a prayer of mourning

Father,

You are the God of all comfort, the God who brings peace to hearts, the God who has compassion on us. You are a great and powerful God, who knows every hair on our head and every thought in our minds. You know us intimately, O God. For you love us that much.

Today we lift up those who've lost their loved ones in the tragic shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue. Hold them close, Father.  Help them grieve, wipe their tears, and give them strength.

Death was never part of Your plan, and persecution of others because of their race is not Your will, either. We acknowledge that all people are made in your image, O Lord, and worthy of our respect and love. We pray for all those who harbor hatred in their heart. May they soften towards all that they hate; transforms their lives and hearts to be more like You. 

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:1-6)

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

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All Souls

Father, we thank you for the saints down through the ages that have faithfully served you and have set us an example by their walk. Thank you for those who sacrificed homes, possessions, and their very lives for your Kingdom. Your word tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Let  the memory of their service cause us to follow Jesus more closely. Amen.

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Hurrican Faith

 As I was reading my Bible this morning, I notice a note I had put on the margin from 9/4/2005 from a message my dearest had preached when he got back from helping after Hurricane Katrina.  The title of the message was called "Herricane  Faith".

Hurricans are so devastating, people in the midst of them need something to hang on too.  This message gives 5 things you can bank on from God's Word.

1.  Focus on God's eternal presence.  ~ Duet. 31:8, I John 14;16
2.  Focus on God's eternal promises.  ~ II Sam. 22:31
3.  Focus on God's eternal power.      ~  Isa.26:4, Psm. 89:8
4   Focus on God's eternal purpose    ~  Jer.29:11, Rom 8:28
5   Focus on God's eternal hope        ~   Psm. 62:5

Dear Father, as we think of all the folks that have loss so much in the recent Hurricans, we pray that their hearts can focus on God's Eternal, Presence, Promises, Power, Purposes and HOPE.  Bring peace and a sense of comfort and healing to all those who have suffered so much and lost their earthly possessions.  How thankful you have promised to be with us and never leave us.  I love You.  Amen.

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Amen

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The Witness

Psalm 19:1-4 (NLT)
    The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.  ² Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. ³ They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. ⁴ Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

Father, what a great witness the silent night sky’s reveal. In the heavens we behold your glory, craftsmanship, knowledge, power and wisdom.  And though the stars of innumerable galaxies are so distant from us You are not. Your presence is with us and through faith in Your Son You live in us.

Father, we behold Your witness, not only in the heavens but also in the Scripture where You tell us: Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

Father, thank you, not only for the wonder of your creation, but especially the wonder of Your presence with and in us. You are truly our Immanuel.

We pray this in the Name of Your beloved Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

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For Transformation

Our Father, how great is Your love and mercy to us. You have taken us under Your wing and there we find refuge. Thank You that You cover us with the righteousness of Jesus Christ when we respond to His invitation to come to Him for salvation and lay our burdens down. We worship You and love Your Word which has the power to transform us as we renew our minds with Your Word. Strengthen our hearts as we grow in Your grace and knowledge. May we always respond with faith and trust during the difficult times and circumstances we face as we journey through this world. Amen

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a prayer for our country

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage:

We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will.

Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way.

Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues.

Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth.

In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail.

All which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

-taken from the Book of Common Prayer

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refuge

Dear Lord,

We take refuge in You, O God, this day. Cover and protect us from all harm. You are the rock of refuge, in whom we can trust. You are faithful and loving, and watch over us everywhere we go.

Be our hope, Sovereign Lord. We praise You for Your power, and it's in this power that helps us stand firm in hope. A hope that points us to Your son, Jesus, and reminds us of all You have done for us.

And You continue to work in us, too, which gives us more hope. Hope for change in us and in the world. So as we ask for you to be our refuge, help us to remember to go out and point others to Jesus, knowing we in Your safe hands.

Amen

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TRUTH

 Isaiah 59:15-16  "Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes prey.  The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.  He saw that there was not one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him."

O Jesus, our Savior, teach us to be like You.  Give us courage to speak up and step out on behalf of justice.  Help us to speak the truth in love, to right wrongs, heal wounds, and champion the cause of the dispossessed.  May we stand in Your righteousness to intervene and intercede for our own stumbling nation and a world in turmoil.  I love You.  Amen.


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Amen

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The God of All Comfort

Hebrews 2:18 (HCSB)
     For since He Himself was tested and has suffered, He is able to help those who are tested.

