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.

Pastoral Prayer 9/29/2019 Morning Service based on Based on Psalm 92, Exodus 19:7-15, 1 Cor 14:1-25, Luke 1:46-56, BCP1928

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,

to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

and your faithfulness by night,

to music.

For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;

at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

  How great are your works, O LORD!

Your thoughts are very deep!

Father, we feel a lot of fears and wonder what you are doing in our world. We lift up to you many things going on in our world, we trust you to work them out, and  we ask you to bring what is best in them all, because we humbly confess that while we might think we know what is best, we just are not sure. We lift up to you Brexit and the British People and European politics; the Afghan elections—that you would keep them from corruption; and the current impeachment proceedings, asking that the truth be made known, whatever it might be.

The stupid man cannot know;

the fool cannot understand this:

that though the wicked sprout like grass

and all evildoers flourish,

they are doomed to destruction forever;

but you, O LORD, are on high forever.

Lord, there is so much wickedness around us: gangs in prisons using cell phones to coordinate fights, lawyers that use their position to abuse justice, and much more. We also confess wickedness in our own hearts, anger and hatred of others, even our brothers and sisters in Christ, our own manipulating to get our own way, and much more. O Lord, bring justice and, O God, bring mercy. Let there people delivered from their sin through Christ, but where that will not be, let justice reign, evildoers be caught, and those that oppose what is good to be punished.

For behold, your enemies, O LORD,

for behold, your enemies shall perish;

all evildoers shall be scattered.

My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;

my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.

  The righteous flourish like the palm tree

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

They are planted in the house of the LORD;

they flourish in the courts of our God.

They still bear fruit in old age;

they are ever full of sap and green,

to declare that the LORD is upright;

he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

We trust in you, Jesus our Rock and Redeemer, and we ask by your grace, Holy Spirit, that you would indeed make us upright in heart that we would live lives of blessing others, flourishing in righteousness and love. You have set your Church apart by calling us as your Holy People, so sanctify us that we would live lives of justice, mercy, peace, fearing the Lord, doing justice, and walking humbly with our God, especially here at Heritage and in Oklahoma City and Edmond.

AsHills and Plains Presbytery meets this week, we ask you to strengthen our ministers and elders and deacons. Keep us always true to your Word, preaching Your gospel, and living lives worthy of those called to the offices of your Church, that lives would be an example to all that see us and that we would wisely shepherd the sheep put into the care of the churches in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. Give the presbytery wisdom in business. May all of our churches be full of love, full of people that would preach and teach your word rightly, that your people may be built up.

Also, help all of us here today to speak to others of our faith in Christ, of salvation in Jesus in ways that wouldn’t be nonsense or insensitive, that wouldn’t be utterly foreign or weird, but Holy Spirit, truly give us words, reverse Babel, so when we would talk about the Bible and our Savior to other-than-Christian people around us they would hear, understand, and even believe. Give many people here the privilege of talking with others about Jesus and even getting to lead others to salvation in Jesus. We lift up to you now specific people we would like to see come to know Jesus Lord. (Silence)

Open up chances for us to talk with those people about our faith in Jesus this week or this month.

My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

And yet as we trust in you, we know that physical maladies, spiritual oppression, and biological malfunction can lead to immense emotional and psychological problems. We lift up to you especially those military men and women struggling with suicidal thoughts and ask that you deliver them from tragically killing themselves, we lift anyone we might know of struggling with suicidal thoughts up to you now. (Short Silence) We also lift up to you all those who are struggling with depression, anxiety, fear, and other spiritual and psychological problems, for we know that often our problems are truly far beyond our control, because of malfunctions of the body and mind, but this not beyond your reach. We lift those suffering up to you now. (Silence) Heal them, O Lord. Provide them the care they need, and minister to their minds, souls, and bodies.

KEEP, we ask you, O Lord, your Church with your

perpetual mercy; and, because the frailty of man without

you cannot but fall, keep us ever by your help from all

things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our

salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer from Heritage Evening Service 9/22/19

O Lord, we thank you that you have indeed spoken to us. Help us to obey your word in all that we would do. Holy Spirit, make it true of us and help us believe what the Psalmist says:

The law of the LORD is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple;

the precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the LORD is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the LORD is clean,

enduring forever;

the rules of the LORD are true,

and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

  Who can discern his errors?

