"O LORD, My Heart Is Not Lifted Up" Congregational Prayer - 23 June 2019

(This morning's congregational prayer is coddled in the arms of Psalm 131)


“O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.” O Mighty God, high and exalted, you are the greatest good, you are the utmost in integrity, and you are supreme over life and death: we acknowledge that humility is a waning virtue; thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought, we think ourselves mighty, magnificent and marvelous in our modern technologies, scientific advancements, social sensibilities, medical feats, and military competencies. All of this egoism surfaces in our national and international politics, foreign policies, and business ventures. Help us in our communities and in our country to remember that we are but human, and therefore “surely all mankind is a mere breath” (Psalm 39.5, 11)! That “not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another” (Psalm 75.6-7). O Mighty God, high and exalted; bring us to remember this!

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Merciful Father, for those tumbling and tossing about in anxiousness and alarm, we pray; for those worn out and worn thin from sickness, sadness, sorrow or scarceness, we pray; for those who found waking up this morning a challenge, we pray; for those pondering their future and all they can see are storms or privations, we pray; …. May your presence and peace fill them with quietness and calm, lifting their hearts in hope and wholeness, we pray!

“O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.” O High King of Heaven give your strength and direction to your One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church throughout the world, in this place, and also at Lake Overholster Church of the Nazarene, Lake View Park Church, and May Ave Church of the Nazarene; as well as for our upcoming General Assembly. Remove all that fosters schism and everything that spawns heresy. Overcome all that breeds racism and bigotry. Restore to us the joy of your salvation and guide us by your Spirit of Truth into all truth. Help us to bear true faith and allegiance to Christ the Lord that with full courage now as always Christ may be honored in our bodies, whether by life or by death. “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1.20-21). / Thank you for our mission trip to Anadarko this last week. May the people who went, and those we interacted with, be filled with your life, love and liberty in Christ. And for our upcoming Mega Sports VBS in July we pray that not only will our kids gain richly, but that the others that come will know Jesus Christ the Lord. And please draw in kids and families who are no longer walking with you, or those who have never known you, and may this enterprise bring them to believe in Christ and become his followers all their days! In Jesus name, and for his honor, we pray. Amen (From Psalm 131).

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