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O Lord, You Hear... - 25 October 2026

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  O LORD, as the Psalm-writer says, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more (Psalm 10:17-18). For these reasons, and more, we make bold to call on you, to call on you in truth. O great God, mighty Sovereign, we pray for our world, all the national governments and their citizens, and our own country. May sound-thinking prevail in all realms and all communities. For those regions simmering and boiling over, turn the situation around for good. Bring those in power – the leaders of various separatist groups, warlords, tribal leaders, and national magistrates – to think out what is in the best interests of all, not just their own tribe or faction. Watch over displaced people who have had to flee for their lives. Preserve them, protect them, and provide for their needs; set them in a safe place where they may be able to get...
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"We Make Bold to Call on You" - 18 October 2026

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  Lord, your servant John concluded his first letter with these words: “ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols ” (1 John 5:20-21). For these reasons we make bold to call on you, to call on you in truth (Psalm 145:18). For your church on every continent, including this congregation, Trinity UMC, Village UMC, Wesley UMC, Del City 1 st Church of the Nazarene, we pray. Help us to keep ourselves from idols, whether the handmade or heart-made kind! Bring us to grow in understanding you, your purposes, your Word, and your ways for us. Deepen our perception and knowledge of Jesus who is true and is the true God and eternal life. Draw us together in him and reform us all. Thank you for the Thrive! conference yesterday. Thank you for the insights to equip us in ministering to those wi...
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O Lord, Who Knows... - 11 October 2026

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  O Lord, who knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, we pray for the besieged and beleaguered peoples in our world, suffering from floods, droughts, hurricanes, unemployment, military threats, fears and pestilence. Please establish peace, justice, recovery and efficient economies in all lands, for the good of all, so that the Gospel of Jesus may spread unchecked, and that your Church may dwell securely in peace and quietness. Guide our own leaders in this country to throw off selfish programs, cut-throat tactics, and dastardly devices; and to put on what is truly legitimate and will promote evenhanded integrity. Give ear to our concerns as we pray for those who are in unbelief and for those who have deserted the Christian Faith (…). May they turn around and believe in your Son Jesus Christ and have everlasting life. And we pray for our enemies, some Islamic, others Marxist, a few rabid Secularists, and more. Oh Lord, lead them and us from prejudice to truth; and deliver t...
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Willing to Hear, Willing to Give - 20 September 2026

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  O Lord God, who is more willing to hear than we are to pray and is willing to give far more than we either desire or deserve: we pray for your Church and your World because you have made us priests through your well-beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our great High Priest. We pray for this congregation (gathered and scattered): for your Church throughout the world, for Penn Ave Redemption UMC, Quayle UMC, St. Andrews and St. Mary’s: with your servant and our brother Augustine, we ask you to give what you command and command what you will. Stir up your people to work out our salvation in fear and trembling, for it is you who works in us to both will and do for your good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13). Reform all that is awry, restrain that which is evil, and return all to glorifying and enjoying you. For all those who are struggling with pain, broken-bodies, grieved hearts, and fractured minds we pray (…). Restore to them the joy of your salvation; refurbish their frail bodies; re-knit th...
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Hoofprints of Hope - A Short Review

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  Horses, tack, dressage, and grooming. It's all here along with much, much more, and it rides around the Scripture to make this a delightful devotion for young teens, preteens, and (truth be known) older grandpa guys like me. " Hoofprints of Hope: Devotional " is part of the Tyndale Kids Faith & Science project. This is ideal for readers to take up on their own; or grandparents and parents could easily enjoy it together with them. Authored by Kathryn O'Neill who is a writer, teacher, speaker, and clearly a horse lover. This 256-page softback is pleasant to the eyes (all on cream-colored pages that have little to no glare), loaded with pictures of horses, and full of delightful details about the equine species. It is compiled into 52 short devotional readings that begin with Scripture, then present some aspect about horses (breeds, colors, grooming, hoofs, activities, history, and more). It also allows the reader a small space to write a reflection and then circle...
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"O LORD, Our Stronghold... - 13 September 2026

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  O LORD you are a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you (Psalm 9:9-10). It is to you we come to focus our prayers: We implore you to maintain your church in all places, including this congregation, as well as Lakeside UMC, Mayfair Heights UMC, New Covenant UMC, and Nichols Hills UMC. Bring unity to your church where there is division; establish order where there is disorder; restore faithfulness where there is infidelity; reestablish godliness where there is impiety; reinstate the Gospel where there is legalism; and reestablish forgiveness where there are grudges. Hear our Prayer, O Lord! We implore you for the nations of the world, including Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Since national entities often think more highly of themselves than they ought, and seek to place themselves above you, and above justice, and above...
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Crux Probat Omnia - 9 September 2026

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  Last Sunday I mentioned a rule of thumb I picked up from Martin Luther: crux probat omnia – the cross is the test of all things. I hope you’ll think that little statement over and ponder its implications and applications on your own, and with your family. If you want a verse to go with it, try Galatians 2:20. Or you can dwell on Colossians 1:12-23 or Philippians 2:1-11.   And here’s an example of how that rule of thumb, crux probat omnia , might look. William Willimon was a bishop in a “mainline” denomination that has been speeding down the dead-end alley of theological, social, and moral compromise. While he was in that position, he wrote a book on preaching titled, “Peculiar Speech.” A delightful book, by the way. And in that little manual he made this observation regarding his compromised denomination: “ Unable to preach Christ and Him crucified, we preach humanity and it improved ” (pg. 9). Ouch!   Now, that project sounds very familiar. “Humanity and it im...
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