"We Come, Lord, At Your Bequest" - 7 May 2023

 

It is our privilege and honor to be invited into your presence to pray on behalf of the world and your church. And in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, you have given us bold access into your presence to bring our cares and petitions. We come, Lord, at your invitation and bequest.

For those in our State, townships and neighborhoods who feel that all hope is gone; for those who are in despair and deep in darkness; for those who are in continual pain (…), and we pray for those grieving and groaning in Allen Texas, Georgia, Henryetta Oklahoma, and other places. We pray that you would place people in their lives who would hold on to them and walk with them through it all. And we especially pray for those who are having thoughts of suicide. O God, break into the grief and gloom with your hope, and raise them up to see your life and light in Jesus Christ.

For those who are in great need, who have chronic health troubles, who are being treated for cancer, (…). We pray for them to have relief, to walk whole and healthy. And we pray for them to overcome the doubts and disbelief that seem to normally lurk around in the shadows at times like these.

For these United States of America, from the white house to the State House, from the legislative hall to city hall, for judiciaries to justices of the peace, bring forth goodness and truth that will trump evil and slander. And for all the inhabitants and citizens of this land, from the youngest to the oldest, bring about changes of direction and deed that we may be known as an honorable country, with an honorable populace. Break the cycle of mass murder-suicides, and the bloody crimes.

For all of the countries of our world, including Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; and Mozambique – give peace in our time! We pray that our world divided and enslaved to sin and pride would come to be freed and brought together under the gracious rule of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally, we pray for your church on every continent and here at home, this congregation, as well as Nicoma Park Church of Christ, North MacArthur, Northeast, and Oak Crest Church of Christ. We pray that as the Holy Spirit is Jesus focused and all about building up and building together Jesus’ Church; we all may be as well. And we pray that the elevating work of the Spirit would raise us all out of and away from pride-of-place, pride-of-race, pride-of-gift or pride-of-rift, and lift us up to flesh out beautifully what it means to be the body of Christ so that all the world may come to believe you sent Jesus, and that we are his disciples. 

And now, we join voices and hearts together to pray as our Lord Jesus directed, saying, Our Father, who art in heaven…