot of kids and community members that showed up to pray for our government, Church, military, families, education, media and businesses. What a privilege to be able to do this.

But my cute story from this morning happened as I was welcoming the crowd at the flag pole. I was talking about what we are going to be doing and thanking everyone for showing up. As I was talking, a little boy on the other side of the circle had his hand up. He had to be in kindergarten or 1st grade or so. So I called on him, half expecting a prayer-type question, instead I got this:

[Looking up] How big is this flag pole?

Got to love kids 🙂

With a smile, I directed him to his principal, but part of me wishes I had been more on my toes with a better response. At least this little boy was looking up, and maybe I should have recognized that and encouraged him to keep looking up, to God, not just now or this one day in our year, but always. What a teachable moment. Maybe next time I’ll be ready for the random/cute question of a child.

In the mean time, look up to God and pray, not just today but always. Our nation needs our prayers.

Holy God, on this National Day of Prayer, may we be a praying people always and not just today. We want to follow You and be obedient. So send Your Spirit, oh God, that we may be a blessing to others and for Your glory. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

O Master ~ A Prayer

/ The Pastor

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This is the opening prayer I wrote to use for worship on Sunday. It is loosely based on the hymn, “O Master, Let Me Walk With You”. Now, I don’t claim any artistic ability when it comes to writing “poetry” (if that is what you can call this), I’m just happy I got stuff to rhyme 🙂

Oh well, in the end, may GOD be praised, right?

Let’s pray…

O Master, let us ever walk with you in lowly paths of service true.

Help us, the slow of heart, to believe in you; and may Your children give the glory Your name is due.

Teach, oh God, our wayward feet to stay, and guide them in the homeward way.

And when we stray, Oh Master, Lord of all, may Your forgiveness help us, in Your love, to stand tall.

And so may our path be one of service true and worship of You; that Your glory may ring loud and clear with beautiful tones of victory near.

All praise and glory be to You; gracious and humble and thankful for You.

In Jesus holy 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 -|—

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 -|—

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 -|—