Prayers of the Church, 3.14.10

Come, let us return to the Lord.

Loving God, your appearing is as sure as the dawn; you will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth. Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early. You do not desire mere sacrifice from us, but mercy. You desire mercy.

Come, let us return to the Lord.

We so often speak grandly about our righteousness, when, instead of being filled with the Holy Spirit, we are content to offer mindless sacrifices. Reject our attempts to just “get by” as Christians. Reject our efforts to sit around the table of the Lord, crowding out our enemies, those who we do not see fit to be filled with your blessings. You call us to share our possessions with those in need. You call us to share our time and talents to bring the Good News to life in the lives of others. You call us to share the sacrifice of our Lord with the wretched, the dispossessed, the downtrodden, and build them up in the spirit of the living God.

Come, let us return to the Lord.

When we fail to be loyal to one another, we break your covenants. When we fail to share your blessings, we break your covenants. When we ignore those who are suffering, we break your covenants.

Come, let us return to the Lord.

Forgive us when we throw money at a problem instead of getting involved, instead of making ourselves vulnerable to the needs of others, instead of going out on a limb and sharing your love with the lost.

Come, let us return to the Lord.

Strengthen us against the lures of Satan who tempts us to gather for ourselves at the cost of others. Engender in us the love of family and let us see that the family we must love is your entire world, your entire kingdom.

Open our arms to strangers, open our arms to those who are searching, open our arms to those who are different. Open our arms just as Jesus welcomes us sinners around his table. The table is large. It has room for all who are hungry, for all who wish to serve.

Now, we take a moment to silently share our prayers of thanksgiving and joy while we also lay at your feet our prayers of repentance and loss. Hear us, Lord.


We ask your special blessings today, Father, on Agape Women's Services. Bless their efforts as they provide Biblical counsel and support to women facing crisis pregnancies. Bless their efforts as they offer training on how to be good parents.

And now, we pray together, as a family, the prayer that Jesus, the savior of all, taught us to pray:

Prayers of the Church, 2.28.10

Hear our prayers, O Lord. Give ear to our supplications in your faithfulness; answer us in your righteousness. Do not enter into judgment with your servants, for no one living is righteous before you.

We thank you for the gift that is the priesthood of all believers, for in this belief you give us freedom…freedom to serve and freedom to share. With our freedom -- our privilege -- comes responsibility.

Give us the maturity and the desire to embrace the privilege of being active Christians. Help us understand the gravity of our positions as your envoys. Give us the strength to stand fast in the face of personal and community adversity, in the face of evil. Remove the fear, the timidity, the self-consciousness that keep us from acting in your name.

Give our leaders the confidence and humility to share the priesthood of the church throughout the Christian community. Show them ways to teach, to enlighten, and to mentor those servants who are willing to take more active roles in Christian service.

Individually, we are weak and frail, but when we act as a body of believers, we glorify you more than we ever could alone. Strengthen us with a sense of community. Strengthen us with a sense of kinship. Help us to look to our brothers and sisters on our right and on our left and revel in the knowledge that we all serve the risen King, that we all have the same goals of furthering your kingdom on earth, and that we are much stronger when we work together.

Bless our enemies, Lord. Give us the interest and the insight to understand the rifts between us so we may learn to work, live, and serve together, under the banner of the risen King.

Forgive us our sins, Father, for they are many. Thank you for the grace that washes them away and makes us whole again, in your name.

The needs of our world and the challenges of your children are often more than we can bear alone. Yet, there is so much for which to be joyful, so much for which to be thankful. We take, but a moment of silence, to share some of the concerns as well as the joys that are in our hearts.


We pray your blessings on those around our world who suffer and continue to suffer from natural disasters like in Haiti, in Chile, and even in our own country. We ask that you motivate us to help as we can and that you give those who are afflicted the peace that only you can provide.

We bring before you now, God, the Ghana Christian Mission and its leaders, Enoch & Lydia Nyador. Bless their medical and physical needs, as well as their mission of sharing the gospel and providing medical care to the Ghanaian people around them.

And now we pray together as Jesus, the risen King, taught us to pray:

Prayers of the Church, 1.31.10

Glory be to you, Lord God, Father of all. You are our King. You are our Father. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea roar and all that fills it. Let the fields exult and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord. For great is the Lord and great is his love for all his children.

God of light -- through your great love for humanity, you give us all free will. You give us the opportunity and ability to choose. We have chosen to follow you. Let us exalt in this decision. Allow others to see the joy we experience as we learn, grow, and bloom in the faith. Let our light shine before others so that they may see the love that you have for us and how much we love you.

