"We Come at Your Son's Direction..." 18 September 2022

 

O God Most High, we come to you at your Son Jesus Christ’s direction, when he promised: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).

We pray for the Church of our Lord throughout the world, including Christian Life Missionary Baptist Church, Concord, Good Shepherd, and Greater Love MBC. Lord, please raise your people from out of our fears and perplexities, turning our troubles into patient endurance. Supply our material lack and give us daily reminders of your special providence toward your Church.

We ask you to move upon and mold this congregation. Grant us, O Lord, not to be so earthly minded that we’re no heavenly good; not to respond as the world responds, not to react as the world reacts, not to function, fume, fight or fear as the world does, but to grow in loving things heavenly. Work in us that we may be truly transformed by the renewing of our minds, no longer shackled to the world’s categories and definitions of worth and value, but now fixed upon, and formed by your categories of merit and meaning; your definition of us, of our callings and our significance in Christ. And in the words of Ezra, brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving (Ezra 9:8-9).

We also ask your richest care, healing touch, and sustaining comfort for all who are ailing, alarmed, and anxious, and in this regard, we remember (…).  

Lord God, we intercede on behalf of those we know who are unbelievers or having once confessed their faith in Christ have stumbled or fallen away (…). We ask for your Spirit to convince them of their sin and misery, to enlighten their minds in the knowledge of Christ, to renew their wills, persuading and enabling them to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to all in the Gospel.

We look around at a sick, sorrowful, stormy, scornful, scorched planet and cry out to you to please shower your mercy on us and our world, so that peace, health, and wellbeing might prevail throughout the nations – including Ukraine, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Azerbaijan and Armenia, Venezuela, Brazil and our own country – so that your Gospel may go forward unhindered, your creation be beautifully restored and your Church in all places be prospered.

You who are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and who relents of disaster (Joel 2:13), be with those who are being hit by catastrophes, who have lost much, stranded in unfamiliar surroundings, wondering what the future holds for them. Be with Jackson Mississippi in its desperate bid for clean water. O dear God, relent of these disasters! Also, be with the service organizations that offer support and supplies to those recovering. And be with the churches, especially those that have opened their doors and hearts to give aid. 

And now we join our hearts and voices to pray as we have been taught, Our Father…