Merciful and gracious, Lord, we are thankful that we do not labor for the gospel alone. We praise you for other healthy churches in and around our city. Bless the faithful labors of Del Ray Baptist, 4^thPresbyterian, Arlington Baptist Church, The Well Church in Silver Spring and Restoration City Church in Alexandria. Build up your people and bring many to faith in Christ through Mercy of Christ Fellowship, Waterfront Church, Mercy Hill, McLean Bible Church, and Pillar DC.

For the glory of Christ, we pray that you would use gospel-motivated ministries like The Central Union Mission, DC127, Mission Muffins, and The Porch to bring hope to the hurting and healing to the broken. Give the leadership of these ministries wisdom and insight as they seek to steward limited resources for your glory and our neighbor’s good.

Holy, all-wise, sovereign, God, we pray for the government officials in Washington, DC. Give Mayor Bowser and Police Chief Newsham and Fire Chief Dean wisdom as they seek to reduce violent crimes in the District. Give these city officials a sense of compassion and justice that they might bear your image and serve your image bearers. We pray for the social workers and school administrators and teachers in our communities. In your common grace Lord, give these men and women the resources they need to effectively serve those in their care. Tear down every biased or prejudiced system that unfairly discriminates and prevents children from receiving a robust education.

And we pray not just for our local leaders and laws, but also the leaders and government at the national level. Grant our President, representatives, and senators wisdom and surround them with wise counselors. Give them a deep sense of their responsibility to serve the country not just seek personal gain or only pursue political agendas. Sovereign and gracious God, bend these hearts toward true justice and righteousness that promotes the dignity of all people – men and women, all races and ethnicities, all religious backgrounds, all sexual orientations, all ages – from the womb until natural death. Grant discernment and the conviction to do what is right even among those leaders and officials who deny you.

We pray for those of us who are angry or hurting and those of us who are hopeless or weary because of the constant barrage of skewed news stories, unfair caricatures, and intentional divisiveness. We admit that we desire justice but we often don’t know exactly what justice requires.We also pray for those who are hurting because recent events have brought painful reminders of how they have been hurt and abused in the past, and perhaps ignored or marginalized. Comfort us in your steadfast kindness, oh Lord! Help us, in our conversations with those inside the church and those outside, both those in person and those online, to always speak in a manner that gives grace and builds up, not to destroy.

Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus, and we pray not only for what’s near to us, but what’s near to your heart – and that includes the nations. Raise up church planters among the unreached in Bhoi in India and Socotran in Yemen. For the glory of Christ, establish an indigenous church among the BK in NIQ. Grant grace to M and E and J and others as they labor to complete the B New Testament. Gracious God, use the former Restoration Church members in Uganda, Switzerland, Australia, Korea, Croatia, Germany, Rawanda, Canada, and Guam, to make disciples that delight in the supremacy of Christ. And raise up more laborers for the harvest among the nations!

Let us, Lord, let us as Christians be a light of hope and happiness. Holy Spirit remind us that you have sealed us in Christ and in him we have an eternal inheritance. Our hope is not in this world, but in the One who will usher in the world to come. We praise you that King Jesus is on the throne right now and forever more. We praise you that he is reigning and he is soon returning to restore the world back to perfection, uniting all things in heaven and all things on earth. We pray rejoicing and resting in his name, the name of Jesus. Amen.