Father, answer us when we speak to you. So often when we have been in the middle of difficulties you have brought us relief. Please be gracious to us again and hear our prayers. You have set us apart for yourself as your people and so we know that you do hear us when we call to you. We have sought to do what you have asked of us: we seek to love the truth and keep our tongues instead of lashing out in anger, and trust you instead of trusting what we can see. Though we often fail, we always desire to be like you. And you have been good to us. Let the light of your face shine on us. We have learned that your presence itself is joy. Fill us with more joy in our need than unbelievers have in their abundance. Give us the peace to be able to rest, knowing that you care for us.
We desire to see a great revival of the faith in the world, both in its intensity and in its spread. It is from your presence that the times of refreshing come. And so we ask you for this. Even so, we are your servants - your son’s body in the world. If what is needed in order to see many people turn to you is that some lack in ourselves to be supplied, then make it clear to us and supply our lack. All things come ultimately from you. Start as many steps back as is needful. Do the work that precedes the work that precedes the work of bringing great numbers of people to you. May your Spirit stir our zeal, prompt our prayers, inflame our love, and fill our mouths with truth that is both winsome and convicting. Do the work that we don’t know to ask for. Encourage us with reports of unexpected conversions.
Father, we know that our daily bread comes from you. But we are usually so consistently supplied with food that we feel our most acute needs elsewhere. Instead, time is where we feel our need. We have enough food for ourselves and those who depend on us. But by the time we give the time we owe to all the things we are responsible for, there is nothing left over, and we feel like we’re still owing instead of having time left over. We can feel as if life treats us like a machine that has no limits and never needs to rest. If we were to lack food we would be in a worse condition than we are now, but it is a simple problem. Our sense of lacking time is usually less acute, but it’s hard for us to understand. Help us. Free us from any guilt for what we cannot change. Free us from those misuses of our time for which we legitimately feel guilty. Don’t let the demands of others regulate our conscience. Instead let us be controlled only by what you have asked of us. Give us the great wisdom we need to figure out how to draw away from demands as our Lord did without being sinfully unfaithful to the responsibilities you have given us. Fill us with peace and joy and patience which comes from you and which you can give to us regardless of our situation.
Father, we know that the evil of humanity is such that we killed the author of life. Yet instead of suddenly ending humanity in anger, you raised him back to life and gave life to all those of us who believe in him. We thank you for your salvation and that, instead of killing us for our rebellion, you invited us to be your friends. In your great patience and kindness, you have delayed the destruction of the world to leave room for repentance.Please bless our service this morning. May those who speak do so with boldness. May those who make music do so from the depth of their spirit and with joy. May those who fellowship with one another be continually blessing you. May those who serve do so with the strength and patience that you supply.