Deus Misereatur

A Small Book About A Big Problem by Edward T. Welch My rating: 5 of 5 stars It's a teeny thing, just a little bigger than the size of a smartphone. But as they say, "Dynamite comes in small packages!" Ed Welch, licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF), has compiled 50 short daily devotions into a small, 186 page hardcover with this intriguing title, "A Small Book about a Big Problem: Meditations on Anger, Patience, and Peace." Each day's easy to comprehend reflection runs between 300 to 350 words, or two to three small pages, all of which are bite-sized and focused on one topic per day. Like a good physician of the soul, Welch works the reader through the various angles and aspects of anger: causes, catalysts, and catastrophic results. The author also examines the whys and ways of change by looking into new routines, remedies and the Redeemer. This tiny volume is not afraid to address the se...

O our God and Father, who is making the first last and the last first, who has made little children the measure of your kingdom; please give us that wisdom from above which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3.17). As we operate, deliberate, expostulate, and at times, remonstrate, may it not be as enemies and adversaries, but as fellow human beings made in your image, made to have unending fellowship with you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit. May we grasp right from wrong and chose that which is right, for ourselves, our families, and our people. May partiality and prejudice be put far from us, and integrity and equality gain the upper hand. O Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, as we pray for our local, State and National leaders, we affirm with the Sage in Proverbs that the wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving (Proverbs 14.8); we cry out to you to endow our lead...

Mighty God, Loving Father, who sent your Son, Jesus Christ to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified (Isaiah 61.2-3); we lift up our hearts and hands and voices to give you praise, to thank you, and to rejoice in your goodness! Creator and Sustainer, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; we pray for the nations and peoples of the world, and specifically Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria and Andorra ; we pray for our own country, we pray our friends, foes and family with the Psalmist in Psalm 146: please execute justice for the oppressed…; give food to the hungry…; set the prisoners free, specifica...

O Lord, you know what we have need of even before we ask; therefore we pray with greater confidence that you hear our words and what we cannot even express in words. We pray for the troubled and tormented peoples in our world, suffering from floods, droughts, hurricanes, unemployment, military threats and fears. We pray for the leaders of the nations, President of Yemen, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi; President of Zambia, Edgar Lungu; and President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe . Please establish peace, judicial integrity, economic stability, and healthy recovery in all lands, for the good of all, so that the Gospel of Jesus may spread unchecked, and that your Church may dwell in peace and quietness. Guide our own national and State leaders away from envy, greed, power-mongering, and injustice toward legitimate fairness, moral integrity, and contentment with what is good in your sight. Give ear to our concerns as we pray for those who are still in their unbelief and for ...

I was asked to join Joel Harder of Capitol Commission  (in the picture below), and Doug Melton from Southern Hills Baptist Church in a prayer lunch for the Oklahoma legislators who are in a called special meeting (26 September 2017). Here is the part I led: PRAYER FOR ALL LEGISLATORS: DR. MIKE PHILLIBER Let Us Confess Our Sins: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin…If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1.7, 9). And so, it is very appropriate for us to spend a moment silently confessing our sins. Silence…. We confess to you, O God, that we have sinned against heaven and in your sight; and are not worthy to be called your children. Yet you do not retain your anger forever because you delight in mercy. Therefore have compassion on us, subdue our iniquities, casting all our sins in...

Your righteousness is like the mountains, O God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD (Psalm 36.6); therefore we implore you to give your much needed assistance, provision, direction, comfort, strength and restoration to our brotherhood throughout the world, and where they are in great need or distress. We intercede especially on behalf of those in Kenya, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and in the areas hit by Hurricanes and destructive storms . O Lord, hear our prayer. Almighty God, you have taught us not to think of ourselves only, but also for the wants and needs of others. We pray for the many burdened and oppressed we know who have been crushed and had their purposes and dreams overthrown…; for the many who are afflicted by poverty, worn down and worn thin by disease, illness and ailment…; for the many who are weary and heavy laden, in gloom and misery, and those suffering for righteousness’ sake... Help them in the ways that are most fitting and s...

Our Father who art in heaven : you rule over all creation, seen and unseen, visible and invisible. You are compassionate toward all, bringing rain, sun, and wellbeing to the just and the unjust. But you also are Judge of the whole earth who does what is just (Genesis 18.25). We lift up our hearts and hands in praise of you. Hallowed by thy name : since we know and believe that you are the greatest good, then for you to be exalted in the imaginations, dispositions and considerations of humankind is to exalt that which is of greatest good for all. We pray you would come to be honored by all peoples, nations, tribes and language groups; and we pray that your name and person and authority would always be honored in your church throughout the world, this congregation and Southside Assembly of God; Spring Creek Assembly of God; Triumph Family Worship Center; Alameda Baptist Church; and Antioch Institutional Baptist Church . Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in...