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Father God, we need You. It will do us no good to inquire of foreign gods. We need spiritual wisdom that can only come from You. You are the one God in heaven who rules over life and death. You have created all things, and You sustain everything by the Word of Your power. You are a consuming fire. We must worship You alone. Please have mercy on us, that we might live. Give us hope in the day of illness and trouble. Forgive our sins, draw us near to You in Christ, and turn us away from all idolatry. Sovereign Lord, take us up to heaven at just the right time. Grant to us wise hearts that will not cling to things here below. Thank You for our eternal hope, secured for us in the life and death of Your Son. We mourn the loss of those who depart, men of insight, full of Your Spirit. Yet You are the one who makes a man to be a strong servant for You. In the day that an Elijah goes to a better home, You are able to raise up an Elisha for the good of Your church. Grant us faithful servants, men of God who will truly speak Your Word. Grant us hearts that look to our great prophet Jesus Christ. May we always look to Him and live. Give us new hope and the fresh water of Your presence. Heal Your church. Supply great resources of heavenly wisdom for those who are young, that they might humbly turn to You and live. Glorious God, You work out Your holy will according to Your plan. You rule over the affairs of men and nations. You see Your church in our weak condition, and provide for us servants who will speak Your Word in truth. Help us to turn away from false spiritual paths. Grant us the blessing of Your presence. Be a stream of living water to Your people, for we thirst for You, the true God. We hate our sin. Please forgive us. We need You. The battle before us is fierce. Idolatrous men perform extreme acts of devotion to things that are not gods. Will Your people not live in accord with Your true commandments? Will we not offer up our lives to You? Merciful Lord, many of Your servants are in the most desperate condition. We are poor, sick, alone, and fearful. Grant us faith. We can do all things through Your Son who strengthens us. You will surely provide for Your church in the day of trouble. You grant wonderful gifts to us. It is by Your power that life is given, and it is by Your power that life is taken away. Will there be help for us in a day of the saddest loss? Please remind us of the fact of resurrection. In this world, all is not well. Your people are in bitter distress. Come to us in this horrible moment, that we might believe. We long for that day when each one that You have given to us will live again. Surely such good gifts as we have received for a time have been given to us for some wonderful purpose. Surely there is hope with you. You will glorify Your Name. We trust You, O God. Have mercy upon us. Give food to the hungry this day, O Lord. Grant us Your Son, the great Bread of heaven, that we might live, though we grieve. Father God, Your plans of mercy have gone far beyond the borders of Israel. Your people, scattered throughout the earth, cannot help but testify to the glory of Your Name. Those who do not know Your grace and power can only fear men, but we have come to know You. There is a great prophet in the heavenly Jerusalem. By His Word the leper was healed. We have hope in Him. You have washed us in the fresh water of the Holy Spirit. You have sprinkled us with the blood of Christ. We are clean. One day we shall be whole. Until that day, help us to worship You in Spirit and in truth. You see our secret deeds of fleshly greed. You know even the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. We bring such trouble upon ourselves because of our rebellion against You. Forgive us, Father. May our hope of eternal life be strong because of the perfect righteousness of Your Son. Lord God, Your servants have followed You for generations. You have provided for their needs. Requests that may seem trivial to us are not beyond Your concern. We worry that we are troubling You with petitions that are too unimportant. Correct our foolish thinking. You are not limited as we are. Your attention to a small matter does not distract You from more important concerns. You command us to cast our cares upon You. We will obey You, O Lord. Help us to see something of Your power in the daily events of our lives. Help us also to bring our largest petitions to You. It seems too big a thing for us to be delivered from overwhelming trouble. Bring our restless spirits to Your holy place, that we might rejoice in Your presence. Relieve us of sinful and fruitless plans, and bring us safely home. Will You feed the hungry when it seems that there is no hope of food? What kind of unspeakable wickedness would we be part of in the day of our distress? We will wait for You, O Lord. We believe that You hear our prayers. Our Father, You have helped us with the very biggest problems that we could ever have. You use the weak and the poor to show Your great strength. You send away the threatening foe, and leave behind a feast for Your people. We have learned where the greatest riches are. Help us to go to all who will hear, and to tell them about the blessings that we have in Jesus Christ. This is a day of good news. Grant to us the charity to speak. Send forth Your messengers for this great purpose. The news that we bring is of the very best blessing. You have sent forth Your goodness to us, like an open window from heaven. We receive You with joy. Almighty God, there have been many times and places where people have faced great troubles. Nonetheless, You have the ability to bring life to those who have died. There is nothing too difficult for You. Your sovereign power is not limited to the church. You even give good gifts to many people who do not call upon Your Name. There is much brutality in this world, and forceful men oppress the weak. Above all earthly powers, You are God. Your promises are forever. You have granted that a great descendant of David will reign eternally. He is surely the Head of the church. He also rules over all nations. We do not see kings submitting to Him today, yet every knee shall bow to Him in the day of His power. We long for the gift of a new creation. We long for the day when oppressive rulers have been put far away, when we will