Prayer

Daddy

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted here but believe me ~ I have a good reason:

I’m a daddy!

On April 26 my wife and I adopted the cutest little baby girl you will ever see.  We received a call on the 23rd that this baby was born on April 18 and that the birth mother has selected us to raise her daughter.  We were overjoyed, scared, nervous, thankful and a host of other emotions.  My wife and I packed up and left for Houston on Wednesday, April 24 at 10:30 p.m.  We drove through the night and arrived in Houston on Thursday afternoon.  Our daughter was placed in our arms on Friday night.

Her name is Mayah Jo.  Mayah is a Hebrew name meaning “close to God“.  And considering the ups and downs and ups we have been on, Mayah’s name is very appropriate and meaningful to us.  Our prayer is that Mayah grows up to realize this for herself; that God is close to her.

My wife and I will be sharing more about this amazing experience on our adoption blog ~ Adopted as an Heir.  We haven’t updated there for a while but it is coming.  And because of some privacy issues with adoption I will not be posting pictures of Mayah online (but like I said, she is cute).  I may sound over-protective but I am O.K. with that.  So I hope you understand.

Wow ~ daddy ~ it just boggles my mind that I can be referred as that.
God is so good!
God is so awesome!
God is so faithful (even when I’m not)!

Let all people praise and worship Him.

Let’s prayer together…
Loving God…you are so good.  You are so awesome.  Even when times are tough and the road looks bleak, you are there.  Even when the valley is dark and long, even when the storms rage oh so strong, you are there. Even when the hurt hurts so bad and the outlook looks so dim, you are there.  On the highest mountain top and lowest valley, you are there.  Satan would have us forget your goodness in the midst of despair; trying to convince us that you are some cosmic bully.  Satan would have us forget you in the good times; trying to convince us that we don’t need You.  But the Good News is that you reign supreme and you have chosen us.  We belong to you and Satan has no claim on us.  Help us to see you near us in the dark and tough times.  Help us to see you near in the bright and joyous times.  You are close to us always and forever.  God, Oh God, you are so, so good and we praise your holy name.  Through Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

The Pastor a.k.a. Daddy -|—

Feeding time

/ The Pastor

Feed us O God as you have called us to feed others with your Word.
Comfort us O God as you have called us to comfort others with the Good News.  Speak to us O God as you have called us to speak words of hope.
Heal us O God as you have called us to heal others with your amazing grace.

As we enter this time of worship may our praises be pleasing to your ears and may our hearts be filled to overflowing.  May we leave our worries behind and be strengthened with your promises.  We enter this place to praise you and may we leave this place doing the same.  All glory and honor to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

This whole thing about feeding others has been on my heart this week as I reflect on the bombing at the Boston Marathon and the massive fertilizer plant explosion in Texas.  So many questions but only one answer will suffice…God.  I don’t know many of the “whys” of this world but I do know the Good News of God through Jesus Christ.  And sometimes, like a newborn baby, we simply need something as simple as “milk” ~ that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that all who believe in him may not perish but have eternal life.”  So let’s not theologize (Yes…I know that is not a word but I like  it) too much but rather let’s remember the basics.

God loves you!

Have a great and blessed day 🙂

The pastor -|—

Boston: Continued prayer

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

Loving God…

I continue to cry out to you for those injured in yesterday’s bombing in Boston.

I continue to cry out to you for those mourning the death of loved ones.

I continue to cry out to you for the emergency workers, law enforcement personnel, doctors, nurses and all involved in providing care and security.

But through my prayers I have realized that I forgot to cry out for the person(s) responsible for this tragedy.  Even though I don’t understand what was going through their minds or what is in their hearts, it seems clear to me they need some understanding of your love through Jesus Christ.  Please bring healing to them.  Convict their hearts.  Turn them to you that they may seek to do the right thing.  It is easy to be angry with them and even harbor feelings of hate towards them, but please do not let Satan gain a foothold in the midst of this tragedy.  I am not relieving them of responsibly but desiring them to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Satan may have caused some damage yesterday but you O God have won THE victory through Jesus Christ.

Healing God, please continue to working healing in anyway you see that we need and may you be glorified through this.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen

The pastor -|—

Boston: A prayer

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

Dear God…

In this time of confusion, fear, sadness, anger, uncertainty please make your love known to us.

Comfort those who have been directly effected by the tragedy in Boston.

Bless the emergency personnel on the scene and elsewhere helping victims.

Grant peace to those who witnessed the explosions.

For loved ones far away, wrap them in your love as they wait for news on their loved ones; struggling to be so far away during a time like this.

For those with no personal connection, we still shutter at the sight and thought of what has happened; trying to make sense of the chaos.  And even though there are no answers to the “Why” question, may we find comfort and peace in the “Where” question ~ that you are with your hurting people.

Loving God, during a time where it is difficult to find the words to say please receive the groanings of our hearts and souls.  May your Spirit intercede with ours. And may we rest in your love.

Bring healing in anyway you see that we need and may we have the faith to receive that healing.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord and Savior I pray.

Amen

The pastor -|—

Hungry sheep

/ The Pastor

A prayer for you as you prepare for worship this morning.  May God be glorified in your song and may you be fed by the Word:

Holy God, we enter this place as lost sinners; those who have denied you through our selfishness and sin. We, like Peter and the other disciples, have fled from you when given a chance to proclaim your Good News. We are lost sheep, but you have come looking for us.  Through the cross you have brought healing.  Through your grace you have restored us.  Through your command you have sent us.  We come now to offer our thanks and praise to you.  Hear our song.  Receive our worship. And feed us at your table that we may go out and feed the lambs and sheep you bring to us.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior we pray, Amen.