God of action -- Turn the love we have for you into deeds. Let us be bold in the name of Jesus. When we see opportunities to serve, give us the desire, the maturity and the faith to stand up and be counted. Give our words of comfort and support the strength of our actions, providing us the power to push manmade roadblocks out of our way, put Satan’s call to self behind us, and strike out in faith as we change lives in the name of your son, Jesus, who never shrank away from his calling.

God of humility -- As we work to do your will, help us ensure the focus of our efforts is firmly on you. Fortify our control so that our own egos and humanly love of self remain in check. Give us holy pride, not the earthly pride that so fits us like a glove. Let us herald your greatness and love as we share your blessings with those in need. Allow all our works to glorify you and your kingdom.

Glory be to you, Lord God, Father of all.

Bless our enemies, Father. Remove the chasms that separate us, Lord, and unite us through the grace of the Father, unite us through the light of the Son, unite us through the Spirit of love.

In the silence, dear God, let us speak our requests and then be silent, listening for your guidance and hearing your call.


We ask your blessings of safety, community, and love on Warren and Julie Veal and their family as they serve you with the Missionary Aviation Fellowship in Mozambique. Strengthen them as they work to actively serve you and serve others in the name of risen Lord.

And now we pray together as Jesus, light of the world, taught us to pray:

Prayers of the Church, 1.24.10

All hail and glory to you, great and wondrous God. All around us, through your creation, is evidence of your great love. All around us is evidence of your great deeds of power. Through your creation is revealed a power which no human can match -- a power that made people throughout the ages gasp in surprise and awe as they beheld it and which still makes us gasp when we realize the greatness of the power revealed. The vastness and complexity together are more than we can fully contemplate or appreciate.

As we attempt to contemplate your entire creation, we cannot fail to be amazed by your most precious of gifts: humankind. We are also often perplexed by the mysteries of human emotion and reasoning. They are more powerful than we know how to harness…or control.

You, O Lord, love us all as your children. You do not play favorites among us, but instead value every life as each one is a gift from you. Through our frailty, however, we are often not encumbered by your example. We look at those who are different from us, different in language or dialect, different in sex, in race, in stature, in wealth…and we begin to draw lines.

How can we, as heirs to the promise, as followers of Jesus, treat each other in ways that are so inconsistent with the gospel? How can we think of others as somehow of less value, of less import to the rest of the world and to you? This is nothing other than absolute abomination to the beauty of the creation you placed around us. Forgive us, Lord. Forgive us.

Loving God, you made us all to be your children.

Gracious Lord, you call us all to be one in Christ Jesus.

Father, we ask your blessings on our enemies. Forgive those who hate us because we’re different from them. Even more, Lord, forgive us when we hate those who are not like us.

In the silence, we come before you. We come before you with penitent hearts. We come before you with praises for answered prayer. We come before you as one family united in our love for you and your endless grace. Hear us.


We ask your blessings, God, on our neighbors at Pine Oaks Assisted Living Center. We ask health, comfort, and peace for the residents. We ask talent, wisdom, and compassion for the caregivers. We ask that we, and the local Christian community, see fit to be an active part in supporting the ministry at Pine Oaks and that all of these efforts please you.

And now, we pray together as Jesus, the great uniter, taught us to pray:

Prayers of the Church, 1.17.10

Glory be to you, O Lord. Great is your name among all your people. We bow in awe to your majesty. We bow in awe of your wondrous love. Your love is as high as the highest mountain and deep as the deepest sea. Your love for your people knows no bounds. You meet our needs, you walk with us in our trials, you support us with the love of Christian families, friends, and churches. We are your children and you are our God.

Just as you care for even the sparrows, make us ever mindful, Father, of the distress around us, not just during times of privation and disaster, but as a part of our very lives looking at needs, being empathetic toward those who are struggling and suffering, and taking those concerns and translating them into action for that is what you call us to be – people of action, those who do not merely acknowledge evil and suffering, but those who actively work to overcome them in the name of Jesus.

In the wake of tragedies like our Haitian brothers and sisters are experiencing, let us not gawk and stare, let us not just speak of our sorrow in their despair, but instead liberate in us the desire to give, not as long as it’s comfortable, but to give with sacrificial spirits, spirits anchored in the knowledge that you will always care for us.

In a world so advanced and educated, there are still a staggering number of people who do not know you, who do not call you Lord. Make in us the belief that this fact is not acceptable and embolden us to use every opportunity to show your love and share the truth of the Gospel, tying the two together in ways that make you real in the examples of our lives.