Declare me innocent from hidden faults.

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;

let them not have dominion over me!

Then I shall be blameless,

and innocent of great transgression.

  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Lord, help us to obey you in all that we would do. We are tempted in so many ways to corruption, whether it’s temptation to love money and do wicked things in our business practices, whether it’s temptation to sexual sin like pornography or worse, whether it’s temptation to hate others and slander them because we don’t like something about someone, whether it’s temptation to put our hope anywhere but in Christ, there are so many temptations. Where we have given us, O Lord, have mercy on us and forgive us, we confess our sins to you now. (Silence)

As we go into the world this week, help us be free to be a servant of all we would come across. Help us even to have wisdom to know when and where and how to share the gospel with others, that we might see conversions or at least have winsome conversations about Jesus this week. Help us be a blessing to all that we may share the gospel with all. We lift up to you now those we would like to talk with about Jesus, and we ask you, Holy Spirit, to give them new birth in Christ. (Silence)

Make us wise as serpents, yet gentle as doves. Give us wisdom all week long. We thank you that we live in a country where there is no significant persecution of Christians at this time, and we ask that it may never be. But there are places where people still die in order to confess your name, Lord Jesus. Father, open up those countries where there is deadly persecution, soften hearts, move politics, create situations where Christians in those countries could freely follow you and confess you openly, without fear of death, and in the meantime, Holy Spirit, give our brothers and sisters in those oppressed countries wisdom, and even, yes, endurance to die for you. Spirit give them words to speak, and may the blood of the martyrs be the seed of the church.

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer 9.22.2019 Morning Service Based on Genesis 1, Psalm 34, Phil 1:18-30, John 15:1-17, BPC1928

(Genesis 1) Lord God, we come to you today amazed and thankful you have created all things. You have created us in your image, you have invited us in to be your friends, your children, in Jesus Christ. You have given us good work to do. We lift up to your our jobs and our vocations now. (Silence) We especially lift up to you those who teach, that you would enable them and provide for them and use them to prepare our next generation for serving you. We lift up those scientists that study your creation and understand you better, and we pray for you to guide them and show yourself to them.

We lift up all to you who are being treated as other than the image of You. Lord, have mercy, where there is still sex slavery, bring it to an end, where there are tyrannical overlords and dictators, bring them down.

(Psalm 34) And in all this we will bless you at all times, and your praise shall be continually on our mouths. “My soul makes its boast in the LORD, let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. We bring to you troubles today LORD: houses that have been ravaged by storms, cars that have died and left us financially unstable, unexpected surgeries and sicknesses, and so much more trouble, that we lift up to you now (silence). We know LORD, that your angels encamp around those who fear you and deliver us, oh LORD, deliver us. Let us taste and see that LORD is good! Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him!

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous

and his ears toward their cry.

The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Lord, there are an epidemic of meth cookers and meth dealers and heroin and all sorts of drugs ravaging our state and our nation. Oh Lord, deliver many from addiction. Bring many dealers to yourself, showing them mercy and forgiveness and bringing them to repentance. And where that will not be, let justice be done and bring a new cleanness to our state.

When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears

and delivers them out of all their troubles.

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted

and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Lord, there are homeless people who genuinely seek you, and wonder where you are. Lord have mercy. Give our society wisdom to know how to deal with homelessness, and give our church wisdom and resources to be a small part of caring for the “least of these.”

(Phil 1) Give us joy. May we honor you Lord in all we do, never ashamed to make the good news of Jesus known. Bring many in Edmond and Oklahoma City that are not in church, that are not in Christ, this morning, to places where they will seek you. Put something in their hearts that they would be looking for Christ, that they would come across Christians, and that our lives would be worthy of the gospel of Christ, and so use us to invite many to know Christ. Let us see salvations and let us see your church grow, and not only ours, but all gospel preaching church. We pray for the mega churches and their very public pastors: North Church, Life Church and Craig Groeshel, Christ Community Church, and other big churches around us, keep them faithful to the gospel and use those churches for your purpose to serve this world and make the gospel known. Protect those pastors from arrogance and pride and from falls.

