Worship

God Is The Audience

/ The Pastor

Let us prepare to worship God on this Sabbath Day…

Almighty and holy God,

worship is what we are about. The only question is who or what do we worship. Too often it is anything or anyone but You. There are activities that take place on Sunday. There is recovering from a late Saturday night. There is laziness. There is complacency. There is ______. My point? We make all kinds of excuses to make worship what we want it to be and when, instead of putting You center stage.

As worshipers we are not the audience; waiting to be entertained. You, oh God, are the audience; waiting to be worshiped.
Oh how we have failed at bringing the glory due Your name.
Oh how we have failed to honor Your holy name.
Oh how we have failed to bring all that we are for all that we are comes from You.

Oh God, how we have fallen short.

Forgive us.

May our hearts be turned towards You, for it is from You that we have Life; for Jesus was sent to die and rise that our sins would be forgiven and that we may live forever with You.

So therefore YOU are worthy of worship. YOU are worthy of praise.

Send You Spirit, oh God, to convict our spirits this morning and everyday. May we turn aside from those things and people we so easily worship instead of You and may we cling to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

You are an awesome God. May You be praised always and forever. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Blessings to you as you worship and serve our awesome God.

The Pastor -|—

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 -|—

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 -|—

Bursting Forth to Worship (Psalm 40:16)

/ The Pastor

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When you burst forth to worship God, this is the verse of which I am thinking.

And my prayer is that people are not bursting forth in order to enter the worship event to fulfill some perceived duty. For to enter the worship event in such a fashion is not true worship. Rather, the true worshiper enters the worship event in an unselfish way; to seek the Lord, but not just to seek what the Lord can do for you, but rather to rejoice and be glad in him.

That is true worship.

But one is only going to burst forth in a authentic and humble way if one loves God and is thankful for the salvation God gives through Jesus Christ. For when the worshiper sees their salvation as rescue from the sinful self, through faith Jesus Christ, then the bursting forth will be followed by,

“Great is the Lord!”

And when the bursting forth is followed by that refrain then the worshiper is not concerned with the self but rather with pleasing the Lord with their praise.

But isn’t worship about “recharging” one’s battery for the week?

Yes and No

Worship is about God, first and foremost, but the “recharging” is a happy byproduct of worship. During the event of worship, the Word is read and proclaimed; fellowship is enjoyed and the soul is nourished through the sacraments. But the “recharging” is not for the selfish self but rather for the glory of God. The “recharging” is meant to send you forth to continue your worship of God and through such worship, proclaim to others the glory of God.

So “Yes” worship can recharge your battery, but “No, it’s not for you but for God. For,

Great is the Lord and worthy to be praised!
Great is the Lord and worthy of all honor!
Great is the Lord and worthy of all worship!

Burst forth, oh worshiper, burst forth and praise our awesome God.

God almighty, You are indeed worthy. May we see the event of worship rightly and may we not see the event of worship as our only worship of You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Bursting In

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

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This was the scene on Sunday morning as I was about to prepare for worship. I was captivated by the sun pouring in that magnified the beautiful stained-glass windows. I imagined the light being the Holy Spirit pouring in to fill the room with his presence. When I shared this photo on the church’s Facebook page I said,

“The sun is bursting through. Will you do the same this morning? Let’s praise this awesome God together.”

Whether people actually “bursted” in or not is up to interpretation. And of course, the praising of God is something that only God and the worship attendee really knows for sure. But did the Holy Spirit burst in? That I have little doubt as God’s Word was read and proclaimed and I believe the Spirit gave life to those words. All that is left now for this pastor to do is pray that that Word does something in the hearts of those sanctuary bursters.

And this is my prayer every single Sunday and every single day. My hope is that people don’t stop worshiping when the event of worship stops but rather continue worshiping as they burst through the doors and onto the mission field that is life. The event of worship is a faithful response for the Christian but a life of worship is a living testimony of the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified and risen for sinners.

So may you burst forth praising God with your life.

Holy God, fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we may burst at the seams with love and grace. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

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 -|—

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.

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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.

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

The Pastor -|—

JESUS HAS RISEN!!!

/ The Pastor

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Holy God, You are worthy to be praised. You are worthy of all worship and honor. You are worthy to be glorified. Send now Your Holy Spirit to speak to us as Your Holy Word is read and proclaimed. May the truth of the Gospel take up residence in our hearts and may the resurrection of Jesus give us hope each and everyday of our lives. Bless now our hearing that we may be sent out into the mission field around us to proclaim that Jesus Christ has risen, he has risen indeed. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

May your Easter be a blessing as you celebrate the hope of the resurrection.

The Pastor -|—

Holy Friday ~ Good Friday

/ The Pastor

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It’s Good Friday, a day that has always been very power for me as I contemplate why Jesus did what he did for me. Last night was Maundy Thursday when we traditionally strip the altar at the end of the service. That always get me, too, not just seeing the naked altar and chancel area but being the one who is doing the stripping. It almost feels like I am the one involved in mocking Jesus. And in way, that’s what we do when we sin; we mock God and nail Jesus to the cross.

And so tonight we are going to get involved in contemplating our sinfulness by placing these nails (pictured below) at the foot of the cross (pictured above):

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Throughout the worship service (as we hold these nails) we are going to be hearing about the various ways we “nail Jesus to the cross” through our sin. Then there will be a time of prayer and confession where people are going to be invited to come up, when they’re ready, and place these at the base of the cross. Following worship and as people leave, they will be invited to take another nail but this one they keep. People will be invited to place this nail in their pocket as a reminder of their sinfulness but also of where these nails belong and what they point to:

You are a sinner
Jesus was nailed to a cross
Jesus suffered and died
FOR YOU
Jesus was buried

And then…

…well, the rest of the story (THE Good News) will be coming on the 3rd day 🙂

Praise be to God!

Merciful God, we are sinners worthy of condemnation but Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. Wow! Now, there is hope. Wow! Thank you, oh God, thank you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen

The Pastor -|—

New Covenant ~ A Lenten Prayer

/ The Pastor

Tonight is the final Wednesday Lenten worship service of the season. And tonight we get to hear from my brother in Christ, from First Presbyterian, as he brings the Word from Jeremiah 31:31-34. We have been talking about covenant throughout Lent and tonight we end on the sweet note of the New Covenant.

And  so, this is the opening prayer I wrote for worship tonight. Let’s pray…

Behold, the days are coming, oh Lord, the days are coming, when You will fulfill the New Covenant promised to us through Jesus. And how we look forward to that day; that when the trumpet sounds we will be made brand new; glorious new bodies that will shine with Your Glory.

In the mean time, sting us with reminder that death is our rightful punishment but through Your grace, New Life is the amazing gift we have through faith in Jesus. May the sting convict and humble us and may Your response bring us to our knees in worship.

Teach us Your ways
Lead us into all truth
Guide us in obedience,

that we may show our love for You, for all to see, that You and You alone may be glorified.

May this worship be pleasing to your ears and may Your word fill our hearts to overflowing. In Jesus awesome and amazing name I pray, Amen.

God bless you as you prepare yourself for Holy Week (which begins on Sunday).

Praise be to God!

The Pastor -|—