Worship through Prayer

Father, your glory urges us to praise you! You are exceedingly holy, and your goodness is without bounds. You are just, and you are truth. You were before the world was, and you will be after the world as we know it will be no longer.

Father, we praise you because in the Gospel you accomplished justice. We are evil and rebellious from our mothers’ wombs. Even though we know the truth about your glory, we turn away and give that glory to created images. And that rightly offends you, and that rightly cries out for justice. And in the Gospel you accomplished justice in that Jesus bore the punishment for your people’s sins.

Father, we praise you because in the Gospel you loved. You loved us enough to give your one and only Son for us. We were not of the same nature, nor did we like you; we actually hated you because we weren’t like you and because you wouldn’t give us what we wanted. And yet, you loved us! You sent your Son to bear our punishment so that we may share in your glory.

Father, we praise you because in the Gospel you defeated evil through good and because you used what we despise as weakness to shame the powers of this world and to raise Jesus from the dead and seat him to his rightful place.

And how amazing is Jesus! He left His throne above to live the life of a servant, be rejected and died the death we deserved. “Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” (Rev 5:12)

We confess that we didn’t want to see your glory, that we didn’t seek it and that when we sought it we did so for our own purposes. Father, your glory is difficult for us to see and bear because it offends our own ambitions for greatness, especially in a city like ours.

Your glory is too weak for us, too gentle, too patient and too much about things other than us. We replaced your glory by man-made glory – educational degrees, prize spouses, prize children, bank accounts, clothing, cars, jobs, houses, big contracts we worked on, intelligence, and abilities. We didn’t take pride in you, the giver of life, but in your gifts. We suppressed the truth about who you are and who we are into a lie and created false “realities” in our image, illusions and delusions in which our importance, our role and our selves are magnified.

Father, forgive us in our neglecting your people, the church, to promote the glory of human kings and queens. The Son of Man is going to come on the clouds of heaven and we have spent time building up human kingdoms! Have mercy on us!

Father forgive us for our rebellion and transform our hearts to long for your glory.

And we thank you for your forgiveness and grace. You have given us awareness of sin, faith to repent, and forgiveness in Jesus. You have given us the Word to transform us. You are constantly at work in our hearts and in the world to advance your kingdom. We thank you for the Reformation, and we thank you for your Word which we can read in our own languages. We thank you for all the good things we have received over the last five hundred years in terms of theology and church polity.

Father, we ask for faith and eyes to see your glory for what it is. Help us not be allured by the glory of man, but be constantly thirsting for your glory. Help us live with the hope of seeing and enjoying your glory rather than human illusions of what a good life looks life.

We pray that we would remember your past works and the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us. Help us “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:1-2).

To your Name alone be glory, now and forever, Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Father, we praise you that you are a God who makes wonderful promises. You promise life, peace, and joy. Father, we praise you that you are faithful to all your promises. We praise you that you have sent your Son to seal the covenant of your promises in his own blood, so that we may have confidence that, though our sins are scarlet, you will wash them white as snow. Thank you that we can have complete confidence in all your promises, including the promise that one day we will see our Lord Jesus Christ face to face in glory.

Father, we come before you conscious of our rebellion against you; conscious that, though you are the most glorious, beautiful, awesome person in our lives, we are prone to wonder away from you. We confess that we do not do your will; we confess that we often reject what you have said to be good and embrace that which is evil; we confess that we often ignore the promises of life that you have made to those who follow you. Father, we confess that though we know that Christ was prepared to go to the cross in the service of us who deserved nothing of the kind, we are often slow to lay aside our needs for the sake of others. Father, as we consider our sins, we are sorry for how little we pray to you that sin might not reign in our hearts, how little we cry out to you for strength to resist sin in our lives. We pray that you would give us a greater concern for obedience. Father, have mercy upon us, forgive us, cleanse us, and change us that we might have hearts responsive to your word.

