May Corporate Prayers

5.7.23

Father in heaven we thank you for the tremendous gift it is to join together in worship today. We need this more than we know or can acknowledge and we thank you for great grace we find in gathering as your people. Father, we ask that your Word, preached here today, would seep down deep into our bones and form us in remarkable ways so that we may live in a manner that glorifies you. Far too often we so easily receive your Word and then we try and tuck it away to a place where it has no tangible impact on our hearts and minds. We end up believing the good things of your Word, but the shape of our lives tells an entirely different story. Often it’s a story void of grace, mercy, purity of heart, righteousness, repentance, meekness, humility, or peace. Forgive us. Forgive us for keeping your truths at arm’s length so we only hear them, but never truly receive them. Forgive us for the arrogance we demonstrate when we speak the lingo, but fail to back it up with the way we live our lives. Spirit, teach us to hear and receive the Word. Allow the word to form us to be more like Christ. Help us to be people of light who speak with much grace and conviction, but also live with much grace and conviction. Help us to be a people who fully realize Christ died to save us when we were still sinners, and he still stands before your throne right now, and claims us as his own. It’s in the wondrous name of Jesus Christ we have gathered and in his name we pray all these things, Amen.

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5.14.23

Heavenly Father, We gather this morning to worship you. For You alone are worthy of our praise! If we pause to reflect upon your creation, the vastness of eternity’s stars to the minutely miraculous cellular detail that makes each of us a unique creation…. It is simply awe inspiring. You, God Almighty, demand our praise simply by nature of who you are. You are our hiding place and our shield, our hope is in your Word (Psalm 119:114). Where do we turn to when life isn’t smooth-sailing, when bumps or unexpected detours upset our best laid plans? We confess, Lord, that often we allow the enemy to use less than ideal circumstances to shake our trust in you. Father, forgive us for misplacing our hope in less than worthy things. Forgive us for believing that the power of Christ in us is not enough to overcome whatever we face. Jesus, help us to remember where our hope is and who it comes from! You have secured our eternal hope on the cross; praise the Lord! Spirit, we ask that when the weight of this world is heavy on our shoulders, you would renew our hope, courage, perseverance and joy in you. Help us to trust that even in the most difficult of times, that you are with us, you love us, and that you have promised to never leave us or forsake us. It’s in the wonderful name of Christ that we have gathered, and in his Almighty name that we pray, and all God’s children said together, Amen.

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5.21.23

God we are your children and you are our loving Father. Words fail to describe the wonder of this relationship. That the almighty king of the universe would know us and love us perfectly. You supply all our needs and go graciously beyond to satisfy us with things that we don’t deserve. We praise you for the glorious riches that are made ours through your Son, Jesus Christ. The riches that satisfy the longings of our heart and fill us with an eternal joy. You provide us our daily bread and you provide the lamb for our salvation. Help us Lord to trust you with all of our needs and to trust you for our salvation. But when we strive for earthly riches out of our own strength, when we rest in our good works instead of resting in the finished work of Jesus, when we doubt that your perfect provision isn’t enough, forgive us. Help us to see the lamb that was slain as the perfect sacrifice, help us to behold him and rest in him for all that we have and all that we need. Thank you Lord for your perfect provision today and for eternity.

Father God, we come before you today with grateful hearts acknowledging you as the ultimate Provider of all our needs. You sustain us through every day, always faithful. Lord, we confess that we have often misplace our trust in the things of this world, earthly treasures and material possessions, seeking security and fulfillment in fruitless pursuits. We allow our selfish desires to overshadow our dependence on you. Forgive us, for relying on our own strength and resources instead of seeking what is only truly found in you. Yet, we humbly take solace in your promise of forgiveness and restoration. For you are a God of mercy, always ready to extend your free grace to those who repent of their sin and turn to you. And we thank you for the gift of your one and only Son, Jesus Christ, who bore our sins on the cross, providing the ultimate pardon for our transgressions. Help us to seek you each and every day. Help us to trust you and to truly know you. Be with us this morning and help our hearts be changed to be more like yours today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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5.28.23

Holy Father, our solid rock and never-changing anchor, we praise your steadfast name. You are the one constant in our ever-changing world. You hold everything in your hands and your word never changes. Thank you for loving us even when we fail time and time again and give you every reason in the world to reject us. Father, you are so good to us and we don’t deserve it. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to take our punishment so that we could be made right with you. Lord, we confess that even though we constantly experience your undeserved loving kindness, we often don’t show that same grace to the people you have placed in our lives. We sometimes even show the least amount of grace to those that are closest to us. Father forgive us . . . we are sinners that gladly accept your unconditional love but quickly fail to show that same love to others. What hypocrites we are. Lord, help us to be mindful of how we treat others. Help us to be vessels through which your love overflows to others. Help us to always remember the mercy we have been shown by you so that we may show mercy to others. Help us to treat others as you have treated us. Give us empathy and compassion for our fellow brothers and sisters so that your kingdom is built and all glory is given to you. Father, make us more like your Son, today. Please increase our understanding of you today as we hear your word and go forth into the world as your representatives. In your name we pray, Amen.

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