Jesus spoke. Jesus taught. Jesus healed. Gives us the gifts to follow his example.


Father, we ask your blessings on our enemies. Give us the strength to overcome our fears, to overcome our egos, to overcome our hurt feelings and reach out in the name of the risen Savior.

In the silence, Lord, hear our prayers of mercy and forgiveness for our sins. Hear our prayers of supplication for those in need, close to home and around the world. Hear our praises of heartfelt thanksgiving that you are our loving God.


We bring before you now, God, the Ghana Christian Mission and its leaders, Enoch & Lydia Nyador. Bless their medical and physical needs, as well as their mission of sharing the gospel to the Ghanaian people around them.

And now, we pray together as Jesus, our savior in word and deed, taught us to pray:

Prayers of the Church, 1.10.10

To you, O Lord, we lift up our souls. O God, in you we trust; Make us to know your ways, O Lord; teach us your paths. Our eyes are ever toward the Lord. Turn to us and be gracious to us for we long for you.

God of the past: History speaks of your greatness. The scriptures illuminate your omnipotence. We know of the majesty of your Son: True God from true God. Lead us in your truth, and teach us, for you are the God of our salvation; for you we wait all day long. Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

God of the future: Though we don’t know the future, we know the ultimate reward. You promise your love. You promise never to forsake us. All your paths are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep your covenant and decrees.

God of the present:

• You call on us to learn from the past and look forward to the future.
• You call on us to be obedient to you and your commandments, especially the teachings of our Lord Jesus.
• You call on us to be your people of action, stepping out faithfully in the name of the Christ and living our lives, knowledgeable that they are wonderful gifts from you.
• You call on us to be observant and mindful of the imperfect world around us and to actively engage it.
• You call on us to feed the poor and shelter the afflicted.
• You call on us to give freely and with abandon of our riches – money, time, and talent.
• You call on us to stand up for righteousness and turn away from wickedness.
• You call on us to be your hands and your feet, showing your love to all people.
• And you call us to share the gospel to all who will hear.
• You call on us, Father, to be your present-day disciples.

Good and upright are you, Lord; You lead the humble in what is right, and teach the humble your way.

Loving God, bless our enemies of the past and present. Bless our efforts, as we move forward, to bridge divides that keep us from becoming brothers and sisters in righteousness.

In the silence, Lord, hear us as we come to you for we are sinners. Forgive us for our transgressions against you and your kingdom. Hear, also, our prayers of thanksgiving and joy as we revel in the knowledge that we are your children.


Shower your Blessings on Milligan College, gracious God. It has a rich tradition of service; a rich tradition of providing educated Christians to face the challenges of the world and to champion the name of Jesus around the globe. Strengthen and guide their efforts as they work to serve you and your kingdom.

And now, we pray together as Jesus taught us to pray:

Prayers of the Church, 1.3.10

Lord, God most High, we praise your name. History belongs to you, all that was and has ever been recorded. The future is your canvas. While we can only guess how it will look, you, Father, will determine the end result. Regardless, we know you judge the world with righteousness and judge your people with equity.

You bless us with many gifts, Lord: physical wealth and health, intelligence and talent, friends and family.

We don’t always recognize what you’ve given us. And, like so many other people on this earth, we cast our nets daily. Yet, often what we are casting our nets for are things that are pleasing to us, personally: fame, fortune, comfort, solitude…freedom from want and fear, freedom from the needs of the world.

As we move with trepidation and with hope for the new year, we contemplate the past while wrestling with thoughts of the future. We ask your presence as we reflect on our gifts and our responsibilities. Give us the wisdom and discernment regarding what to cast off and what to strengthen…what to walk away from and what we have that we can use for you.

We belong in your service. We belong in the service of the King.

Help us…give us the desire…to leave the comforts of our lives and follow you, to unstick ourselves and follow you…with abandon.

In the silence, Father, hear our voices raised in praise for your great gifts. Also hear our pleas for mercy, healing, and sustenance…for ourselves and those around us. Let our thoughts be pleasing to you.


Bless our enemies, Father. Often our impulse is to heap coals upon them. Help us, instead, to follow your example and bless them, too.

As we focus on your call to share the Good News with all people, we ask your blessings on Nathan, Erin, and Elsa McDade as they serve your Kingdom as Campus Ministers in Puebla, Mexico with GlobalScope. Bless their efforts with the college students in that community and guide them as they prepare and plan for our youth to join them this summer for a short term mission.

And now, Father, we pray together as Jesus, Savior of the Ages, taught us to pray: