Father,
You make us happy by the things that we see you do. Though we are in a city in the middle of winter, every day you surround us with the created wonders. And you show us your great work in constant rescues and lavish provision in our communal life. It is fitting that we should praise you for all these things. It increases our delight because we were made to marvel at you. When you founded the world, you composed the songs for the birds once and now for thousands of years they have filled the earth with your music. But you made us like yourself and gave us language and understanding. And so we have learned to play instruments and to sing songs that we may give some vent to the joy of our hearts because of what Your hands have done. Your people have meditated on your love and faithfulness and filled the earth with new songs.
So many people are blind and senseless and foolish and have not sung praise for the greatness of your works or contemplated and given thanks for the depth of your thoughts. They do not understand that the success of evil is an illusion and that those who desire life must find it in your son.
We desire to see people come to know you. Please remember our petitions for our friends and family and neighbors that we make week by week. But we also ask that you would save great numbers of people so that neighborhoods and communities and cities would be transformed because they are so full of your people. When you save one person, we see it as a miracle. When we look at the world we live in, large scale conversions seem impossible. So few are interested in feeling their way toward you. Everyone seems too consumed with just getting by or too deeply committed to modern ideologies offered by institutions and the internet, or they’re too materialistic, or too damaged by past experiences, or too cynical. And yet we know that there are times when you pour out your Spirit and thousands repent. Give us the joy of seeing those times.
We know and love your glorious gospel. We can plant and water. But until your Spirit lifts the veil that lies over the minds of people, there is no harvest. I want to pray especially for those of us who are like me and are not especially gifted at evangelism. Bring us obvious situations where we can engage people, like Philip, who met a man reading aloud from the scriptures in his chariot. Send people to us who ask us about our hope.
You said in the scriptures that as Jesus laid down his life for us, we ought to lay down our lives for one another. This week I have learned about more ways that the brothers and sisters of this church are giving sacrificially of their time and comforts with joy and out of a sincere love. I want to give you thanks for this because when we, who are His body, begin to look like him, we know that it honors you and it brings great joy to us. Help us to be quick to give thanks to you for the good that we see in our brothers and sisters and also quick to speak to them. Use our good work of encouragement to further stir up the good work of others. And let our acknowledgement of their good work stir us up to more zeal in the work that you have given to us. Keep us from the sin of Cain, who was angry with his brother who pleased you. Rather give us humility to let our brothers and sisters teach us through their good works how we might live more in accordance with your will.
We give you thanks this morning especially for Jesus, through whose blood we have been bought back from our previous enslavement to sin, and have been forgiven. You have lavished your grace on us and revealed to us your glorious plan to unite all things in heaven and earth in your son.
Please bless this service. As the scriptures are read and exposited, may we respond with eagerness. As we sing, may we be filled with sincere joy because of our God. As we fellowship, may our words to one another be wise and encouraging and honoring to you.