"O Lord God: Unlike Us, Yet Made Us" - 4 December 2016


O Lord God, though you are unlike us in your very being, unlimited by space, unrestrained by time, untouched by mortality, unmarred by sin; yet you made us to bear and reflect your image that we may be able to be in communion with you! And then, after our open rebellion became – in that wondrous exchange – as full-bloodedly and full-bodily human as we are to bring us back into communion with you! What an astounding thought! O Lord, we adore you and thank you! And so, in communion with you we plead with you for the world and the Church.

Look upon the nations of this world, (including our own country), with all our spite, insurrections, commotion, mayhem, war, drought, flooding, wild-fires, government-approved barbarity, orchestrated impoverishments, socially sanctioned human, sex and drug trafficking, as well as tribal and racial bigotry. We implore you to steer, steady and stabilize the nations; to restore and renew sound justice; to bring substantial relief and help to the orphaned, homeless, vulnerable, trafficked, insolvent and destitute; to institute a peace that will foster tranquility; that all may flourish and enjoy some sense of hopeful order, for the good of all and your Church. To these ends guide the national leaders, such as Abdul Hamid; Sir Elliott Belgrave; Alexander Lukashenko; King Philippe; Sir Colville Young; King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck; President Evo Morales; Mladen Ivanic, Dragon Covic and Bakir Izetbegovic; along with Oklahoma Justices John Reif, James R. Winchester, James Edmondson, Yvonne Kauger, Joseph Watt, Tom Colbert, Steven Taylor, Noma D. Gurich, and  Douglas L. Combs.

Preserve and protect our military members, particularly those who are close to danger, at home and abroad, as well as our area firefighters, police officers, Sheriffs, deputies, Troopers.

We are grateful, Lord God, for the rains of the last few days and ask you to continue to pour out on this area the rains and showers we need to benefit our crops and cattle, and to sustain our water supplies.

We remember before you those who are crippled with tragedy…, debilitating conditions…, physical and mental anguish…, and hardships….Raise them up, delivering and restoring them body and soul, that they may happily serve you all the rest of their days.

We pray for all who are lying dead in their trespasses and sins, all who are walking according to the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2.2); and those who once enlightened and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, but have now walked away (Hebrews 6.4-5)...bring them to see their dreadful estate in their adversity to you or apostasy from you, draw them to you that through the Spirit’s enlivening they would embrace Christ Jesus freely offered to us in the Gospel.

Help your Church all over this world, including this congregation, 1st Presbyterian of Midwest City, Moore, OKC and Edmond; First Southern Baptist; 1st UMC of Yukon, and Moore. Heal her wounds, restore her unity, clean out her filth, purge out the heresies, reinstate sound doctrine, and through her mightily further your world reclamation project.

All we ask here, Lord, we ask in faith and in the name of Jesus Christ your Son and our Lord. Amen.

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