"O Lord Jesus Christ, Our Great God and Savior" - 12 November 2023

 

O Lord Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior, your mercies and loving-kindnesses are new every morning. In your incarnation you united our humanity to divinity; you became the Son of Man that we might become sons of God; you brought us life and immortality to consume our death and mortality; and as our great High Priest you regard the humble prayers of all who call upon you, who call upon you in truth. Incline your ear and hear.

Thank you for the many men and women who took oaths to uphold and defend the Constitution of these United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Thank you for their willingness to stand in the gap when called upon, and for weathering many essential (and sometimes idiotic) storms, exercises, conflicts, inspections, deployments and separations. There are many veterans stormed by moral wounding; moral wounds from the gruesome and gritty combat they experienced. So much so that many succumb to taking their own lives in high numbers. Bring them hope and healing. Thank you for our veterans.

Remember your Holy Universal Church, which you have liberated and laundered with your precious blood, including this church, St. Mark’s Lutheran, St. Paul’s, Trinity Lutheran, and Trinity-LCMS Church. Strengthen, O Lord, and have mercy upon all the ministers, pastors, elders, and overseers of your Church: guide us to feed your flock with the true Gospel, the whole counsel of God, and sound doctrine; and to rightly administer the sacraments. May we pay careful attention to ourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made us overseers, to care for the church of God, which you obtained with your own blood (Acts 20:28). Approve and improve your Church, increase and expand her, and keep her in tranquility and harmony. Heal the splits of the churches, extinguish the furious fuming of the anti-Christians, promptly negate and eradicate all heterodoxy by the power of your Holy Spirit, and beat down Satan under our feet.

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon those who resent and insult us, who seek to harm or harass us (...). Forgive them, turn their hearts, and through Jesus Christ bring them and us into your gates with thanksgiving, and into your courts with praise. Rescue, O Lord, and have mercy upon those who have embraced Barabbas rather than your Beloved Son; those who have drifted away from or dashed away from the true faith, and those who have become overwhelmed by sickening heresies (…). Grant them repentance to come to the knowledge of the truth and escape the snares of the devil.

Revive, O Lord, and have mercy upon all who are trekking through trouble or trial, strife or suffering (…). Remember them, draw near to them to hold their heads above water, and by your command and compassion speedily grant them relief, freedom, and deliverance. 

Act, O Lord, and have mercy upon all world rulers, on our president, on all our civil authorities, and all the peoples in this, and all nations. Reign supreme, rule over and when necessary overrule our aims and ambitions. May all peoples in all places come to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly before you! And now we join our hearts and voices to pray as Jesus taught us, saying, Our Father…

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