"Lord, Who Has Promised..." 4 June 2017

Lord, who has promised that you would be with your church to the end of the world, we pray on behalf of your Church world-over; this congregation; Southside Trinity Holiness Church; Southwest Baptist Church; Spring Creek Assembly of God; Sunset Heights Baptist Church; and Trinity Church of the Nazarene. Since we are those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to us. Give us the wherewithal to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints; because certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. And, by your gracious aid, may we build ourselves up in our most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep ourselves in the love of God, wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life, have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; and show mercy to others with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh (Jude 1-4, 20-23).

We pray for unbelievers all around us – those who play on our playground; those we may meet in Carnegie, those who will be coming to our VBS; those who are near and dear to us; and those who are hateful and hostile toward us…O Lord, open our lips that we may declare your praise; and give us the caring courage to present your Gospel with you blessing our words so that those to whom we talk will embrace you, Lord Jesus Christ, as you are freely offered in the Gospel.

Almighty and everlasting God, who by your Holy Spirit did preside at the first assembly of the apostles and elders at Jerusalem (Acts 15) and has promised to be with your Church always unto the end of the world: bestow on your servants who will soon be meeting in this denomination’s General Assembly your gracious presence and blessing. Deliver them from all error, arrogance, and unfairness; enlighten them with wisdom from above, and so order all their doings and deliberations that your kingdom may be advanced and all your undershepherds and congregations may be established in their most holy faith; for your honor’s sake and the forward progress of your world rescue operation.

Holy God, take the nations in hand, and grab the steering wheel of our own country as well. Lead, guide, direct, and pilot us one and all, to include world leaders like King Salman of Saudi Arabia; President Macky Sall of Senegal; and President Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia; along with our State Representatives such as Steve Vaughan, Emily Virgin, Collin Walke, and Kevin Wallace; so that peace, safety, prosperity, and justice will grow and blossom world over.

Finally, Lord God, you who open the eyes of the blind, raise those bowed down, and uphold those who are stumbling; hear our prayers for those in need…raise them up, turn all that is bad to good, lift them from the miry pit and set them on The Rock.

We present ourselves and our petitions to you in humble optimism: optimism because your Son promised, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (John 15.16); and in humility since it is “the Spirit (who) helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8.26). Amen.