"O God, the Father Almighty" - 19 July 2015


O God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, who has promised that you will never leave us nor forsake us, so that we may boldly say, “The LORD is on my side, I will not fear, what can man do to me” (Psalm 118.6)? We pray for your Church throughout the nations, and specifically for New Life Church of God in Christ; Page Sanctuary; Rainbow Church of God in Christ; St. Timothy Church; Trinity Church of God in Christ and Victory Temple; sustain these brothers and sisters through the hard and happy times. Look upon their needs, provide them with all good things necessary for them to do the work you have called them to, stir up the glowing embers of their hearts, stoking the fires of your joy, love and holiness in them that they may be encouraged to remain faithful to you and consistent in their lives. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Look on this congregation with your favor, O Good Shepherd. In the midst of our hurts, skinned-up hopes, and hesitations we pray in the words of your servant, Paul, that you would help us to love one another more and more, aspiring to live quietly, to mind our own affairs, and to work with our own hands, that we may walk properly toward those who are outsiders, and dependent on no one (1 Thessalonians 4.10c-12). Savior, we want to be a sanctuary of Gospel-peace and refreshment for those who are wandering in the wastelands; please bring it about. And raise up laborers – even from among us – to enter your harvest! O Lord, hear our prayer.

Tomorrow, Lord, we launch our Mega Sports Camp VBS. We have prepared and fixed up and organized and practiced. Lord, may your hand be on us as we go into this week. Give us energy, patience, and resilience; may the kids and adults stay safe; and we ask you to orchestrate opportunities for us to explain the Gospel in words, and help us to exhibit the Gospel in actions. Father, prosper our work this week. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Merciful God, whose mercy and love flow freely; we call out to you for acquaintances and intimates who need to believe in Christ and repent of their sins, as well as friends and family who have strayed away and need to be restored, … rescue those perishing; reclaim those straying; and help us to be willing participants in your Gospel working into their lives. O Lord, hear our prayer.


Hear us, O Lord, as we plead with you for all nations, including our own country, in this fractured and sometimes vicious world. Restore and reinforce peaceful and legitimate order, securing harmony and prosperity for the peoples of every nation, that all may enjoy a fruitful life, and that your Church in all places may live in tranquility and security. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?" (Rev. Ed.) by John Fea. A Review

Image
  John Fea is a professor of history at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, PA. A university founded in 1909 by the Brethren in Christ Church. He originally published "Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? A Historical Introduction" in 2011, and it was revised in 2016. This 328-page paperback is packed full with Colonial and American history, drawing from original sources to answer that question. It is a book written "for the historically minded and thoughtful reader who is looking for help in sorting" out this question, avoiding polemics (xix). Since we live in a sound-bite culture, Fea recognizes that it is difficult to have a sustained dialogue on this topic, but he makes a valiant effort toward having that sustained dialogue. The book reads fairly straightforward, and doesn't seem to get bogged down in the contentious mudpuddles or bogs. In the end, Fea seems to get his point across. To answer the reigning question if America was founded as a Christian...
Read more

Union with Christ - An Application

Image
  (This was my weekly letter to my congregation on Wednesday, 21 February 2024) This morning in my devotional reading, I was working through 1 Corinthians 8. Though I’ve read these words a huge number of times over the years, today one verse caused me to stop and take stock.  Paul wrote, “ Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ ” (1 Corinthians 8:12). What struck me is a couple of things. First, in God’s saving work, we are – by grace alone – united (hitched, bonded, ingrafted) to Christ so much so, that what happens to us happens to him, and what is his becomes ours (think of Galatians 2:20, for example). As Sinclair Ferguson put it, “through union with Christ all that is his by incarnation becomes ours through faith” (“The Christian Life,” 110). Let that percolate in your heart for a while. Your fear, anxiety, tears, and so forth, he feels. And his “ Peace, be still ” is yours. Second, the way we treat one an...
Read more

"Ah, Lord! We are Animated by Anger and Anxiety, Fear and Fury..."

Image
I hesitate to put this out there because of the combative environment we are in at present. But I think some souls will take courage from this, and some will also join with me as we get to the end of this little composition. I am struck by the words of God in Zechariah 8. As he rehearses the waywardness and faithlessness of his people in the past, he clearly declares that he " set every man against his neighbor " (8:10). That got me thinking long ago. I started putting the pieces together and realized that one of God's acts of judgment is division, setting a man against his neighbor. That's what happened when he divided his people into the northern tribes and southern tribes (see 1 Kings 11:26-40). Because of Solomon's turning aside, allowing his wives to turn his heart away from the God of his father, David, the Lord brings about a rift in God's people. And this pattern of divisive judgment runs throughout Scripture. On the other hand, truthful unity is the g...
Read more