Lord, we pray for:

• Our elders: Nic, Chris, Kyle, Joey, and Nathan. Grant them wisdom, strength, and endurance. Protect them from the evil one’s ways.
• Our CG Leaders: D & M; C & F; D & H; N & W; E & J; D & P; K & N; T & M; L & Liz; E & J. Grant them wisdom and patience to lead our community groups!
• Our brothers and sisters: J & C; J & J; L; R; E; J & G; D & C; D; J; M & C; J & E; D; B; H; S; C & E; L; M & R; A & H; C; A; C; J; L; and A.
• All of our parents, the soon to be parents, and all of the Restoration Kids workers: Thank you for them, and thank you for giving them this exciting calling. We pray that you would give them strength, wisdom, and encouragement.

We pray that you’d help us as a church think more carefully about you and your Word and that you would cause us to be a blessing to many others as we come to know and love you more. Lord, we pray that you would help us grow in grace and humility. We pray that you would help us reflect Jesus Christ well to those around us. We pray that we would be a church that is marked by gratitude for what you have done and by confidence in what you will do. Thank you, Lord, for the little taste of the international nature of our church body. Lord, we pray that we would continue to display your kindness and care in small and simple ways to the world around us. Oh Lord, you have loved us so much, and we pray that you would enlarge our hearts with love for those around us.

Lord, you tell us that we are we to pray for those in authority, and so we do. Cause them to use the authority you have granted them wisely. We pray that you would give them an understanding of how you have made all of us in your image, and teach them to seek those things which are good for your people and pleasing to you. For the leaders of our country, we pray for honesty and integrity in their work. In your kindness, we pray that you would root out the corruption and the brokenness present in the world we live in. We pray that the funds, supplies, and provisions that have been sent and that may continue to be sent for the relief efforts in P.R. to be used wisely and well.

Lord, we thank you for your Word. And, we thank you that we are able to read it as easily and readily as we are. We give you praise for the way that you have poured out this grace and favour on us. We pray for Nathan as he teaches us about scripture alone. May your Spirit be with him here this morning. And, let it be your words and only your words that we hear today.

Oh Lord, feed us by your word we pray, in Jesus name, for your glory’s sake, Amen!

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through

Our Father in heaven, we come to you this morning resting and rejoicing in the name of Jesus Christ. Holy, triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority be yours.

We pray, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done. Advance the fame of Jesus through the Molero family as they start Sublime Gracia. Use their weekly Bible study to draw those who believe and those who don’t that the name of Christ might be magnified among Spanish speakers in Columbia Heights. We pray for O and S as they labor to make disciples of Jesus at American University. Give them favor and use them to bring many to faith in Jesus. Use our brother H as he labors to spread the aroma of Christ to students in middle school, high school and college. Grant each member of Restoration Church opportunities this week to tell a friend, co-worker, neighbors, classmate or family member about the saving and satisfying name of Jesus.

We pray for Jesus to be exalted through other churches in DC. Use Redemption Hill, Grace DC, Grace Mosaic, Anacostia River Church to faithfully proclaim the excellencies of Christ. Grant favor to 4^th Presbyterian, All Souls Episcopalian, Capitol Hill Baptist, Veritas Church, Passion City Church, Redeemer Arlington and McLean Bible.

Lord, we pray for our own church family this morning. Holy Spirit, fill us afresh, and use us to build each other up in Christ. For the glory of your name, give us the maturity to put personal preferences below gospel priority. Use our Community Groups Lord to help us love Christ more deeply and serve each other selflessly. Shape us and mold us into the image of Jesus. Let us be bold in speaking the hope of the gospel—the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ— to each other. Let us be quick to remind each other of the hope of heaven. Let us forgive each other as we have been forgiven. Let us bear with each other, being tender hearted and compassionate toward our brothers and sisters. For the glory of your name, knit our body together in Christ Jesus as we strive to exalt his name.

Father, we come to you this morning and we lament the brokenness of this world. We grieve the senseless acts of violence and terrorism. We’re sorrowful over the destruction of hurricanes and floods and forest fires. Father, we come to you vividly reminded that even creation is groaning for redemption. Bring hope and healing with those dealing with these tragic situations.

We pray for an end to racism—both at the personal level and injustices that exist at the systematic level. We pray for our brothers and sisters who are a ethnic minority, those who are often taken advantage of, or oppressed or marginalized in some way. Give us Lord, give us at Restoration Church, a deep appreciation for the textured diversity of race. Let us not just tolerate each other, but celebrate the richness of ethnicity and culture.

