Pastoral Prayer for Evening Service October 27, 2019, based on Psalm 65 and BCP 1979

  Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,

and to you shall vows be performed.

O you who hear prayer,

to you shall all flesh come.

When iniquities prevail against me,

you atone for our transgressions.

Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,

to dwell in your courts!

We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,

the holiness of your temple!

O Lord, it is hard to say that we will be satisfied with you, and with you alone, when there is so much suffering and loss going on around us. We think especially of those in California, facing power outages, losing homes, losing lives from the devastation of all these fires. We think of our friends at Ridge Presbyterian who lost their church and all their homes last year. Lord, bring real relief to these situations, and Lord, we do ask, restore their lives and encourage them during these hard times.

  By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,

O God of our salvation,

the hope of all the ends of the earth

and of the farthest seas;

the one who by his strength established the mountains,

being girded with might;

who stills the roaring of the seas,

the roaring of their waves,

the tumult of the peoples,

so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.

You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

We praise you for all the ways you are at work in our lives. We praise you for the good things you give us, the comforts you give us, the blessings you give us. We thank you most of all that you’ve given us the promise of heaven, eternal comfort as we rest with our king on and in the New Heavens and New Earth. Until that day, we do ask for your continued blessings, that we may use those very comforts and material blessings to bless others. Show us who we need to show hospitality to, welcome to, and bless with material things this week.

  You visit the earth and water it;

you greatly enrich it;

the river of God is full of water;

you provide their grain,

for so you have prepared it.

You water its furrows abundantly,

settling its ridges,

softening it with showers,

and blessing its growth.

You crown the year with your bounty;

your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.

The pastures of the wilderness overflow,

the hills gird themselves with joy,

the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,

the valleys deck themselves with grain,

they shout and sing together for joy. 

We pray that as we enjoy candy and parties this week, we would be ever mindful of those who don’t even have enough food to eat. Both in this country and all over the world, poverty and hunger afflict those made your image. Oh God, provide for the poor, the meek, the persecuted, the hungry, the cold, the homeless, this very night and this week. Give us safety this week, but more importantly, give us a chance to witness for your name in all that we do, telling the world how good you have been to us and sharing that goodness with others.

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for Sunday October 27, 2019 (Celebrating All Saint's Day) based on Ps 149, Isaiah 25:6-9, Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Matt 5:1-12, luke 6:20-36, John 11:32-44, eph 1:11-23, 1 John 3:1-3, Revelation 7:9-17, 21:1-6, and BCP2019

Praise the LORD!

Sing to the LORD a new song,

his praise in the assembly of the godly!

Lord, each and every day, it is a comfort to remember that you rule over all, and you are bringing all things to a good end. You promise that one day you will even swallow up DEATH forever, and wipe away tears from all faces, and it will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have wait for him, that he might save us.” And our waiting will indeed be rewarded. We will say, “This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” But until that day Lord, O, we lift up to you so many frustrations and so many places we long to see you act and bring comfort, restoration, justice, or just relief. [Pause]

Let Israel be glad in his Maker;

let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!

May your people be comforted each and every day that you are King, and that no beast, especially not Satan, has any victory over your people. Satan will not win, he is done, it is finished, and so we rejoice with all the saints now living and even those now in heaven with you over your victory you have won on the cross, and the victory you are yet to finally bring, but we know is coming! “the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.”

Let them praise his name with dancing,

making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!

For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;

he adorns the humble with salvation.

You have taught us that,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

  “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

  “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you, when they exclude you and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Let the godly exult in glory;

let them sing for joy on their beds.

Make us, Holy Spirit, the sort o people that love our enemies, and bless them. Holy Spirit, preserve the Church of God at all times, the saints would truly show the gospel to the world by how we live, make us a generous people, a loving people, a people that bless others rather than being interested only in ourselves, make us merciful even as you, Father, are merciful.

Let the high praises of God be in their throats

and two-edged swords in their hands,

to execute vengeance on the nations

and punishments on the peoples,

to bind their kings with chains

and their nobles with fetters of iron,

to execute on them the judgment written!

We know Lord, that those who do not rest in your, who don’t put their faith in Jesus, face real judgement, and you are good. And yet, we weep for those with no resurrection hope. We weep over those who face judgment without mercy. We weep for the world that does not know you. We weep over death and destruction, especially of those who are not your people. Draw many new sinners to become saints. Show them the power of the resurrection Lord, and as we, your people, would comfort them in weeping and the struggle, help us, Lord, to share the good news of hope, or resurrection, of redemption, of JESUS with these people we love. O Lord, draw the people of Edmond and Oklahoma City, draw our friends, that sinners would find their sins forgiven and enter the kingdom of God. Let souls dead in sin be raised, that they may know the power and hope of the physical and final resurrection still to come! We lift up you those now those for whom we long for their salvation. [Pause]

This is honor for all his godly ones.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.  In him we were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. O Come, soon Lord Jesus, that we may be eternally reunited with all the cloud of witnesses living in the new heavens and new earth forever, praising you name, Lamb of God, with people from every tribe and people and language, crying out your praises, “salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” For in that day there will be no more hunger or suffering, every tear will be wiped form every eye and death shall be no more. COME JESUS COME! We lift up to you no various sufferings that we ask you to bring to an end, either now, or in your own timing. [Pause]

We beg you, come Jesus come. But until then, we trust you, as so many have trusted you before us. We know you are and will be on the throne. Saying with all the hosts of heaven, Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.

