"You Are The LORD, And There Is No Other" - 14 February 2016 AM and PM

Sunday morning:

Our Father, you are the LORD, and there is no other. You form the light and create darkness; you make peace and create calamity (Isaiah 45.7); you, O LORD, do all these things that all may know from the rising of the Sun to its setting that there is none besides you. It is to you that we come and pray, in the strength of the Spirit and the righteousness of Christ Jesus.

Rebuild and build up peace, order and justice in the nations of the world, especially North and South Korea, Mexico, Egypt, Taiwan, and Azerbaijan, so that the peoples may live safely, thrive, and hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Bring relief to those in our country who have been hit hard by financial woes; give our elected and appointed leaders shrewdness and perseverance for reining in our debt that we may not misuse our future; govern the decisions of our judges to eschew immorality and inequality; cause the hearts of the inhabitants of this nation to move toward prudent level-headedness, honesty and virtue; preserve our country from evil and falsehood; and be pleased to send us rain and snow in the amounts we need.

Shower kindness, restoration and compassionate help on all who are in turmoil, abused, defeated, broken, ailing, and overcome by gloom...

For your Church universal we pray, including Sykes Christian Methodist Church; the UMC of Nichols Hills; Village UMC; Wesley UMC; and Wheatland Methodist Church;  Direct all of your peoples’ plans and actions in line with your holy purposes; and replenish our lack with your bounty.

Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins and the sins of other, and give us the liberty and liberality of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ.We pray especially for those who, right now, feel that their future is uncertain, unclear, and iffy. Draw them up from the pit, out of the miry bog, and set their feet upon a rock – upon Christ the solid rock, because all other ground is sinking sand – and make their steps secure (Psalm 40.2).

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy; be gracious to all whom we pray for that have not been born again and those who have gone astray from your ways (…….), bring them with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast to their only hope, Jesus Christ; to the unchangeable truth of your Word; and to the fellowship of your visible Church, outside of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation (WCF 25.2). And use us that we may be a part of your saving and restoring work.

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Sunday evening:

I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told (Psalm 401-5): it is to you, O rescuing, securing God, that we bring our appeals and thanksgiving.

Have compassion, Lord, on your servants and children recovering from surgery…, tussling with dark thoughts…, looking at hazy, unreliable future…; those with adult children who have made life choices that have broken their hearts…; parents finding themselves at the end of their emotional tether…; Come, Lord, hear their prayers, look in on their concerns, breath peacefully on their distresses, and turn these moments into something soul-beautifying and praise-enriching. O Lord, hear our prayer.

We entreat you to lead this congregation through the future. You know what we are about to face better than we do, you know the things we cannot see, and likely can’t even imagine. Keep us from falling into the trap of immediately assuming the worst; and hitch our hearts and hopes tightly to your reins so that though we may not know what’s down the road, we will be unconquerably certain you are guiding us and leading us through it all; and in that confidence we may enjoy peace and steadfastness. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Thank you, Father, for those who have been stepping in to teach Sunday School, paint hallways, make and deliver dinners, lead the Mission Trip, direct the VBS, sit and listen to those who are hurting, reach a hand out to love and console those worried or grieving. May their tribe increase.  O Lord, hear our prayer.

We intercede on behalf of your church throughout the world, to include the North American Lutheran Church; the Swiss and Dutch Reformed Churches; the Wesleyan Church; the Fangcheng Fellowship; the Apostolic Church; the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch. Remove any heretical and harmful teachings and restore the beauty of sound doctrine and Gospel integrity. Shepherd the shepherds that they may protect and nurture your people in godliness. Spur your Church on to love and good works, and a more intense purposefulness in spreading the Gospel of Jesus and his Kingdom. O Lord, hear our prayer.