We pray for first responders as they rush into danger, not knowing what they face putting their lives on the line. We pray for police officers who respond to reports of shooting. We pray for firefighters as they fight blazes right now. We pray for those helping with the cleanup in Houston and Puerto Rico. Father, in your sovereign mercy, use even these devastating events to magnify your name.

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.” Grant wisdom and a sense of justice to all leaders around the world who are charged with serving people made in your image. We pray in particular for the leaders of the Kurdistan Region Government and Iraq. Lord, bring about peace in this region. Prevent any military action. Use this civil unrest to remind the Kurdish people that their greatest hope is not found border boundaries, but in Christ Jesus who reigns over all.

We also pray for the leaders of this country. Grant all elected officials wisdom and a divine sense of justice. May these leaders pursue not just personal gain or political agendas, but that which will help all your image bearers flourish. We pray for president Donald Trump. Bend his heart toward true justice and righteousness for all people. Surround President Trump with men and women who give wise counsel that promotes the dignity and equality of all people – men and women, all races and ethnicities, all religious backgrounds, all sexual orientations, all ages – from the womb until natural death.

Let us, Lord, let us as Christians be a light of hope and happiness. 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 all things back to perfection. We pray rejoicing and resting in his name, the name of Jesus. Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Gracious heavenly Father, we come to you this morning, resting and rejoicing in our all-sufficient, sin-bearing, death-defeating, live-giving, heaven-brining Savior, Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit bear witness with our spirit that we are adopted sons and daughters. Satisfy our souls this morning. By your tender mercies heal our wounds, feed our souls.

We pray for those here this morning who are downcast and weary. Encourage them with your word. Use the brothers and sisters around them to speak the truth in love and bring encouragement to their hearts. We pray for those who feel like they are losing the battle against a particular sin. Give them grace, Lord. Use this church family to honesty and vulnerably walk alongside each other as we all fight sin and struggles. We pray for those among us who have been taken advantage of physically or emotionally, those intimately violated. Bring the healing balm of the gospel to remind us we are clean, lavished, loved in Christ Jesus.

We pray for those of us who souls are parched, those of us whose spiritual life is bone dry. We know you and your word shouldn’t be boring and dull, but that’s what we feel. Holy Spirit, invigorate our hearts with truth, captivate us with the work and wonder of Jesus. Draw our gaze toward heaven that we might hope not just in better feelings, but a better world.

We thank you Lord for the many ways you are at work among us. We pray for those of us who are married that we might honor you with our words and sacrificial service to our spouse. We pray for Andrew and Esther – on this, their first day of marriage, we rejoice with them and ask your blessings upon them. Use all the marriages at Restoration Church to display the shape of the gospel. And use those of us who are unmarried to display the sufficiency of the gospel. We praise you for those of us who are unmarried and the many ways our brothers and sisters single-mindedly serve Christ and his church. Build them up and use them to build others up all the more. Father, keep us from idolizing marriage or idolizing singleness. Remind us they are both gifts from you and give us the grace to steward whatever season of life we are in for the exaltation of Christ, edification of the body and evangelization of those who are not Christians.

Father, we praise you for the 45 men that were at the retreat this past weekend. For the glory of your name, cause us to be men who develop and deepen honest, vulnerable, Jesus-exalting relationships with each other. Give us the grace to reject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously, seek the greater reward and remain humble. May every man and women at Restoration Church seek to see your face, O God. May we strive to live out Isaiah 66 – pursue humility, be contrite and tremble at your word, for these are the ones to whom you look.

Holy Lord, we are mindful of the brokenness of this world. We pray for those grieving the loss of loved ones from the Las Vegas shooting. We pray for the churches in Las Vegas as they minister to the hurting and hopeless. We pray for an end to senseless, evil, wicked mass shootings. We pray for an end to the evil of racism and social injustice. We pray for an end to elective abortion. We pray for an end to oppression of the impoverished and vulnerable. We pray for an end to the evil of terrorism.