Praise the LORD!

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer for October 20, 2019 from Psalm 10 and BCP1979

  Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Father, we come to you today with all sorts of problems surrounding us. There are circumstances that make us wonder where you are. Our hearts are looking for any sort of certainty we can find, and we ask that you would show yourself to those who are suffering and downtrodden today. Show yourself and comfort those afflicted with despair and burdens that they barely feel like they can handle. Lift up those who wonder when they next shoe is going to drop, and comfort the suffering today.

  In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;

let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.

For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,

and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.

In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;

all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

His ways prosper at all times;

your judgments are on high, out of his sight;

as for all his foes, he puffs at them.

He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;

throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”

His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;

under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.

He sits in ambush in the villages;

in hiding places he murders the innocent.

His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;

he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;

he lurks that he may seize the poor;

he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.

The helpless are crushed, sink down,

and fall by his might.

He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,

he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

We pray for our friends in Mexico and wherever drug cartels have power to reign terror over local peoples. El Chapo is in jail, and yet things are worse than every in some ways. O Lord, truly only you could bring the violence and horror to an end. It is beyond anything anyone can imagine, law enforcement has more than they can handle, no one knows what to do. Would you bring down the wicked, whether through the mighty hand of real conversion and repentance, for even these are no beyond your salvation, or if it be your will through a swift judgment. Please bring peace to all those suffering under their thumb.

  Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand;

forget not the afflicted.

Why does the wicked renounce God

and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?

But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,

that you may take it into your hands;

to you the helpless commits himself;

you have been the helper of the fatherless.

Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;

call his wickedness to account till you find none.

  The LORD is king forever and ever;

the nations perish from his land.

O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;

you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,

so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. 

We also pray this morning for those in Florida suffering after the tornadoes. Please let there be plenty of help for them, relief and community to come around them. You often use terrible things like this to work good in people’s souls, and while in a sense we hate it, we trust you to do what is right with the situations you’ve created.

Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(Psalm 10 and BCP1979)

Pastoral Prayer for 10/6/2019 based on Psalm 27, Isaiah 60, 1 Timothy 6:11-21–21, John 1:4–9, and BCP1979

The LORD is my light and my salvation;

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

Psa. 27:2    When evildoers assail me

to eat up my flesh,

my adversaries and foes,

it is they who stumble and fall.

Psa. 27:3    Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war arise against me,

yet I will be confident.

O God, there are many things around things around us that lead us to panic. We need you to steady us. We know that with you we will stand, that though many things rise against us, we can be confident with you. We lift up many worries to you now. (Silence)

We thank you Lord that we trust you in all these things.

One thing have I asked of the LORD,

that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to inquire in his temple.

Psa. 27:5    For he will hide me in his shelter

in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

he will lift me high upon a rock.

Psa. 27:6    And now my head shall be lifted up

above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

Psa. 27:7    Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;

be gracious to me and answer me!

8 You have said, “Seek my face.”

My heart says to you,

“Your face, LORD, do I seek.”

9 Hide not your face from me.

Turn not your servant away in anger,

O you who have been my help.

Cast me not off; forsake me not,

O God of my salvation!

Teach me your way, O LORD,

and lead me on a level path

Lord, shine your light on injustice in this world. We pray especially for those children and now adults that have bene abused by various sexual scandals in your church. What an abomination that clergy would use children, would use anyone, would abuse your image, in such an intimate way. O God, have mercy and bring justice.

Despite the evils that those in your church have done, lift up your Church, use your church, that your name may be made known to all. Draw many to worship the name of the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, because you, Lord, are beautiful, despite the terrible blemishes of your bride, the Church. Thank you, Lord, that our blessings do not depend so much on what we have done, but on who you are making us. Someday, by your grace, Your people shall all be righteous;

they shall possess the land forever,

the branch of YOUR planting, the work of YOUR hands,

that YOU might be glorified.

Help us, Holy Spirit, Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness, Fight the good fight of the faith, Taking hold of the eternal life to which you have called us, As for the rich in this present age, help them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Here in Edmond we live amongst the very wealthy. Jesus you have said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Show us how we can lead people to you, O Lord, for with God all things are possible. How can we reach Edmond? 

Also, bless the wealthy of this congregation and all wealthy Christians that they may always be more secure in Jesus than in their money, and that they be more rich in giving away and in good works than in their money or assets. For the good of their souls and love for them, we ask you to keep the wealthy always humble.

Lord you send many to bear witness about the light, you call evangelists and church planters and all of us to make Jesus known. Help them all bear witness to your light. We especially pray for hospice chaplains and prison chaplains and military chaplains as they share the gospel in hard places. Encouragement them when they wonder if anyone hears them. Grow church plants all over the world, that your Kingdom may grow. Here in Oklahoma grow New City Tulsa and the church planters Caleb Long and Montre Brooks, Hope Bartlesville and the planter Peter Johnson, Shawnee Pres and planter Matt Wiley, and the new church plant that Casey Shutt it about to start right here in Oklahoma City. Grow these churches and let us plant more. Help us, give us resources and planters to plant more and more churches throughout Oklahoma and the world.

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 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.