"You Are the LORD, And there Is No Other" - 12 February 2023

 

Our Father, you are the LORD, and there is no other. You form the light and create darkness; you make peace and create calamity; you O LORD do all these things, that all may know from the rising of the Sun to its setting that there is none besides you (Isaiah 45:6-7). It is to you that we come and pray, in the strength of the Spirit and the righteousness of Christ Jesus.

Rebuild peace, order and justice in the nations of the world, and most especially right now, in Turkey and Syria, so that the peoples may live safely, thrive, and hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Grant recovery where there has been disaster. But also, bring relief to those in our country who have been hit hard by financial woes; give our elected and appointed leaders the shrewdness and perseverance for reigning in our debt that we may not misuse our future; govern the decisions of our judges to eschew immorality and inequality; cause the hearts of the inhabitants of this nation to move toward prudent level-headedness, honesty and virtue; preserve our country from evil and falsehood; and be pleased to send rain and snow in the amount we need.

Keep our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines in your care that they may serve honorably and be preserved from malevolence and harm.

Shower kindness, restoration and compassionate help on all who are in turmoil, abused, defeated, broken, ailing, and overcome by gloom (...).

For your Church universal, along with this congregation, we pray. And we pray for St. Damien Catholic Church, St. Monica, St. Phillip Neri, and St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Direct all our plans and actions in line with your holy purposes; and replenish what is lacking with your bounty. Restore the Gospel where it may have been clouded over. Restore grace and gratitude. Reclaim all of our misplaced confidences, that we may, one and all, be fully convinced of your supremacy, and receive and rest on Christ alone for salvation, as he is freely offered in the gospel.

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy; be gracious to all whom we pray for that have not been born again and those who have gone astray from your ways (…). Bring them with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast to their only hope, Jesus Christ, to the unchangeable truth of your Word, and to the fellowship of your visible Church, outside of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation. And employ us that we may be a part of your saving and restoring them.

Lord God, since you understand how family can be either a rich place of joy, or a deep place of hurt, we pray for our families and family members. Look mercifully on them. Bring our young children to faith in Christ and our older children to fill out in faithfulness to Christ. Provide reparations and restoration to those marriages and family relationships that are ruined and ripped. Guide and direct those in our families who are perturbed by decisions and indecisions. And those who seem to keep going down blind alleyways and wrecking themselves against the walls, mature them and lead them to live and love wisely. All we ask in union with Jesus Christ your Son, and our Lord and Savior. And now we pray as Jesus taught us, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven…

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