Sovereign King, though we are weary of news of shootings, hurricanes, political unrest, volcanoes, terrorism and more, we do know that you are good. We know that apart from you, we have no good. We know that you have done everything necessary through Christ to reconcile us and the world back to yourself. Give us the grace to journey toward heaven with hope that transcends circumstances and news cycles. Birth in us, a deeply rooted, anchor of gospel joy as we navigate the brokenness of this world looking the to the world to come. Do this Lord, for the glory of your name and the gladness of our souls. Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Gracious God, Loving Lord, Merciful Master, we worship you this morning. You are steadfast in faithfulness, slow to anger, gracious in giving, lavish in loving, all powerful and eternally good. Father, Son, and Spirit we rest in your amazing grace and goodness this morning. For the glory of your name and the gladness of our souls, exalt the person, work, worth, and wonder of Jesus Christ that our souls might be full. Holy Spirit, open the eyes of our hearts that we might behold the soul-satisfying beauty and brilliance of Jesus. Show us the hope to which we have been called. Give us glimpses of heaven, of eternal joy, that strengthens and sustains us even now.

Our Father in heaven, hallow your name, through Jesus by the power of the Spirit. Advance the gospel. Use this church to graciously, humbly, boldly speak of Christ crucified and resurrected. Grant us, Lord, for the fame of Jesus Christ, grant us opportunities to meaningfully share the gospel with those who believe and those who do not. Let us not be ashamed of the gospel, but eager to proclaim the excellencies of Christ – for this is the power of salvation for all who come to him by grace alone through faith alone.

We praise you for the faithful gospel witnesses here in DC. Bless Capitol Hill Baptist Church, GraceDC and Redeemer City Church. Grant favor to Grace Covenant, Redemption Hill, Waterfront Church, Mercy Hill, the District Church and Arabic Baptist Church. Use Temple Baptist and Washington International and Embassy Church to winsomely exalt Jesus.

Thank you, Lord, for the Treasuring Christ Together network. We praise you for the ways this network of churches seeks racial reconciliation and models compassionate care for the poor. Let us continue to learn from our brothers and sisters as we partner with them in fostering and planting health churches. We pray for Cities Church and Word of Grace in Minneapolis. Use the saints in these churches to make disciples that love you with all of their heart, mind, soul and strength and their neighbors as themselves.

We praise you that your glory and gospel are not limited to one geography or one people group. We rejoice that you are the God of all peoples, tribes, tongues and nations.

This morning we pray for the destruction in Puerto Rico. Grant wisdom to government officials and first responders. Lord, we plead that in your sovereign kindness, you’d get basic necessities to those that need them most. We pray for the families of H, N, T and P. Use even this tragedy to bring the good news of the gospel and hope of heaven to a hurting people.

And we pray for the political unrest in the Middle East. Lord, may peace abound in this region. Grant leaders in Kurdistan, Iraq, Turkey and Iran civility as they navigate century long disputes. Continue to give the K, F, and M families a great confidence in Christ and a peace that transcends all understanding. Use this tension and unrest to advance your gospel among Behdini Kurds. Let them see that true hope and happiness is not found in political liberation, but gospel freedom. For the glory of your name, Lord, continue using our church to bring encouragement to the workers on the ground in this area that they might be strengthen to continue faithfully proclaiming Christ in the midst of uncomfortable circumstances.

This morning, we also pray for our enemies. We pray for those who ridicule and mock us. Give us the grace to bless in the face of evil and not return revile for revile. We pray for those who think we are bigoted and unloving. Holy Spirit, give us words of grace and peace when we are insulted. And forgive us when we have acted with arrogance or pride. Forgive us for the times we have spoken truth without compassion, for the times we have desired to win an argument more than love your image bearers. Do not let our failures diminish what others think of Christ. Let us be a vivid display of the beauty and joy of Jesus.

We pray for those who persecute our brothers and sisters around the world. We pray for ISIS and the Taliban and Boko Haram and other terrorist organizations. Save these men and women. Turn these terrorists into trophies of grace. However you act, restrain the evil and wickedness these groups promote. Father, for the glory of your name, give the persecuted church strength to faithfully testify to Christ.

Encourage us with your word this morning. Pour your grace over us as we, molding us, not into the pattern of this world, but according to the world to come. We pray all of this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano