"May the God of Endurance and Encouragement Grant..." - 26 June 2022
O Lord, make us have a perpetual love and reverence
for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have
set upon the sure foundation of your loving-kindness through Jesus Christ our
Lord. On behalf of your Church throughout the world, as well as Solomon Temple Baptist Church,
Sonrise Baptist, Southgate, and Southwest Baptist Church, we pray. Show
yourself strong on behalf of those who are suffering for righteousness’ sake, show
them a sign of your favor that those who hate them may see it and be put to
shame, because you have helped and comforted your people (Psalm 86:17). Reclaim
those who have lost their way and exchanged your glory for their own avarice or
their own ambition. Fill up what is lacking and cause your work to prosper in
the hands of those who are working and serving for your honor. And, Mighty God,
who would have thought that this day would come. Roe V. Wade has been turned
out on its head and tossed out on its ear. After the many decades of working
toward this, praying for this, and longing for this, you have heard our prayers
and brought it about. Praise and honor to you, O God! Now, Lord, comes the hard
work. May we, your people, walk along with women who have made wrong decisions –
or been decisively wronged. May we gather round them to care and comfort them
and be part of their lives and the life of the child. May more and more of your
people open up their lives and homes to provide safe havens for such women,
homes for foster children, and healthy families by way of adoption. Lord, you
have given us this moment, may your people step up to the plate and step into
the game.
Look upon the President of these United States, the
Governor of Oklahoma, the Mayors of Oklahoma City and Edmond, and all others in
authority. So replenish them with the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit
that they may always incline to your will and walk in your way.
And may the inhabitants of our nation turn to you. We also ask you to steer the
nations of the earth, and pilot the leaders of all lands, into the way of
uprightness and integrity, establishing among them that peace which is the fruit
of righteousness, and guide them to love you and their neighbors. And send
forth your Gospel and your enlivening Spirit, so that Jews, Buddhists, Hindus,
Muslims, Afghani warlords, White Supremacists, Neo-Nazis, Antifa, Mexican drug
cartels, Atheists, Agnostics and Secularists may come to embrace the Lord Jesus
Christ, may turn from their gods, or their godlessness, and come to the living
and true God and be saved from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10). Further,
rescue from sin, self-destruction, or heresy these for whom we now pray (…).
Merciful Father, you have taught us in your Holy Word, that you do not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men (Lamentations 3:33): look with kindness upon the sorrows, pains, and needs of these for whom our prayers are offered (…). Look upon them in mercy, nourish them with patience, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your face upon them, and give them peace and wholeness.
Now that this 49th General Assembly has concluded, we pray for its outcomes. Lord, work in our denomination, work in our presbyteries, work in our congregations. We pray for the peace, purity, unity, and edification of our whole denomination of your church. With our Lord Jesus as the aim and reason, may these four biblical qualities ever be our goal. And with the Apostle Paul, we pray the words of Romans 15: May the God of endurance and encouragement grant us to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together we may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so, may we welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, for your glory. (Romans 15:5-7). And now we pray as we have been taught, saying, Our Father…
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