And…as we leave worship let’s remember Jesus’ command to Peter (and us) to feed his lambs; take care of his sheep and to feed his sheep.

May God bless your day 🙂

The pastor -|—

EASTER!

/ The Pastor

CHRIST HAS RISEN!

HE HAS RISEN INDEED!

ALLELUIA!

Enough said 🙂

Have a great Easter day celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Let us pray,
Loving God, through the resurrection of Jesus, you son, you destroyed death and gave hope to the world.  May the words, “He has risen”, speak life to those gathered for worship that they may go out and speak these same words.  Bless those who preach and lead worship.  Bless those who lead music.  Bless those who work behind the scenes.  May you be glorified, may faith be created and/or strengthened and may our worship be pleasing in your sight.  Thank you, O God, for your awesome grace and mercy.  Through Jesus Christ our RISEN Lord and Savior, Amen!

The pastor -|—

Wave those branches loudly

/ The Pastor

Palm-Sunday

Wave those Palm branches to the glory of God and don’t be silent.

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
[Luke 19:38-40]

Let us pray…
Loving God, we enter another Holy Week.  We will hear the same story.  We will participate in the same worship services.  But your story is anything but business as usual. The Passion of Jesus is anything but old news.  I ask that you may make this story come alive for us so that we can see once again your amazing grace; not old news but Good News.  We are sinners, O God, with very short attention spans and therefore we need to hear this story over and over again.  Work faith where needed.  Strengthen faith where needed.  And in the end may we seek you with our whole lives.  May we cry out to you in praise so the rocks will have no reason to take our place. To you who is worthy of all worship, honor and praise…in Jesus name…Amen!

Blessings to you on this Palm Sunday and during your journey through Holy Week as we approach the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The pastor -|—

Praying scripture

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

The following is a prayer based on Psalm 23 that I wrote for a funeral; a prayer I prayed before preaching the message:

O Lord, you are our shepherd, therefore we shall never be in want; for you make us lie down in green pastures, you lead us beside quiet waters and you restore our souls. Thank you, Oh God. We ask now that you may guide us in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake; for we want to give you praise and glory.

But during this time of mourning, Oh Lord, it feels as if we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death.  We ask that you may comfort us with your presence, keep us from fear and protect us from the evil one.

May we feast at your table in complete peace and comfort and security as You anoint us and fill our cups to overflowing.

Oh Lord our God, thank you, for your goodness and love follows us all the days of our lives, and through faith in Jesus Christ we are confident that we will dwell in Your house forever.

Amen.

_______________________________________________________

Don’t get me wrong here.  I am not trying to re-write scripture.  I just enjoy praying through scripture and using scripture to give my prayer a voice…and what better place to do this than in the Psalter.

When my wife and I were freshly grieving our failed adoption I immediately started reading in the book of Psalms.  I found those places where the psalmist was crying out to God; asking how long; wondering where God was at.  I was thankful that the psalmist gave me words to pray as I “borrowed” his words.  I was also thankful for the reminder that God is faithful. The psalmist may have been crying out to God but he usually ended with words of praise for God. I need those words too…so I “borrowed” them as well.

What a great diversity in the book of Psalms. No wonder Martin Luther called the Psalter a “little Bible”.

So…if you need some words for your prayer today…try the book of Psalms. If you don’t needs words right now…go to the Psalms anyway. You will need them eventually.

Praise be to God!

The pastor -|—

Let us rejoice!

/ The Pastor

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it 🙂

Let us pray…

Holy God, we come before you in awe of you awesome love and grace. Mere words do not adequately express what you mean to us.  But we still come here this morning with various concerns and needs.  We come here with anxiety or worry; with illnesses or doubts.  At times we feel caged in and surrounded by the enemy.  But through Jesus you have overcome the world; you have defeated the enemy.  Please give us an overwhelming sense of this promise and instill in our hearts a peace that goes beyond all understanding.  May we know your awesome love and may you show us your amazing grace once again.  Please destroy all selfishness that we bring this morning so we may give you our complete attention; worshiping and praising your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray, Amen.

We indeed have a great God.  May you be blessed as you worship our holy and awesome God.  May your faith be strengthened through His holy Word.  And may your fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ serve to lift one another up.

May God bless your day.

The pastor -|—

Worship and a baby soon…Come Holy Spirit

/ The Pastor

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Let us pray…

Ever-loving and grace-filled God, You bring us from death to life through Your Son Jesus Christ.  Through the cross you have offered forgiveness.  Strengthen our faith that we may turn away from sin and strive to be perfect as You are perfect.  And…when we fall because of our inability to be perfect in this life, show us compassion through Jesus’ sacrifice and bring healing to our souls. We are deserving of death but You have shown us mercy.  We are deserving of judgment but You have shown us grace.  We are deserving of condemnation but You have shown us love. May we find strength and hope in your unexplainable and incomprehensible love for us, through Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

I have a lot going on today.  Much is on my mind and heart.  A baby girl is due to be born soon; and soon we will be traveling to meet her and hopefully bring her home as our daughter.  It’s hard to not to be completely submerged in thinking about all that needs to be done. In the mean time, though, I have two worship services to prepare for and a people to deliver God’s Word to.  What a perfect moment for Satan to use something “good” to distract me from something that is more important.

Come Holy Spirit.

May Your Word, O God, be proclaimed this morning.  May You, O God, be glorified and worshiped.  May You, O God, receive all praise.

Hopefully soon, my friends, I will have good news to share with you.  In the mean time…may God bless your day 🙂

The pastor -|—