Father, we gather here this morning and we declare, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We praise your holy name this morning. We proclaim your excellencies and savor your goodness. Triune God, we worship you. Father, we praise you for planning our salvation. Jesus, we praise you for purchasing our salvation. Holy Spirit, we praise you for preserving us in our salvation.

Holy Spirit, open the eyes of our hearts this morning that we might behold the wonders of our redemption in Christ Jesus, our Redeemer. Replace the false ideas that assault our conscience telling us that we are too rebellious or too unworthy to be redeemed from slavery to sin. Remind us of the extravagant grace found in Jesus.

We marvel this morning that you lavish the riches of your grace upon us. So we come before you freely admitting our rebellion against you and disordered loves for things other than you. We repent of the greed that grips our hearts and the slanderous words that come from our mouths. We repent of the bitterness we harbor and the selfishness we enjoy. Forgive us, O Lord, we pray. We confess that some of us have decidedly pursued immorality this week; some of us have willfully abused drink and food and other substances; some of us have lied to our spouse. Forgive us, O Lord. We confess that we often long more for your gifts than for you. We acknowledge that we doubt your goodness and struggle to believe you are actually for us. Forgive us, O Lord. We praise you that in Christ Jesus – through his blissful life of perfection, his sin-bearing death of crucifixion, his heaven-purchasing resurrection – we have all that we need to be redeemed from our sin and into your sweet presence, now and forever.

We marvel this morning that you lavish the riches of your grace upon us. So we come praying for those of us who are weary and downcast. We pray for those of us who are grieving this morning, those who feel the pressures of life pressing in on their soul, those who are tangibly aware of the brokenness of this world. Lift up our souls with the hope of the gospel, with the reality of heaven. Give us gracious words to speak to each other that we might build one another up. Give us the grace to be true friends who weep with those who weep, who carry each other’s burdens and sorrows as our own. Give us the grace to know others and genuinely understand them, not just seek to be known and understood.

We marvel this morning that you lavish the riches of your grace upon us. So we come praying for those of us who are encouraged and excited about all that you’re doing. Fan the flames of gospel passion that burn deep within us. Use us to encourage others, to evangelize those who do not know Jesus. Use us to eagerly disciple others and cultivate unity and to serve the marginalized, to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with you, our God.

We marvel this morning that you lavish the riches of your grace upon us. So we come praying for other churches in this city that preach and practice the gospel. Bless Capitol Hill Baptist and Anacostia River Church. Give wisdom to the saints at Redeemer City and Veritas Church. Exalt Jesus through Union Church, King’s Church, Grace DC, Church of the Advent, Christ our Shepherd, and Mercy of Christ Fellowship.

We marvel this morning that you lavish the riches of your grace upon us and you are uniting all things, things in heaven and things on earth in Christ. So we come praying for heaven to break-in to earth now. We lament the brokenness of this world. We mourn that your image bearers are abused, marginalized and exploited. We grieve that suffering exists in so many forms around the world. We lament famine and poverty and hurricanes and tsunamis. We praise you God that in your justice you care for the oppressed, weak, vulnerable, and for the otherwise helpless in this world; help us bear your image in this.

For the glory of Christ, bring an end to racism – both the kind that resides in our hearts and that which permeates many institutionalized structures and systems. For the glory of Christ, bring an end to poverty and famine. For the glory of Christ, bring an end to fatherless homes and human trafficking. For the glory of Christ, bring an end to every kind of abuse – both that which we regularly see in the news and that which hides behind closed doors. And, Lord where it’s hidden in the dark, expose it that the light of the gospel might burst in with healing. Use us, Lord, use us to holistically care for those around us. Use the people and resources of Restoration Church to care for the hurting; to stand for what is right, good and true; to promote justice and demand the end to injustices; to give hope to the hopeless.

This morning, Lord, we are sorrowful, yet we always rejoice. We rejoice because the tomb is empty and heaven is coming. Sustain us and strengthen us and use us for the glory of Christ and good of our neighbor until we meet Jesus face-to-face. Amen.