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I don’t know about you but I kind of bristle when asked what is my favorite Bible verse or passage.  Don’t get me wrong I do have them, but since it is all the Word of God I sometimes think, well the whole Bible should be my favorite.  It’s just some passages speak more loudly to me at times. 

There is a passage that tends to remind, encourage, and give me hope. It is a passage that makes me thankful, even joyful; it is a passage that shows me just how much I am loved.  The passage is Colossians 1:13-14:

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

This passage reminds me that I was/am in desperate need of rescue, it encourages me that I have been and will continue to be rescued, it give me the eternal hope that I have been brought; by the complete and finished work of Christ and not by any effort of mine, into the Kingdom of the Son he loves. It makes me thankful that in Christ I have been redeemed, it makes me joyful that my sins – past, present and future have been forgiven…and above all it shows me just how much I am loved…loved to the point of sharing that love with others!

Grace and Peace!

Psalm 9 Prayer

Father God, in Psalm 9 King David wrote:

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

Oh Father, as we find ourselves getting maybe just a little frustrated, sad, lonely, maybe even confused help us to recount your wonderful deeds...so many blessings. Father, In the words of John Prine, most of us experience “more blessings than one man can stand.” This day help us to remember that, to remember your great faithfulness, your amazing grace, your tender mercies new each day and help us remember your steadfast love for us. Help us remember deep in our hearts and with that as our foundation help us move forward with grateful hearts, that we might each morning sing praises to your name, O Most High.

We continue to pray for an end to this virus, we continue to lift up those leading, those on the front lines, those serving, and certainly those suffering and struggling. Father, we pray for your protection, your guidance, your encouragement, your healing, we pray for your very presence and we pray to know and experience your love through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ all by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We pray for our worship that it might be reflective and Spirit filled, that we might be glad and that we, in gratitude would exalt you and sing your praises. We pray for this thing called online worship, that this style of worship might move into new places, new homes and spark new relationships all while bringing fame to Jesus and glory to you. Oh Father, we pray for Pastors everywhere that you would give them strength, joy and that your spirit would be with each of them as they bring your precious Word.

Abba Father, we love you and pray all these thing in the most encouraging and wonderful and heroic name of Jesus Christ; Amen and Amen!!!

Easter 2020

Father God,

On this so, so very special and wonderful day, we humbly come before you and somehow it is a little different this year.  While so much is going on with nothing going on, this Easter seems a little more personal, a little more contemplative to me.  Maybe it is fewer distractions.  Father in John 19 we read:

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Almighty God, how emotional, how unsettling, yet also one of the most impactful, powerful, meaningful and amazing statements for us as children of God.  It means everything, it means as many theologians have said that there is nothing we can do to make you love us anymore than you do right now and that there is nothing we can do to make you love us any less. It means that because Jesus paid it all, our debt is paid forever and ever, it means our relationship with you as our Abba Father is eternally sealed. It means that despite the circumstances of this broken world we have the only living and eternal hope, the confidence that it will be so much better farther on!

So Father, it is with thankful hearts we come before you this Easter morning. It is with thanksgiving that we will worship this morning.  It is with hearts overflowing with love for you, who first loved us.

Oh Father, these are trying times, uncertain and never been through anything like this times, so Father, we do ask for you to help us press on because we know that Christ pressed on for us all the way to Mount Calvary.  As we are told in Philippians:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  

Father God, help us press on toward your upward call in Christ, help us trust you in the circumstances of this world as we press on.  We pray this morning that we might press on to better know you, that we might press on helping others, that we might press on even if pressing on means staying away for a time, that we might press on because Christ Jesus has made us his own.  Halleluiah many times over and thank you Lord Jesus.  

Father we do continue to pray for an end to this pandemic, we continue to lift up those on the front lines of this fight, for those serving by working, for those serving by distancing.  We pray for your strength, wisdom, and encouragement.

Father, we also continue to pray for all those impacted by these crazy days, praying for your provision, healing, comfort and hope!  Finally Father, we pray for your people everywhere this morning, praying for joyful, thankful and spirit-filled worship.  We pray for pastors everywhere, praying for the good news to be proclaimed and praying for your Spirit to be with them.

Father, we pray using Peter’s words saying blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for each of us.

Abba Father, we love you and pray these many things in the most loving and heroic and amazing, and beautiful name of our living Savior; Jesus Christ! Amen and Amen! He is risen indeed!