Hebrews 4:15 (HCSB)
¹⁵  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.

Matthew 8:16-17 (HCSB)
     ¹⁶ When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick, ¹⁷ so that what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: He Himself took our weaknesses and carried our diseases.

Father, the comfort and encouragement we have through Jesus identifying with our weaknesses, suffering, sorrows and sickness is truly not only healing but also enabling. You give us the strength and hope to carry on, living in faith, trusting your presence with us every day.

2 Corinthians 1:3 (HCSB)
     Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

We can truly affirm the confidence of the Psalmist.  “God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my life.” Psalm 54:4 (HCSB)

We praise You Father in the name of Jesus our beloved Savior and friend. Amen.

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A Prayer of Commitment

Lord, I give myself to fully follow You, whatever it may mean. Take every aspect of my life and use me for Your purposes to glorify Your name. I’m not here on earth to do my own thing, to seek my own fulfillment or my own glory. I’m not here to indulge my flesh, to increase my possessions, to impress people, to be popular, to prove I’m somebody important, or to promote myself. I’m not here even to be relevant or successful by human standards. I’m here to please You.

To live like this, I yield myself to you, to know you, to love you, to honor you, to obey you, and to grow in your holy fear. I desire to become a person who lives and grows in reverent awe of you.

I’ll do anything You want me to do as long as You lead me; go anywhere You want me to go since You will go with me; and say anything that You want me to say as long as You will fill me. Teach me, guide me, empower me as I climb the ministry mountain.

Father, there isn’t any gift You have for me I don’t want. If You want me to wait to accomplish Your work, I will. If You want to use me in a way that I’m not used to, I yield myself to that. I trust You, Lord, to do that which I cannot do for myself. Today I affirm my love for You, my God, and I choose to live and minister in Your way for the rest of my life.

To the glory of the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the name of the Lord Jesus, for the very best of many everywhere, I ask these things. Amen.

(Sources: Ruth Myers-Cindy Jacobs-Dale Schlafer-Ramesh Richard)

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let your love be made full in me ...

I love the words to this Godspell chorus ...

Day by day
Oh Dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day

They remind me of this prayer by Anselm of Canterbury ...

I pray. O God, to know thee, to love thee, that I may rejoice in thee.

And if I cannot attain to full joy in this life may I at least advance from day to day, until that joy may came to the full. Let the knowledge of thee advance in me here, and there be made full.

Let the love of thee increase, and there let it be full, that here my joy may be great in hope, and there full in truth.

Open the eyes of my heart Lord that I might see you more clearly.

Amen

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Be strong

Amen

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to be known

139 

God, investigate my life;    get all the facts firsthand.I’m an open book to you;    even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.You know when I leave and when I get back;    I’m never out of your sight.You know everything I’m going to say    before I start the first sentence.I look behind me and you’re there,    then up ahead and you’re there, too—    your reassuring presence, coming and going.

... Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?

    to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
    If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
    to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
    you’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
    At night I’m immersed in the light!”


... You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

 (From Psalm 139, The Message)

God, you promise to know us inside and out. You know every hair on our heads, every thought in our minds, every feeling in our hearts. You love us so. Help us be known and loved by you, so that we may be known and loved by others.

Amen

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TOO FAMILIAR?

 The disciples walk and talked and ate with Jesus every day.  They were eye witnesses to his miracles.  The blind could see, the lame jumped with joy with their healing.  He fed the thousands on the hillside.  The disciples saw, heard and felt it all.  They became so familiar with his miracles they forgot who HE WAS.

Shortly after the feeding of the thousands on the hillside, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat and Jesus said let's go to the other side.  It was night, and a terrible storm came up tossing the boat back and forth, wind howling, water coming in the boat, and Jesus was asleep on a mat.  The terrified men, ask Jesus if He cared that they die in the storm.  He calmed the storm with a word, and told his men how little faith they had.  They forgot WHO HE WAS!  God Almighty, Creator of the Universe.   Jesus said, as they started out in the boat they would go to the other side.  That should have been enough, but they forgot WHO HE WAS!

Dear Lord, increase my little faith, so I will never forget who YOU ARE and what YOU can DO!  The storms of life are so real, so scary, so huge, but You have told us in your Word, that you are with us and will NEVER leave us, so give me faith to believe that in every circumstance of my life.  I love You.  Amen







Amen

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