Pastoral Prayer for Sunday May 31, 2020 (Pentecost Sunday) from BCP2019, Acts 2:1-21, Genesis 11:1-9, Numbers 11:24-30; Psalm 104; 1 Corinthians 12:3-13; John 14:8-17, John 20:19-23, John 7:37-39

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

O LORD my God, you are very great!

You are clothed with splendor and majesty,

covering yourself with light as with a garment,

stretching out the heavens like a tent.

Almighty God, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, you revealed the way of eternal life to every race and nation: Pour out this gift anew, that by the preaching of the Gospel your salvation may reach to the ends of the earth;

But on this Pentecost Sunday, the division between race and nation is very visible, especially here in the United States. Please have mercy and let justice roll down like roaring waters. May cool heads prevail and may there be real movement to address systemic racism and social breakdown. Father, once upon a time at Babel you divided the people as a judgment upon them for trying to be God, and since that day you have been reuniting and reconciling the one human race. Would you do so today. May Your Spirit rain peace upon our country where right now outrage is sparking violent action, and would you, by your hand, protect people as they decide how best to respond, keep people safe today as the protests continue in Oklahoma City and in our nation: especially we pray for Moose and other police officers and national guard that seek only to protect and serve (…), give them wisdom and safety; and we pray for our black friends Dominique, Clifford, Jasper, and more (…) and especially we pray for Christian ministers who are black; here in Oklahoma City: Ernest, Michael, Derrick; and in our denomination: Mike Higgins, Thurman Williams, Wy Plummer, Carl Ellis, and many more; all these who feel the constant weight of being Christians who want to see reconciliation, but who know the constant fear that comes simply because they are black, even though they are those who seek to live righteous lives. Preserve them. Use their actions, and ours, to bring change. 

Bring down those who would use this as an opportunity for wickedness, vandalism, violence, and manipulation. As you brought people from many languages and ethnicities to become One People in Christ 2000 years ago upon the day of Pentecost, would you do so today, uniting people of all ethnicities, bringing justice where there is injustice, balance where there is imbalance, and peace to our nation.

But in all of this, we have a particular prayer for your Kingdom, that you would bring people to know Jesus Christ, for that is what brings true and ultimate reconciliation with you and with others. I continue to ask you for 12 baptisms of new believers and 10 new families this year at Heritage; but most of all I ask that in our City, nation, and world your name would be made known, lifted up, believed in, and you would draw many to faith. We lift up to you some of those we would like to see you save now. (…) Holy Spirit, come upon them as you’ve come upon us. And Lord Jesus, come soon!

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;

may the LORD rejoice in his works,

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

for I rejoice in the LORD.

Let sinners be consumed from the earth,

and let the wicked be no more!

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Praise the LORD! Amen.

Pastoral Prayer for 2020.4.26 Based on Psalm 116 and ACNA BCP 2019

Father, may our hearts say

“I love the LORD, because he has heard

my voice and my pleas for mercy.

Because he inclined his ear to me,

therefore I will call on him as long as I live.”

But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Passover Lamb, who was offered for us, and has taken away the sin of the world; who by his death has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again has won for us everlasting life.

But many of us today feel like we’re still in the middle of darkness, we say,

  “The snares of death encompassed me;

the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;

I suffered distress and anguish.”

There are people suffering from this quarantine, spiraling into depression, loneliness, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, child abuse, spousal abuse. Lord, have mercy and deliver people from these vices. We lift some of these and ourselves up to you now, […] Holy Spirit, draw their hearts to call upon Jesus, that they would say,

“Then I called on the name of the LORD:

“O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”

  Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;

our God is merciful.”

As we start to consider opening up our countries, states, and cities again, give wisdom to those who lead, the Wold Health Organization, the CDC, Presidents, Governors, Mayors, and all officials, to make wise decisions regarding what are the right steps to keep people as healthy as possible, but also to care for the financial well being of their places. We especially pray for President Donald Trump, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Governor Kevin Stitt, Mayor David Holt, and others […]

The LORD preserves the simple;

when I was brought low, he saved me.

Return, O my soul, to your rest;

for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

  For you have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling;

I will walk before the LORD

in the land of the living.

  I believed, even when I spoke:

“I am greatly afflicted”;

I said in my alarm,

“All mankind are liars.”

  What shall I render to the LORD

for all his benefits to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation

and call on the name of the LORD,

I will pay my vows to the LORD

in the presence of all his people.

Father, there are many today that we would like to see pray this prayer, to put their faith in you and find salvation. I pray for my friend Nigel, for family members, and for my dear neighbors in my own neighborhood whom I care about. We lift up to you those we want you to draw to salvation. […] O God, let us see 12 believer’s baptisms before this year is out. May many churches see the growth of the Kingdom brought about because of your hand on this pandemic. We trust you.

