Lord, you are holy. Holiness adorns your house. You reign over the earth, the nations, the universe, and your reign is good, true and righteous. Your reign is good news. You are merciful, not counting our sins against us and having endless love, patience, and grace with us, your people. You made us, you made all things, and you make us new. You are truth and your words are powerful, bringing life where there was none.
You are sovereign over all the earth, over all our lives. Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts, your ways higher than our ways. We sit at your feet in awe of your power, majesty, might, and glory. We praise you for who you are, for your holiness, goodness, justice, faithfulness and mercy.
Father we thank you that when we were dead in our sins, unable to bring ourselves to life, you came to us and gave us life. You brought us out from under the kingdom of sin and death and into your kingdom, under your rule, with your righteousness.
You know all things, you see all things.
You know the state of our hearts, our inner thoughts, and our secrets. You know our sins better than we do, and yet still you love us. Your mercies are new each morning and your grace never ends. You have given us righteousness in place of our unholiness and sin at great cost to you. Lord we confess before you that we have not loved you as we should, we have sinned against you. We have questioned your goodness, despised your rule, and chosen our way over your way. Lord we have not truly believed that it is good news that you are Lord, and in our pride, forgive us. We have hearts and minds that have been unholy: we are guilty of lust, coveting, slander, boasting, pride, envy, jealousy, discontentment, ungratefulness, endless comparison, loving money, putting ourselves before others, and seeking our own glory instead of your glory. Lord forgive us our sins and help us day after day to take confidence in the finished work of Christ and to love you and know you more. Help us to see where we are attempting to add to the work of Christ and forgive us and grant us understanding that we might glorify you in joy and peace. Father thank you that there is nothing we could do to make you love us more, and nothing we have to prove to be adopted into your family.
Father, we praise you for this gospel message; what a great hope and joy we have in Christ. We pray for those of us here this morning struggling with guilt from sins we committed. We pray for those of us here this morning struggling with shame from sins committed against us. Remind us this morning that no sin is too great, no shame is too abundant, no stain is too deep to disqualify us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. We praise you that sin and shame will not have the last word, but the risen, supreme Savior will.
Cause this gospel message to be the glue that binds our church. For the sake of your holy name, Lord, cause our church to be united in all of our diversity. Give us the grace to humbly forgive each other, eagerly serve one another and treat each other better than ourselves. Give us the grace to put to death what is earthly within us: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Help us put away anger, wrath, malice, slander, filthy language, and deceit. As your chosen children, holy and beloved, may we put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. May the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish and build up one another with thankfulness in our hearts.
Help us be a city on a hill, shining a bright light to our community. As we dwell on the gospel, cause us to be generous to those in need and quick to help those who are suffering. Father, give us opportunities to form real, meaningful friendships with neighbors and co-workers and classmates that we might serve them and they might hear and taste and see the glory of the gospel. Yes, Lord use our church to see many come to faith in Christ that they too might have forever lasting delight and joy. And we pray for organizations like DC127 and The Porch and The Central Union Mission. Give their leaders grace and wisdom as they labor for the fame of Jesus here in our city. Use our members to in and alongside of these organizations to care for the poor, the orphans and the widows.
We pray for other churches laboring for your gospel. For Capitol Hill Baptist and Church of the Resurrection and Christ Our Shepherd and Anacostia River Church. Use these faithful brothers and sisters to herald the good news of Jesus. We pray for Hamilton Baptist and Covenant Life Tampa and Summit Church Denver. Use our brothers and sisters across this land to boldly live out the gospel for the glory of your name.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Yes, Lord, hallow your name; from the schemes in Scotland to the Spanish speakers in Columbia Heights; from the Bedhini Kurds in Northern Iraq to the Tatar people in Kazan Russia. Hallow your name. Lord, raise people up from this church to take the gospel to our neighbors and the nations.
Father, we pray for the preaching of your word this morning. Take your word and plant it deep in us; shape and fashion us in your likeness that the light of Christ might be seen today in our acts of love and our deeds of faith. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.