"Oh, the Depth of the Riches and Wisdom and Knowledge of God!" - 21 January 2018


With Paul and all of the Apostles, along with the saints and martyrs who have gone before, and with our brothers and sisters world over, we lift our hearts in adoration saying: Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11.33-36).

O God, deep in riches, wisdom and knowledge: we pray for your one, holy, catholic and apostolic church, to include this congregation and Grace Baptist, Grace Missionary Baptist, Graceway Baptist and Greater Bethel Baptist Church. Like Epaphras in Colossians 4, we struggle on behalf of your churches in our prayers, asking that your people may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God (Colossians 4.12).

O God, unsearchable in your judgments and inscrutable in your ways: cause the failing, faltering and forgetful to come back into your fold…; get a grip on those who are rambling off into heresy and those rupturing the peace of your church…; and expose and put an end to the schemes and stratagems of those who calculatingly corrupt your truth, and those who haughtily harm your people!

O God, whose ways are beyond our ways and thoughts beyond our thoughts: we humbly ask you to sustain and strengthen the ailing, hurting, hacking and agonizing; also grant a speedy recovery to those giving birth, and those facing surgery…

O God, who does not play the quid pro quo game, for no one can give a gift to you that they might be repaid: we implore your compassionate kindness, and good governance for our country, and all the nations of the earth, to include Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, and Germany. Defeat that which is evil, and develop that which is truly virtuous and upright. For the indigent, browbeaten, broken and exploited we beseech you to turn around the aspirations and ambitions of the empowered, employed, and educated so that they will let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5.24).

O God, from whom, through whom and to whom are all things: we plead with you to aid Dan and Becky Young, along with my friends, Jamie and Jennifer Burkemper (who were here last week). May both teams find you sustaining and galvanizing them; may the church planting work in Ciudad Juarez and the Valle del Rey church plant in the Rio Grande Valley flourish; and may the Gospel of Jesus Christ stream forth, and many become disciples of Christ. 

Truly, to you belongs the glory through Jesus your Son and by your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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