"O LORD, Our Stronghold... - 13 September 2026

 

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 goodness, then we pray with the Psalmist: Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men (Psalm 9:19-20)! For you are the LORD who sits enthroned forever; you have established your throne for justice, and you judge the world with righteousness; you judge the peoples with uprightness (Psalm 9:7-8). Hear our Prayer, O Lord!

We implore you to oversee our own nation, its prosperity and progress, its life and legalities. Preside over our courts, and over the appointments to judicial benches. Bring that which is genuinely good and right to dominate in our land. Not Conservatism, or Liberalism, or Progressivism, or Marxism, or Socialism, or Blood-and-soil-ism, nor Islamization. Instead, establish that which is genuinely good and right for all, whether Asian, Black, Latino, White, poor, prosperous, immigrant, citizen, urbanite and country folk. Hear our prayer, O Lord! 

We implore you to step into the ailments and treatments of those who find their cells and cerebrum failing. Take up the recovery of those who are walking in deep darkness or despair. Give strength to those who are exhausted and exasperated. Aid the insight and direction of those who are deciding on their vocational course. Comfort and console those who are grieving over their loved ones (…). May the needy not be forgotten and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever, we give you our praise (Psalm 9:18)! Hear our prayer, O Lord! And now, in the power of the Spirit we pray as Jesus taught us, Our Father…

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