Deus Misereatur

  O LORD, who created us, who formed us, and who has said to us – frequently – “ Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Isaiah 43:1-3). It is to you we pray. O Lord, hear our prayer. O LORD, who created and formed us through your Son and by your Spirit, be with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, and our missionaries, especially Doug and Masha Shepherd, as well as the Powells, Römers, Stantons, Pikes, and many others. Continue to assist them, preserving them, providing for their safety and needs. May they be drawn closer to you through all of this, and see you do amazing things. O Lord, hear our prayer. O LORD, who created and formed us into your Church, we seek your kingdom and righteo...

  Give us life, and we will call upon your name! Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved (Psalm 80:18b-19)! Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven and see; have regard for this your Church in all nations (Psalm 80:14), your church in Russia and Ukraine, for Heritage and these churches in the OKC area, Everlasting Life Baptist Church, First Baptist of Del City, Fairview Baptist, and Faith Memorial Baptist. Turn to us and be gracious to us; give your strength to your servants and save the sons and daughters of your maidservant. Show us a sign of your favor that those who hate us may see and be put to shame because you, LORD, have helped us and comforted us (Psalm 86:16-17). Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved (Psalm 80:18b-19)! Consider, O God, those who do not know you or have broken faith with you (…). Change their hearts that they may confess Jesus as Lord and believe in their hearts you raised ...

Here's a little exercise with a prayer for times like these. This prayer comes from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, 8th Sunday after Epiphany. I've modified it a smidgen.    O Most loving heavenly Father, who desires us  to give thanks for all things,  to fear nothing but you, and  to cast all our care on you who cares for us:  Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of your immortal love which you have manifested toward us in your well-beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. I often spend time in the three bullet-points, confessing how I have often done the opposite of what God desires in these three areas.  Then I dwell on what the "faithless fears and worldly anxieties" look like in my life or others. Finally, I ponder God's "immortal love" manifested in his well-beloved S...

  O God our Father, we implore you to make us a holy, joy-filled people in our homes, occupations, and our various networks of friends. May those who are married be free of strife, pettiness, and fear; may those who are single be chaste and holy, enjoying you in their God-ward singleness; may the children grow stronger in grace and wisdom, loving you all their days while obeying and honoring their parents; may the parents raise their children in faithfulness and godliness; and may the elderly flourish in God-given strength, patience, and sound-mindedness. Also please help us to be the kind of church that is instrumental in drawing the straying back to Christ and his church and bringing unbelievers to be born again by trusting in your Son Jesus Christ. Hear us as we recall some of their names to you (…). O God our Father, we pray for your Church in all nations, and these churches in the OKC area: Crossroads of Life Church, Eastern Ave Baptist Church, Eastwood Baptist and Emmanuel ...

  Since there are already thousands of reviews and ratings given for this book, I'll just add a few simple comments. In so many ways it was like reading Richard Sibbes's "The Bruised Reed" or an easier version of Jonathan Edwards. Scripture was handled in the meaningfully devotional ways that the gracious Puritans handled them. Ortlund doesn't shy away from the harder subjects, such as God's justice and wrath, but places them beautifully alongside God's steadfast love and faithfulness, in the way God himself puts things in Exodus 34:6-7. Neither does he back off from tackling our sinfulness. Rightly he observes, "we can vent our fleshly passions by breaking all the rules, or we can vent our fleshly passions by keeping all the rules, but both ways of venting the flesh still need resurrection. We can be immoral dead people, or we can be moral dead people. Either way, we're dead. The mercy of God reaches down and rinses clean not only obviously bad p...

O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, your mercies and loving-kindnesses have been from everlasting. You became man and stooped to endure crucifixion and death for the salvation of all who rightly believe in you. You rose from the dead for our justification and ascended into heaven and sit at the right hand of God the Father, from whence you shall come to judge the living and the dead. And as our great High Priest you regard the humble prayers of all who call upon you with their whole heart. Incline your ear and hear. First of all, we implore you to remember your Holy Universal Church, which you have purchased with your precious blood, this congregation; these churches in the greater OKC area; College Heights Baptist, Community Missionary Baptist, Crest Baptist and Cross Baptist Church ; and also your servants who are under persecution – by totalitarian magistrates and totalitarian movements – for your sake and for the sake of your holy gospel. Confirm and strengthen your Church, enlarge and...

  As you declared through Isaiah, so we affirm: You are the LORD, and there is no other, besides you there is no God; you equip people, even those who do not know you, so that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides you; you are the LORD, and there is no other. You form light and create darkness; you make well-being and create calamity; you are the LORD, who does all these things (Isaiah 45.5-7). And so, to you do we pray: Just as you did for us back when we were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures (Titus 3:3), so now through your Son Jesus Christ, save those who trust in their own strength, those who walk in darkness, those who are hostile and alienated from others and from you (…). As you have been our healer and helper in days past, please restore and raise up those dealing with – and maybe not be dealing very well with – depression, dementia, disease, debilitation, and distress (…). In the sa...