Prayer: Our most holy God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we bless your name today ascribing to you glory and honor and majesty. Though you are most holy, you have condescended to our misery. Through Christ, you have reconciled us to yourself. You have forgiven our sins and have invited us to commune with you all of our days. We praise you for so great a salvation!
Though we belong to you, we often sin. We know that we do so daily in thought, word, and deed. Forgive us for careless words. Forgive us for complaining about our circumstances. Forgive us for not looking at all of our circumstances as loving acts of a kind and merciful God who loves his children. Forgive us for not learning to be content in all things. We grieve our sins. We mourn the war that still rages on in our members. Help us, by your grace, to flee these things and to look to your Son, who committed himself to your will.
Hear us when we pray, Father. Be pleased to work in the life of your church. May she be purified and cleansed and perfected and made ready to receive her bridegroom. We ask that you would strengthen hurting churches. We ask that you would use small churches to advance your kingdom. We plead with you to protect them and add to their number for the sake of your kingdom. Remove unfaithful churches and build up those that are committed to the ordinary means of grace, as revealed in your Word. We ask these things in the name of the Son, the only begotten Son, our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture meditation: Psa. 29; 1 John 1:9; Eccl. 7:20; Gen. 8:21; James 3:2, 8