Jesus, thank you that we are in you. May we abide in you. Holy Spirit, help us, that we may keep our Father’s commandments, because we love you. Especially because we have the greatest love and friendship of all, the friend that would die on the cross for us. Help us love as we have been loved, here at Heritage Presbyterian Church.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and love; and, that we may obtain that which you have promised, make us to love that which you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer for Heritage Presbyterian Church, September 15, 2019 (Based on Ps 1, Gen 15, Romans 8:18-30, Luke 10:18-20, BCP1928 Collect 13th Sunday after Trinity)

We come to you and thank you that this morning we have been able to consider your word, and we are happy that we get to hear it, because we know your law and your gospel are both gifts to us, they’re both good and they’re both good news. Holy Spirit help us to live in light of them both.

We thank you that by your mercy we who once were considered sinners and now considered the righteous. Would you bring many others sinner to come to know your love, just as you’ve done for us. Would you use us, or would you Holy Spirit let us, see many souls walk through these doors and the doors of other churches in Edmond and Oklahoma City, would you let us see many salvations, many baptisms of new believers. Would you grow Your Church, here at Heritage, at City Pres, at Christ the King Norman, and all the churches of many denominations around us.

Let many know the pleasures of being planted by your streams, watered and ministered to. And where there is wickedness, bring your mercy and your judgment, that your glory would be seen, that sinners would be forgiven, that justice would be done, that lives would be healed.

Lord, you have made promises to your people that you will redeem this world through the offspring of Abraham, your Church, by your grace. We thank you that even when we fail, you will not let your promises be undone! Wherever you will, please be at work in us preparing us for the work you have for us to do in our neighborhoods, use us to reach the places you call us: in our neighborhoods, which we lift up to you now: (pause), in our workplaces, which we lift up to you now: (pause).

We also bring to you our suffering and our groanings. We know that all of creation is groaning because of sin and brokenness. There is so much brokenness in our lives, broken relationships that we lift up to you now: (pause), sicknesses and other suffering that we lift up to you now (pause). Depressions, anxieties, uncertainties, and we ask you Holy Spirit to help us with all of these, which we lift up to you now (pause). We thank you that because of Jesus, who is the Christ, the Savior, the one who has done everything, that we can trust you to work even this stuff that we hate, that stinks, somehow for our good. We thank you that we can take comfort that you will bring all your people into glory and that all our suffering is only temporary. Oh come, soon, Jesus, end this soon, Jesus. We long for you.

In the meantime, ALMIGHTY and merciful God, it is only by your gift that there are any faithful people that do you true and commendable service; Grant, we beg you, that we may

so faithfully serve you in this life, that we will not finally fail to attain your heavenly promises; and even this is only through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, who on the first day of the week overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Amen.

(Based on Ps 1, Gen 15, Romans 8:18-30, Luke 10:18-20, BCP1928 Collect 13th Sunday after Trinity)

A Prayer for the Holy Spirit's work in our Preaching

Holy Spirit, so kindle my soul with your gifts that I would ever decrease, but Jesus would increase. May my preaching always bring me low, but lift Jesus up, and by your grace and mercy, would you draw many to a true conversion. I may make a general call to sinners to come know the love of Jesus, but Holy Spirit if you don’t work, nothing will happen. Give my hearers ears to hear, minds to understand, and hearts to believe. Holy Spirit would YOU convince and convert people to Christ, please! Always keep my words true to God’s Word, build up Jesus’s Church for the glory of God. Work in my heart to be always satisfied with glorifying you, with your salvation and reward, and that may heart never look to the world for find its ultimate affirmation. (Forgive me all the ways I look to the world to affirm me, and seek my justification in places other than in Christ.) Holy Spirit, guard my lips, but also use them to glorify Jesus. I ask in Jesus’s name. Amen.

A Prayer for our churches and our cities, communities, and neighborhoods for 7th Sunday after Pentecost 2019; based on Psalm 138, Psalm 85, Genesis 18:20-33, Hosea 1:2-10, Col 2:6-19, and Luke 11:1-13 and the Collect and Preface for this Sunday from the BCP (Ordinary Time, Year C, Proper 12)

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.