Father of grace and peace, we come to you this morning in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We praise your holy name. We extol your goodness. Great is your steadfast love toward us; your faithfulness endures forever and we rejoice in your sovereign mercy. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name be the glory.

We thank you for the many good gifts in our lives knowing that every good perfect gift comes from you, our Father in heaven. Holy Spirit remind us afresh of the many gifts we take for granted: food on the table, clothes on our back, children in our midst, cars to drive, jobs to work, friendships to enjoy, beds to sleep in, pantries to open, rent to pay, songs to sing, the Bible to read. We confess any grumbling or discontentment in our hearts. We confess any ingratitude and being easily displeased. We confess focusing on what we don’t have, rather than enjoying and thanking you for what you have already provided. Forgive us, O Lord. We humbly repent.

We thank you for the many gospel partnerships Restoration Church has. We praise you for the continual support of Capitol Hill Baptist Church. Thank you for their generosity on so many levels. We thank you that we get to labor alongside churches like Redeemer City and Pillar Church and The Well and Redeemer Arlington and Restoration City Church to preach Christ Jesus crucified and resurrected. We praise you that we get to partner with R and E and J and J as they seek to advance the gospel among the unreached. We rejoice that you used Restoration Church to invest over $60,000 dollars for church planting last year. May that number increase all the more this year. We praise you that we get to partner with the Molero family to plant a gospel-rich Spanish-speaking church in Columbia Heights. Do far more that we can ask or imagine this year through A, M, R and B. Continue to use our brother A at Redeemer Leeds to make disciples and encourage the gospel workers there.

We thank you that we get to partner with the 135 covenant members of this church to advance the gospel to our neighbors and the nations. Cause us to enjoy the gospel together. Cause us to enjoy heralding the gospel alongside each other. We praise you for the gospel unity we have. Holy Spirit, make use eager to maintain that unity in all that we do. We praise you for the deep relationships that exist in the life of our church. Make us quick to speak the gospel to one another. Remove any awkwardness we might feel in asking each other spiritually minded questions. Give us the impulse to pray for one another right when we hear about a need or news to celebrate. Grant us the wisdom and grace to speak the truth in love, so that we might grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.

We pray for those brothers and sisters among us who feel a bit isolated or disconnected. Give them at least one meaningful conversation this week with another member in their Community Group. Give us the grace to be open and honest, to share our burdens. Give us all listening ears and compassionate hearts. Remind us Lord that it’s okay to not be okay. Give us the grace to not feel the weight of pretending and acting. As we do, remind us of the hope found in the gospel. Let our position in Christ be our identity. For the glory of your name, do not let us find our identify in what we think is wrong with us. Tattoo on our souls the truth of Galatians 2: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Forgive us Lord for finding comfort in lesser identities. Forgive us for feeling like we have to work to earn your affection and approval. We praise that Jesus alone is enough. We rest in his all-satisfying, joy-providing, worship-filled life this morning. We rejoice in his sin-defeating, Satan-crushing death this morning. We delight in his hope-giving, heaven-purchasing resurrection this morning. Flood our souls with hope and happiness as we enjoy pursuing holiness.

Father, your word commands us to pray “for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” And so we come praying for those who have been sovereignly elected and appointed to lead this country. Grant wisdom and a sense of justice to Federal, State and local officials charged with serving the people under their leadership. We pray for president Donald Trump. Bend his heart toward true justice and righteousness for all people. Give him a posture that rightly balances strong conviction and sincere kindness. Surround President Trump with men and women who give wise counsel that promotes the dignity and equality of all people – men and women, all ethnicities, all religious backgrounds, all sexual orientations, all ages – from the womb until natural death.

We thank you Lord that we live in a land with relative peace – let us not take that for granted. Give us the grace to be peacemakers for then we shall see you, our God of peace. When we disagree with others, give us the grace to do it in a way that’s honorable and respectful. Let us, Lord, let us as Christians be a light of hope and happiness. Cause our lives to be so marked by heaven that we do the most good in this world, all while hoping in a better world. We praise you that King Jesus is on the throne right now and forevermore. We praise you that nothing will ever change that; and in that we find our ultimate rest. Give us the grace to enjoy and advance the gospel as we partner with our brothers and sisters inside this church and around the world striving to make disciples that delight in the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Amen.