see the Lord Jesus ruling over all. Lord God Almighty, You rule over all nations and all people. Surely Your Son is especially the King and Head of Your church. That assembly is comprised not only of the descendants of Jacob. People of many nations have been anointed with Your Spirit. You have granted us life, in the midst of a world that is full of death. We have a hope that is far better than anything the world can offer us. We have heard the sure Word of the life to come, and we believe. We will not run to news of false religion that is neither good nor true. There is a day of reckoning for all evil. Will not the cross of Christ be enough for us on that day? Are we dissatisfied with that full atonement, so that we continue searching for what is obviously wrong? May the Jezebel impulse of sin and false prophesy be removed far from Your church. May we learn to flee from immorality and lies. The way of evil is an ugly road in the end. It leads only to destruction. Keep us in the Day of Judgment because of what Christ has done for us. We will soon be with You in the land of the living, rescued out of this sea of evil and death. Merciful Lord, You have granted to us the great gift of families. Each of us had a father and mother by birth, though we may have not known them. Many have been granted brothers and sisters. Some have enjoyed the privilege of being husbands and wives. Some have been blessed to be parents for a season. As great as these gifts are, they are far surpassed by the blessing of our family relations within the household of faith. Though we may lose our loved ones in our birth families through the treachery of men and Your own sovereign purposes, nothing can separate us from our new family relationships within the body of Christ. In that household of faith, no one will worship false gods. Nothing that offends will be in that holy place. Thank You for Your eternal plan, O God. Use whatever means You see fit to bring about all of Your holy will. One day the places of false worship that litter the earth and defile even Your church will be utterly consumed by Your wrath. Your Kingdom of light will shine forever and ever, and we shall dwell securely in Your city with joy. Father God, there is such brutality in evidence throughout this world of sin, and even in Your church there is much evil. Yet You have the power to hide Your servants in the place of safety until the day of their appointed service comes. Even Your Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life at the time of Your choice, and not according to the plans of wicked men who would have thrown Him from a cliff or stoned Him. At just the right time Jesus died on the cross, and at just the right time this perfect Son of David was anointed King through His resurrection. This was a most surprising development in the eyes of Your enemies, but it was well known to Him and to You. We trust You with our lives. We turn away from all false worship and heresy, and commit our hearts to You. Purify Your kingdom, and grant to us a season of peace as we seek Your glory and pursue Your righteousness. Lord God, You grant us lives to be lived for Your glory. We have opportunities for faithfulness that You give to us. You also grant us resources of money and time for the use of Your kingdom. Will we use these things for ourselves, and miss the opportunity to serve You sacrificially? Help us to love Your house out of our deep regard for You. Give us others with whom we may serve. Build up Your kingdom for Your own glory. Protect us from vicious men who have no intention of truly serving You. Great Lord, trouble has come upon Your people. Evil leaders turn them over to the hand of their enemies. These foes would lead us into false worship. We seem to have no strength left in us. We want to come back to the way of faithfulness, but we do not remember the path of righteousness any more. We fill our hearts with foolish things, and lose sense of the great battle before us. Grant to us a fresh sense of the victory that we have through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Look upon us in our weariness and grant us new strength by the power of Your Spirit. You have not forgotten Your promises to our forefathers in the faith. Help us to remember You, that we might obey Your precepts. Our Father, our lives are short. How will we use the strength that You have given to us? Will we serve our own immediate needs, or will we be engaged in the battle that is ours this day? Will we be so captivated by the wonders of this world that we forget the blessing of the world to come? The day comes when even the best men die. We need something more than money, possessions, and power. All these thing swiftly flee far away from us. We need eternal life. Watch over us as we serve You in strange places where Your Name is not held in high regard. Keep us from doing what is evil in Your sight, and make us faithful to the light that we have already received. There must be some victory for Your Name beyond that which can be won with the weapons of this world. Lead us in righteousness, O Lord. Glorious Lord, what can Your people do in a time of great instability and trouble? Some face challenges of health that are very difficult to bear. Others face sins that so easily ensnare them, and they are useless as leaders among those they must help. Many face the attacks of evil men, who conspire against them. Still others have their families destroyed by wicked adversaries. There is trouble within us because of our sin, and there is trouble outside us because of our enemies. Where will we find the strength to remember Your Law and obey it? Your Son was born in an evil generation. He faced a grave challenge from the devil. Leaders stood against Him, and rulers of the Gentiles were willing to see Him suffer. Yet He secured our eternal hope. Thank You that we can rest in Him, though we are facing trouble from every direction. Our Father, when we think that we cannot bear any more trouble, there may still be more testing before us. How will we survive? People that should be serving You may utterly give themselves over to idolatry and murder. How can we keep on going? Give Your servants new strength by Your Spirit. You supply us with resources of divine aid when it would appear that all is lost. Why should our leaders fall in love with the worship of false gods? There is no sense in this sin. Help us to feel again the true movements of Your Holy Spirit in the faithful ministry of Your Word. Give us a renewed respect for Your worship. Grant us a great repentance, and make even the sons of our most deceived enemies turn away from the foolish wickedness of their fathers. Sovereign Lord, how can Your people survive under wicked leaders? Our sin is all around us, and we face enemies that are too powerful for us. O God, we admit to You our fascination with the idolatries of this world. Like Your people of old, we have secretly served false gods. You have warned us through those who spoke Your Word. We despised the message of the truth and Your holy commandments. We have moved in directions that have been horribly unprofitable. What trouble we have brought upon our lives! Please forgive us, help us, and rescue us from evil. We thank You for our strong Deliverer, Jesus Christ. He is able to help us. He is powerful and holy. He made a promise to be with us, and to help us and our children. Please teach us how to live in a world full of false religious philosophies and immorality. We do not know how to do this. We need You to help us today and always. We need to remember how to fear You and to follow You. Deliver us out of the hand of our enemies. Teach us to be dedicated to You with all that we are and all that we have. Father God, You are able to bring good news to Your people at just the right times. You also know the right discipline to give to Your children. We thank You for the relief that You grant by giving us leaders who will listen to You and obey Your commandments. Even the best of these will yet have weakness and sin. Enemies of great power and skill may come and speak to us words of hate and faithlessness. Teach us to trust in You, O Lord our God. Help us not to fall into dangerous lies and traps. The world around us is full of trouble, but You are far more powerful than any foe. We will listen to You. Thank You for Your Son. His holiness and power are so far above even the best rulers. He will fight for us in our day of desperate need. O God, we have been humbled by our troubles. We were so proud of ourselves until a day of distress came to us. You must help us, or we will not be able to survive. You can send powers and principalities fleeing, despite all of their proud boasts. Grant us courage today. Fill us with a spirit of heartfelt prayer. Hear us when we cry out to You. You hear and see those who mock You. Save us from the hands of enemies that are too strong for us. You hear our prayers, and grant us the gift of hope. We will stand with You. You are able to humble the proudest foe. The years of our most powerful adversaries will come to an end. Your plans are from of old, and You will do all Your holy will. We will be amazed by Your wonderful deliverance. Surely You are God, and we are Your people. The end of the story will be different than the sorrow of the present moment. Our Father, our lives are in Your hands. When we face our mortality, we cry out to You. You grant us life according to Your good pleasure. We thank You that our King Jesus reigns forever. The resurrection of our Messiah is the greatest sign to us of the truth of Your promises. On the day of blessing, help us to remain in watchfulness. Teach us to remember the humbling providences that we have suffered in the past, and to resist the danger of foolish pride. O God, how can it be that a child will not follow in the way of a godly father? Does one generation tear down the idols of wickedness, only for the next generation to build up the same abominations again? How can those who are called by Your Name be so foolish and hard-hearted? O Lord, bring us the blessings of the new age even today. Innocent blood is shed all around us in every age, but some times are worse than others. Grant us relief. How many years of sadness can we survive? You will surely hear us and help us. We long for the day of victory when all of our disappointments and sins will be utterly swept away. We thank You, O Lord, for a surprisingly wonderful day of relief. We thank You for righteous children that come from homes that seemed to be committed to idolatry and sin. Grant that Your church will rediscover Your Word even in our day. Grant that we will be grieved concerning our rebellion against You. Help us to have a godly response to the troubles that we face. Have mercy on us. You know that Your church has so often forsaken You. If You were not true to Your great promises, we surely would have been destroyed long ago. Lord God, we need You. We have been made sick by our sin. We want to walk in Your ways again. Cleanse Your temple. Remove those leaders who will not turn away from idolatry and wickedness. Bring a powerful repentance to many. Do Your work in the midst of this evil age and show us hope for a new life. We need the courage of Your Son among us again. Send forth Your messengers to call Your people to worship again in truth. Is there some horrible unseen adversary who is against us? Surely You know what You are doing, even governing all things for Your glory. Teach us to turn to You in a fuller imitation of Your Son. Do not utterly abandon us, O God. Give us hope for the future, even on the day when the most godly leaders are suddenly destroyed. Have mercy on us, O God. We know that we should trust You today. We will obey You, even though many give themselves over to sin. God in heaven, what can we do when good gifts are taken away from us? The godly way of a father may only be a memory. Sons and grandsons have lost all sense of Your truth. They are taken captive by enemies that are too strong for them. How will we find hope again? Surely You will send Your Son for us. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Father, we love You and cling to You. We have no one left but You. Our pride and our joy have been taken away. Yet through it all, You are God. We will trust You. You have the words of life. The cross is still the only atoning sacrifice for sin. The resurrection is still our only hope. Our words flee from us. What can we say in the depths of our grief? Where is Your glory, O God? Will we provoke You to wrath even now? How can there be more wrath when our sins have been atoned for? Surely our hope in Christ is still secure, and we will eat at Your table in glory forever. |