O LORD, I am your servant;

I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.

You have loosed my bonds.

I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving

and call on the name of the LORD.

Praise the LORD! 

Almighty God, you gave your only Son to be for us both a sacrifice for sin and an example of godly living: Give us grace thankfully to receive his inestimable benefits, and daily to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Pastoral Prayer for 2020.3.29 Based on Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!

O Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

You bid your faithful people cleanse their hearts, and prepare with joy for the Paschal feast; that, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed by your Word and Sacraments, they may come to the fullness of grace which you have prepared for those who love you.

If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness,

that you may be feared.

  I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord

more than watchmen for the morning,

more than watchmen for the morning.

Because we can trust you, O Lord, we lift up to you in this time of distress: Those that are ill; Front line workers; Those without work and wondering how they will make it; Kids in abusive or neglectful homes, likely made worse by the stress of our current situation; Our government and those in positions to make hard decisions; Our pastors and churches; Those with family members that are sick or dying but who cannot be with them because of the virus; Those who are postponing things like funerals indefinitely; People missing out on important life events like weddings, graduations, births, and other big life events, (I think of my friend Catherine, who is valedictorian, yet will never get to walk or give a valedictorian speech); we pray for First responders and our superb medical professionals; we ask for your Holy Spirit to work in us Faith over fear; we also seek to humble ourselves under this time of pandemic, and see those around us asking big questions, and for your grace to rightly present the gospel in new ways that speaks to their hearts and minds, that we would have wisdom in the ways we would communicate and comfort people and point them to Christ and offer them hope, as this pandemic that is under your control and will, continues. We ask you to bring it to an end soon and let us return to normal life.

Holy Spirit, help God’s People to hope in the LORD!

For with the LORD there is steadfast love,

and with him is plentiful redemption.

And he will redeem his church

from all their iniquities.

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Pastoral Prayer 2.23.2020 based on Exodus 24:12-18 Psalm 2 or Psalm 99 2 Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9, and BCP2019

God, our King, you rule over all the nations and all that happens within them. We praise you that because you delight in your people and your creation we never need to fear that events have spiraled beyond your will. Nonetheless, we wonder at many of the things happening in our world.

We pray that you would bring the pandemic that is the coronavirus COVID-19 to an end; especially we pray for those in China and the Wu-Han province, that you would return life to normal there. Above that, we pray that you would continue to strengthen the Church in China, and embolden the Christians there to preach the gospel, to serve their country, and pray and work for it’s flourishing, and that by your hand the government there and in many other countries would allow for the flourishing of the spread of the gospel and the Church. We lift up other countries to you now. [Pause]

Because you reign over all things, we pray for you to lead our country this year as we come to another presidential election. We pray that you would keep Christians from giving into the hatred and harrowing that has become so common in our culture. May we and those elected kiss the true king, Jesus Christ, rather than any candidate, and tremble before you, Triune God. We commit never to exalt leaders, but to 

Exalt the LORD our God;

worship at his footstool!

  Exalt the LORD our God,

and worship…;

for the LORD our God is holy!

We pray for the leaders of our own churches and for the flourishing of the church in Oklahoma: PCA churches, Baptist churches, Pentecostal Churches, Methodist Churches, non-denominational churches and every church that would proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and preach the Word of God, “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Strengthen Bible believing churches and correct those churches far from your Word.

We ask for Heritage’s flourishing and encouragement, we ask that we get the privilege this year of seeing 12 new believers baptized this year, as people believe in your great name! And may other churches see many more conversions!

Also, Lord, because you are the God whose very touch brings healing, salvation, and grace: we praise you for John Wion’s new heart and the success in Jason Byrd’s surgery, and ask that you would bring the same healing touch through doctors and your miracles to Gary Peabody. We pray silently now for others who we know need your healing. [Pause]

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory…: Grant that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Pastoral Prayer 1.26.2020 Based on Isaiah 9:1-4, Amos 3:1–11, Psalm 27, Psalm 139, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matthew 4:12-23, and BCP2019

God, our God, the only God, we approach you as your people who delight that you have shone yourself so that we know you:

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who took on our mortal flesh to reveal his glory; that he might bring us out of darkness and into his own glorious light.

May your light shine into our hearts and into our world. We ask for your guidance in the many things going on in our lives, we stumble in the dark, and need your righteousness, love, and wisdom to guide us, and we lift some of these up to you now….

