"Dwell with Us and Revive Us!" - 14 September 2025

Mighty God, who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, who says “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15). Dwell with us and revive us!

O Lord, our Lord, we pray for this congregation, for these churches around Oklahoma City – Beverly Hills Baptist, Bridgepoint, Britton Baptist and Brookwood; and for your church in all places being hammered and hounded and hunted down world over. We profess our love and adoration for you, and we confess that we are saved by your invasive and merciful love. Now, Lord, cause us to become what you have made us: Children of the Living, Holy God, who are no longer wooed by the father of lies, who are no longer caught in the snares of our own lusts and pride, but those who are thoroughly loyal to you. Give us aid and strength to be intentionally healing, caring for and defending the fatherless, widow, abused, beat-down and messed up.

For these, Lord, who are in need of your sustaining, healing, supporting help, we pray (…).

For the nations of the world, and the USA we pray. Not only physically, but also socially, there are storms raging and ravaging cities, homes, families, farms and lives, droughts and wildfires, floods and famines. Lord God, have mercy on us and all peoples, and grant us relief.

Lord, we have prayed for friends and family which we know, that they might be restored to the Faith of Christ, or come to faith in Christ; and still we pray for them (…). But also, Lord, we beg you to give us a missionary heart to reach out and become like our great shepherd who seeks out the straying sheep. Make us more vocal and active in proclaiming your praises and announcing the way of Life in Jesus Christ.

Gracious Father, look upon us in this new season and new semester. May all of our undertakings be enriching. Give the students new-found successes in their studies and the teachers renewed vigor and pleasures in their service. And may this Fall time of year be chock full of reasons to rejoice in your lovingkindnesses!

Evil, O Lord. Evil has taken precious lives in Colorado, Utah, and North Carolina this past week, but also in lesser-known situations in Chicago, Kansas, and more. Where, O Lord, is the sense? And then hotheaded people inflame anger and anxiety with railing and roaring. O Lord, some days it feels as if the old pagan gods and furies have returned. Some weeks it seems as if cosmic powers of present darkness and spiritual forces of evil in high places (Ephesians 6:12) have returned to roost in our cities, counties, states and country. O Mighty Lord, as you drove the Legion out of the poor soul by the sea (Mark 5:1-20), drive out these demonic powers and forces and forbid them to return. Oh Judge of all, bring clearheaded justice on the criminals, but also bring them life-giving repentance. And, Good Shepherd, comfort the grieving, weeping, and hurting ones, to include the Kirk family, and Iryna Zarutska’s family. Console their misery, both the families of the perpetrators and those of the victims. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. And now we pray as our Lord taught us, saying, “Our Father…”