God, Our Source of Hope: O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey Thy commandments, and also that by Thee we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. --From The Book of Worship*

Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord; and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee. -- St. Augustine

 

Click on the citations and link to the Scripture text on the web.

Each day read: Psalm 16

(Click on the day for the daily prayer outline.)

Mon: 4,6 –  Ps 44:1-8 | Tues: 5,6 – Is 41:1-10 | Wed: 1,6 – Heb 10:19-25

Thurs: 2,6 – Rev. 21:1-8 |  Fri; 3,6 –  1 Cor 1:9 |  Sat: 4,6 – Heb 6:13-20

For the full weekly outline click here.

 

Reflecting with the Saints

            When we say that God is holy, we are not naming an attribute among many others such as love and mercy and wisdom and power.  We are attempting to designate something that applies to all His attributes, something that gives them an awesome dimension.  We are saying that He is the changeless One.  His love never fluctuates; His mercy is inexhaustible; His wisdom cherishes all that is truly good; His power can always be trusted to act redemptively.  The supreme wonder and unrivaled glory is that He is all that He is, unchangeably.

            “In Him is no variableness”, is the New Testament assurance.

            So we need not speculate what will be His response whenever we turn to Him, whether it be from an hour of victory or from a night of defeat; from an act of which we are proud, or from one of which we are heartily ashamed.  Our heads may be held high or bent very low.  We may come jubilantly to thank Him for what He has done or to barely utter a faint cry for help.  It matters not who we are or where we are, a holy God is a God in whom there is nothing to adulterate or diminish or alter the transcendent qualities which our weakness or our sinfulness need.  He is always God.  Nothing is ever missing from Him if He is to be what all mankind must have to make and keep it truly human on the way to its fulfillment in Him.  Sometimes the best of us have days when our dearest friend must say, "you are not yourself today".  That fact gives them a hard time and sends them away deprived of what they should have from us. BUT GOD IS ALWAYS GOD.  

                        --From The Captivating Presence by Albert Edward Day*

Make a Prayer Request

"Prayer is not the mystical experience of a few special people, but an aggressive act. . . an act that may be performed by anyone who will accept the challenge to learn to pray."--Jack Hayford

Pray for the Prayer Partners.  Prayer is difficult work and not to be taken lightly. James writes "The prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  Paul encourages us to pray, to give thanks always and to do so without ceasing.  Jesus tells His disciples and us to be persistent in our prayer.  I praise God for your ministry of prayer in the body of Christ.

When you pray, pray for spiritual issues and for physical issues.  Pray for salvation, for healing, for encouragement.  Pray for all the saints of God around the world and for their protection on this side of glory.  These are all issues for which we intercede in the lives of friends, relatives and people who are part of our global community. 

      However, both salvation and the strengthening of faith is first and foremost in our conversation with Jesus. Pray for boldness in your own witness for Christ and in the witness of the church to the world.  

      St. Augustine said, "If I weep for the body from which the soul is departed, should I not weep for the soul from which God is departed?"    Ask our wonderful Lord, who loves all and who has died for all, to remove barriers in the lives of people that they would come to faith or be strengthened in their faith.  Pray for an everlasting relationship with Jesus by grace through faith.

Pray for the mission of the Church that 20 Word and Sacrament congregations may be established each year for the next 10 years in Texas and many more around the world.  (Texas Ablaze has set 200 such congregations be established by 2017.)

      For Karen:  Please pray for strength and patience for Karen and family because her cancer has returned.

She has been given oral chemo for a month and her markers have gone down from 17 to 11.  No surgery

has been prescribed at this time but she will remain on IV chemo.

      We pray for God's richest blessings and safe travel for Pastor Steven Misch as he continues serving the Lord in his new work as Mission and Ministry Facilitator for Area A of the Texas District, LC-MS and for Lynn Misch in her Teaching Ministry with the Amarillo Independent School District.  William E. Gebhardt

      For Rev. Dr. Henry & Tina Baum - safe travel as they prepare to lead a group of bicyclists from Ohio to Washington, D.C.

      For Debbie Mobley, a former member of Trinity, who has leukemia.  She will be at St. Luke's in Houston for a month taking chemo. 

      For John Mobley and their three daughters and their families as they wait for the outcome of Debbie’s intensive therapy.

      For Good Shepherd, Borger, as they begin the transition to a new pastor.

      For Trinity, Borger, as they begin ministry with the search for a new vacancy pastor.

      For Don Michael McCullough who is being treated for leukemia at M.D. Anderson in Houston, TX.

      For Dennis Doer as he is looking for new employment opportunities, wisdom and patience in selecting.

      For Nathan and Kimmie, Ryan and Lauren and David and Liz as they each begin their life together.

      For Ruth Widener mother of Diane Scroggins.

      For Mj Wurdeman who is undergoing radiation therapy for cancer.

      For Clint Scroggins as he adjusts to a new home.

For Kim Abrahamson and her husband Brent.

For Chad.

For Michael, grandchild of Lora Schrock, and her family. 

For congregations to intentionally communicate the unconditional love of Christ in which they live and love and have their being.

Pray for the churches in your locale and for the spiritual leadership that the distinction between law and gospel be understood, apprehended and communicated. This is a difficult task, ongoing, and never ending in time and space.

Special intercession: 

Pray for strength in your congregation, for clarity of vision and mission, openness to various strategies, faith in God’s promise to work through the Word and sacraments and courage for members to share the Gospel with those who do not know it.  In addition, pray for wisdom and the clarity for leadership and congregations as they minister within their local community.  (Add names of the people you know who are ill, hurting, afraid, in need of divine encouragement, for whom you give thanks . . .)

Prayer Partner, at this point please include your own personal petitions.

Additional prayers may include:

Personal Revival: To build people and families in the Word in the local area in which you live;

Weekly Tithes and Offerings : To build families and resources;

The Mission of the congregation where you are fed with the Word of God;

Local Church Leaders: that they lead with integrity and a passion to communicate the Word of God;

Local Outreach: that the people who will receive the Gospel in the local context will come;

District/Synod: That local churches be focused on the mission of maturing in Christ and seeking the lost;

Congregational leadership Development: To follow the call and serve according to giftedness.

Benediction:  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Cor. 13:14).*

 Email a Prayer Request | To be removed from this mailing click here and send.