We also ask that you bring people walking in darkness to know the light of Christ. May we as a church get the privilege of seeing at least 12 new believers baptized this year, as your gospel brings more and more people and nations to rejoice. As you bring Edmond and Oklahoma City more and more into the light of your Kingdom. We lift up to you now some that we want you to regenerate and bring to salvation. …

There is much going on in the world that brings us fear.

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?

Though an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war arise against me,

yet I will be confident.

Would you now bring justice and peace to our country and to the world: we lift up to you especially, the impeachment preceding, that justice may be done, whatever justice is; we lift up to you Brexit, that wisdom may be had, and other world events, we lift up to your our friends in Australia as they face continuing wild fires, and other things…

We thank you Lord that while Christians may have a myriad of opinions leading to different political parties and different denominations, we have one Lord, Jesus Christ. It is into His name we have been baptized, not Trump’s, not Warren, nor anyone else, but Jesus. So we ask that you would help restore civility to our society, most of all in your church, so that even where there are denominations Presbyterians would love Baptists who would love Pentecostals who would love Methodists and so on, so that the world would see us as One church in Christ and our witness would be strengthened.

Restore civility in how our country would talk to each other about politics: between Democrats and Republicans and other political divides. And may Christians especially, always share their opinions and beliefs, even where true Christians disagree in secondary matters, like mere politics, speak to each other and to the world in a way that does not reflect poorly upon our gospel witness. And in speaking that way, would you make us fishers of men, spreading the light of your glorious grace into the world right here in Oklahoma City and Edmond and Oklahoma. 

Where we have failed:

Search us, O God, and know our hearts!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting!

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Pastoral Prayer for December 1, 2019 based on Isa 2:1-5, Ps 122, Rom 13:8-14, Matt 24:29-44, and BCP

O God, as we enter this season of thinking about your coming, both your first and your last, we pray Come Jesus Come. One day righteousness will be established all over the earth, but today there is terror, and those that would try and bring us panic for their benefit. Holy Spirit, keep us calm, may Christians ever be firm upon the rock as we face the different struggles and news items of each day, and through that, may others wonder how we can face the world with such confidence, and with such a lack of worry.

We come up to you today and ask that you bring peace to our hearts in all things. 

Because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great glory to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing. 

Especially we ask that as you grow our next generation, you would lead may of them into the ways of godliness. You love the little children, and so do we, and as our own children grow, would you draw them to deeper and deeper faith. As our children go into schools and into life would you use them to bless our cities and towns and neighborhoods and our nation. Would you use your church and use campus ministries to draw many of the next generation to faith. We pray especially for RUFs in Okahoma, for Scott Morris at OU, Shane Hatfield at OSU, and Caleb Harlin at the University of Tulsa. Use them to reach students for Christ and equip them to serve the world and the church for your glory. 

We pray for Lee and Pam Nichols as they begin travels doing ministry. As they go to serve your church in underserved places, to build things to serve, may they always do so with a heart of joy and gladness in the gospel. May serving you never become more of a burden than the burden of thankfulness for what you have done for them in Jesus Christ.

We pray for the conversations that were had this last week over family dinner tables and amongst friends. May those who do not you be intrigued by Christians celebrating. We have so much to celebrate, and we ask that as we practice feasting with others, we would also bear witness to our reason for such great joy.

For others who are hopeless, because they were alone, they had no meal, they have no family, they wonder if anyone loves them, would you deliver them from despair. Lord, there are people who to us are nameless, but you know them all. Be near to the brokenhearted and depressed as we enter this advent season. We pray especially for your mercy during the holidays, when suicide rates go up, and we ask that you give encouragement to the discouraged, deliver those that would consider harming themselves through good friends, through moving them to reach out for help, and ultimately, through the gospel, show them that there is eternal salvation, that makes living this life right now worth it, and a joy.

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer for Nov 17, 2019 based on Isaiah 65:17-25, Isaiah 12, Malachi 4:1-2, Psalm 98, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Luke 21:5-19 and BCP2019

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, how we look forward to a day when we will be purified, your glory will be seen clearly, we will see you face to face, there will be no more suffering or death, every tear will be wiped from every eye. Oh wow, please, bring that day soon.  For now we are surrounded by sickness, suffering, affliction, brokenness. We have so many needs, and we lift up to you now the places where we need your hand and your healing. [Pause]

Lord, we thank you that you are the God of our salvation who brings comfort even to the darkest places.

Give thanks to the LORD,

call upon his name,

make known his deeds among the peoples,

proclaim that his name is exalted.

   “Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;

let this be made known in all the earth.

Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

We rejoice with all your peoples all over the world this morning. We are glad that your name is being worshipped the world over. In some places they are quiet and contemplative, and in some places it is rowdy and there is loud clapping. In some places there are drums and rock music and in others there are only voices to lift up your name. And in it all, each in their own way, they glorify your name. Thank you for the myriad ways that people can worship you and that you accept them all because of Jesus Christ. We pray this morning and ask especially that you bless the preaching and worship at Life Church, City Pres, Faith Bible Church, Redeemer Pres, The Well Church, Shawnee Pres, Henderson Hills Baptist Church, First Minco, Crossings Community Church, Christ the King Pres, Oasis Church, Grace Pres, Victory Church, Spring Creek Assembly of God, Christ the King Catholic Church, and all the churches of Oklahoma City and Edmond this morning.

  Oh sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done marvelous things!

His right hand and his holy arm

have worked salvation for him.

The LORD has made known his salvation;

he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness

to the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation of our God.

  Help us today to learn what it is to practice righteousness. Where are you calling us to serve this week? What are you calling us to sacrifice this week? Please do not let us have a faith of mere words, but we know what it is to worship you in deed, taking up our cross and following you. Where can we suffer for you this week Lord? We are willing if you will lead us, because we know you come to bring comfort and victory soon!

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;

break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,

with the lyre and the sound of melody!

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!

  We ask that you guide our government in particular today Lord. America is not a chosen nation, America is no better than any other nation, and like other nations before it, it will eventually fall. And yet we love our country Lord, and there is a time of turmoil now. Even in this room there are polarizing thoughts regarding what should be happening and who did what. But we know that you are the King of all, and we simply ask that you preserve your church through all that happens, and bless your people to grow in whatever comes. Give our legislators wisdom to do what is right and just, whatever that might be.

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

the world and those who dwell in it!

Let the rivers clap their hands;

let the hills sing for joy together

before the LORD, for he comes

to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness,

and the peoples with equity. 

Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people, that bringing forth in abundance the fruit of good works, they may be abundantly rewarded when our Savior Jesus Christ comes to restore all things; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

PASTORAL PRAYER NOV 3, 2019 Based on Psalm 23, 2 Samuel 7, Romans 8:1-11, Luke 12:8–12 and BCP1979

O LORD our shepherd, we thank you that in the midst of our chaos and uncertainties, we can know that you have an eternal purpose that cannot be thwarted for those who abide in Christ. We thank you that it’s not we who lead ourselves, but you who lead us beside still water, make us to lie down in green pastures, restore our souls, you who leads us in the paths of righteousness for your name’s sake. We are also very glad that though we often walk in the valley of the shadow of darkness and doom, wondering what is to come, we need fear no evil for you are truly with us, your rod and staff do comfort us. We lift up to you now many places where the darkness seems to be creeping in. [Pause]

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. For those who trust, we believe, help our unbelief. For those who don’t, show yourself to them, draw them to Christ, and give them the comfort and assurance of salvation that let’s us know that while we may face incredible darkness in this life, there is a sure hope in the resurrection to come.

Father, as the weather turns cold this fall moving into winter, we can’t help but think of many who are homeless, even in our city. Sometimes of their own making, sometimes not, those made in your image suffer, they have no food, no warm house, and we can only do so much to help so few people. Lord, I know you’ve said the poor we will always have with us, but we long for the day when all poverty will end. This winter, be with those homeless, use this church to provide what you will to help those we can. Also bless the many organizations that seek to help people put their lives back together, feed and house people: Project 66, Restore OKC, the Salvation Army, CityCare, the Red Andrew’s dinner, other churches that are well resourced, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and plenty of other organizations that you use to provide relief for the poor and suffering, the cold and hungry. We also ask you where you to lead us to places you are calling us to provide relief, what are ways can serve and bring provision and share the gospel? [Pause]

We also lift up to you Christian marriages. Especially in this church, there are strong marriages and struggling marriages. We ask you to heal brokenness, connect wounded hearts, restore trust, bring repentance. Use those strong marriages to encourage the weak marriages. Marriage is a glorious picture of your gospel, but in our broken world, it nonetheless often does not show all that it should. Protect our marriages. Comfort those who are single but long for marriage. Let those who are content in singleness remain so and not feel ashamed. We lift up to your our marriages, and other marriages we know of now. [Pause]

We ask you to work in us, Holy Spirit, that we may be more and more assured of our glorious inheritance in Christ and the forgiveness of our sins, and in seeing your grand generosity to us, you would move us in heart and body to be about glorifying your name with all that we would do. There are places where we’re not sure what you’re calling us to do, but we trust you to guide us to do what will please you. We lift up to you the places we need guidance now. [Pause]

Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and commendable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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.