Lord, our Lord, we at our churches are but dust and ashes, and yet by your grace you let us be your people. We have strayed after other gods and made our lives about anything and everything but you, and yet by your grace you receive us, you call us in as our faithful husband. We act like whores, and you are faithful to us anyways. We neglect you, and you continue to be our loving Father, never giving us anything bad, but only giving us what we ask for, or something far, far better! We give you thanks O LORD, with our whole hearts, before you and before our cities, communities, and neighborhoods we sing your praise, bowing down to you, giving thanks to you for your steadfast love and faithfulness! Lord, you have been so good to our churches and to our cities, communities, and neighborhoods, and we simply ask that you restore us, let your salvation be near to us. We ask you to have mercy, bring justice, and let there be your continuing mercies on a sinful people like us.
We are so happy that you call out to us in love, and say to people undeserving of mercy, “My People, Mercy, Children of the Living God!” O, Abba, Father, we rest in you and in your love!
Please keep us by the power of your Holy Spirit that no one would take us captive by philosophies or empty deceit, but that we would always look to Jesus Christ, remembering that we at our churches have been circumcised by the circumcision made without hands by putting off the flesh by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, which you also raised him and raise us up by your powerful working, above all counting us dead to our trespasses and sins, having forgiven us by canceling the record of debt which stood against us with it’s legal demands, and you make us alive in Christ! May our cities, communities, and neighborhoods see this and be called to you: in awe of you and of the work you would do in our churches. Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation. And may all this bring glory to your name, bring the people of our cities, communities, and neighborhoods to Christ, and bring us in our churches into the kingdom of God, which is yours forever and ever.
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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