"Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the LORD" - 8 May 2016 AM and PM

Sunday morning:

From Psalm 128

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Since Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, we pray for the church here and world over, for this congregation, as well as Redeemer PCA-Edmond; St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church; Santa Fe Presbyterian; Southminster; Trinity; Westlake; Westminster Presbyterian Church; and the Urban Mission. We ask that by his blessing, by the reforming and revitalizing work of your Holy Spirit, by the faithful reading, preaching and teaching of your Scriptures, and by the right administration of your sacraments, Jesus might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5.25-27). And we ask you to be with those in our families and in our congregation who need strength or healing or help….. Hear our prayer, O Lord, and let our cry come to you (Psalm 102.1)!

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. We remember the mothers in our lives today, the hours of often selfless toil, maternal worry, and tender care. We are especially thankful for the godly mothers who also displayed humble, resilient and affectionate faith! We ask you to draw our mothers closer to you where there is fullness of joy. Give them hope; strengthen, encourage and refresh them. Some here may have sad memories with regard to their mothers; please mend that sadness. Some mothers and their children may be at serious odds with each other; please effect repentance where either have sinned; and where at all possible, bring reunion and reconciliation. Hear our prayer, O Lord, and let our cry come to you (Psalm 102.1)!

The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel! Look upon our country, our leaders, the citizens and inhabitants of this land. For the honor of your name; for the sake of your church; for the sake of our nation; and for the sake of all who dwell within our borders; may goodness grow, justice thrive, liberty succeed, godliness prosper, education boom, lawfulness rise, civility spread, the economy turn up, and the job market enlarge. And may peace and prosperity prevail through all the nations of this globe. Hear our prayer, O Lord, and let our cry come to you (Psalm 102.1)!

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Sunday evening:

O Lord, Creator of the earth, you never faint nor get weary, your understanding is unsearchable. You give power to the weak, and to those who have no might you increase strength (Isaiah 40.28-30). It is to you that we come and offer up our prayers and petitions.

We ask you to be with your Church throughout the world, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Costa Rica; Cote d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cuba; Curacao; Cyprus; the Czech Republic; Denmark; Djibouti; Dominica and the Dominican Republic.  Being simultaneously justified and sinful, we cry out to you to guide us by your Holy Spirit and Holy Scriptures, keep us from turning to the right hand or to the left, that we may be more intensely and intentionally yours as we continue to renounce the world, the flesh and the devil. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Lord Jesus, head over all things to your Church, we implore your guiding care and wisdom for our friends in the United Methodist Church as they meet at their once-every-four-years General Conference starting this week. You well know that the big, explosive issue they will be tackling is ordination of clergy regardless of sexual orientation and how to regard LGBTQ people. We pray for those who seek to be faithful to you over cultural and societal expediencies, that their voices will carry the day. We also pray for those on the fence that they will finally and firmly embrace your wholesome standard. And for those who are politicking and pushing for compromise and inclusion that you may bring them to repentance. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Our hearts are heavy burdened for those who have never trusted in Jesus Christ and his saving work, as well as those who once declared their faith in Jesus but have since wondered away….Generate in them a living faith and a faithful repentance, drawing them to our Savior. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Look on the nations of this world, giving them the desire and ability to cast off unjust wars, barbarous brutality, and inhuman violence; that the peoples of the nations may live in safety, your Church be unmolested, and the Gospel allowed to run swiftly throughout the world. We ask you to keep these United States of America from crumbling into selfishness, greed, idolatry, and tyranny; preserve our country from falsehood and evil from within and without. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Finally, we entreat you to provide help, peace, health, sound minds and sound bodies to these who are harassed by various ailments and afflictions…. O Lord, hear our prayer.