Worship through Prayer

Father,

We praise your name because you are GOOD, you are RIGHTEOUS and you are LOVING! And, Lord, you SAVE!

Father, so much around us is changing that we don’t quite understand the world we live in. There is so much conflict around the world and in our own nation. There is so much hurt and destruction. There are wars, there are civil wars, there is terrorism, there are illnesses and epidemics and so many economic problems.

Our country is divided and it seems most of us feel that our values are eroding. We feel like our living standard is decreasing and that a lot of what we hold dear is under threat. And it is not only impersonal forces that seem to be driving this, but it feels like our neighbors have different interests than us and sometimes seem to be taking advantage of us. No matter what political or economic preferences we stand for, there seems to be somebody who wants something from us.

Lord, all of these challenges seem to produce sinful patterns in our own hearts. We long for justice and so we point the finger. We long for truth, but when we hear something we don’t like we lash out. We long for security and seek it in our degrees, our work, our skills and our friends.

We live in fear and in worry, working hard at securing for ourselves and for our families the future we desire. Lord, the fear is strong and the pain doesn’t seem to go away. It is the pain of not being who we would like to be, not having what we would like to have, not going in the direction we would like to go in.

We are hurting and we don’t want to be hurting so we try to manufacture a salvation for ourselves. Many times we don’t cling to you, but we try to be safe independently of you. You are just too slow for us. Your salvation and your promises seem far off and too abstract. We have real problems and you talk too much about sin and repentance.

So we rationalize our sins. We shut off from our neighbor, in stead of openly loving them. We come to church and we read our Bibles and fast, but we do so with an expectation of quick deliverance, hoping, just hoping, that somehow we would escape the difficulties of our situation without having to change.

We hope for light, but behold there is darkness, for brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope along the wall like blind men, we grope like those who have no eyes. We stumble at midday as in the twilight. All of us growl like bears and moan like doves. We hope for justice, but there is none, for salvation, but it is far from us.

Your arm is not too short that it cannot save, neither your ear that it cannot hear. It is our iniquities that have made a separation between you and us.

Lord, forgive us our pride and our desire to be independent of you, a desire manifested in such subtle ways that sometimes we are not even fully aware. Lord, forgive us our self-centeredness. Forgive us the fact that many times we go through the motions and we forget that you are a real God, wanting to engage with us in a real relationship.

Lord, forgive the fact that we forget your promises in the pursuit of short-term security and absence of pain.

Lord, we thank you, that by your servant, the perfect Servant Jesus Christ, you provided salvation for us from our sins. We thank you that our Lord is committed to restoration of your kingdom. Lord, we thank you that you provide the promises and the Holy Sprit for your people to grasp and believe them.

Father, we pray we would live in faith that you will, one day, on THAT GLORIOUS DAY, complete your deliverance us. We pray that we would patiently pray and watch that you would fulfill your promises. We pray that we would not despair in fear and worry or try to escape the pain we feel by lying to ourselves or to you. Rather, Father, we pray we would cry out to you in submission and prayer.

Father, have mercy on our country. We pray that you give wisdom to our officials and you give peace to the country. We pray that, whichever way this election goes, you would pour out your grace and help the people live together in a just way.

Father, we pray you provide righteous reconciliation between democrats and republicans, blacks and whites, liberals and conservatives, rich and poor, young and old, majority and minority. We pray that nobody would take justice in their own hands, nor attempt to define the truth, but that both justice and truth would be revealed from you.

Father, use these current events to call this country to spiritual reformation. We pray for repentance and for faith in you. We pray that we, your people, would be salt and light. We pray we would proclaim and live out the Gospel at all times, in front of all people. We pray we would love our neighbors.

Father, help us live in the pursuit of the future justice, glory and restoration.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Good, good Father, we come to you this morning in the name of your son, our brother, Jesus Christ. We praise you that you are perfect Father; we praise you for your great compassion, everlasting love and steadfast faithfulness. You are perfect in all of your ways.

We praise you for the gift of children. This morning we praise you specifically for L, A and Hl. We rejoice in the precious gift of M, M, S, N, and N. We praise you for C, A, S, E, C and O. We bless your name for C, A, and E. Bring each of these children to faith at a young age that they will never know life apart from trusting in and greatly treasuring Jesus.

Grant these parents wisdom and grace and patience and self-control as they seek to raise their sons and daughters in the gospel of our Lord. We ask your blessing upon C & K, N & I, M & C, K & N, R & C, S & C, C & T, R & S, and myself & P.

Use not only these parents, but each and every covenant member to raise the children among us in the discipline and instruction of our Lord. Make the RKids classroom and homes and Community Groups places of fruit-bearing gospel soil. Shape and mold all of us through our children; remind us all of you, our perfect Father in heaven.

Father, we pray for those without fathers and mothers. We pray for DC127 – use this ministry to care for those in the foster care system in DC. Grant our members joy in serving alongside this ministry. Comfort those here this morning who find moments like this hard. Comfort those of us who have been taken advantage of by those who were supposed to act as fathers and mothers in their lives. Pour your grace out on those of us who grieve the loss of a father or mother. Lavish your everlasting love on those of us who desire to have children, but for some reason only known to you they cannot. Remind those of us who desire to be married so they can be a father or mother of your never-ending faithfulness.

Holy Spirit, minister to our inmost parts this morning. Whisper to the depths of our soul, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.” Bring us to the Living Water of Christ this morning. Whisper to the depths of our soul, “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Remind us of our free redemption in Christ Jesus. Help us, O God, help us delight in the rich, soul-satisfying feast of Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit help us rest in the abundant pardon for our sin found in Jesus. Holy Spirit help us rejoice in the reconciliation we have with our Father in heaven. We plead with you, O Lord, help us understand and live in light of what it means that we are forever loved and cherished and honored by you.

We confess our sin freely this morning. We confess that we have lied and pursued romantic immorality. We confess that greed has gripped our heart and our lust has materialized itself in virtual fantasies while staring at a computer or phone screen. We confess sharp words toward our spouse. We confess we have disciplined our children out of anger and resentment. We confess our idols of comfort and efficiency worshipped at the expense of dismissing and marginalizing others. We confess our resentment toward the church, this church. We confess that we often try to pay off our sin before coming to you. We confess our gossip and our grumbling. We confess our self-righteous comparisons to make ourselves feel better. We repent, Lord. We repent of our sin against you. We repent of our sins against made in your image. Forgive us, we cry.

And we run to the cross. We run to the One who was pierced for our transgressions. We look to him as he was crushed for our iniquities. We rest in the Jesus who bore our sins. We praise you that he was willingly chastised that we might be cherished. We praise you that Jesus rose again that we might have life. Oh, what joyful news this is. Inflame our souls with a deep joy in Christ. Infuse our thoughts with gospel-soaked truths about who we are in Jesus. Holy Spirit, cause these truths to not be stale and academic, but sweet and precious.

Use us Lord. Use us to minister the gospel to one another. Give us the grace to speak compassionate, encouraging words to each other. Give us the grace to enter each other’s suffering and joys. Use us to advance the gospel in Washington, DC and beyond. Make us heralds of the good news of Jesus to our neighbors and the nations. For those here not trusting you this morning Lord, grant them faith in Jesus. Help them see satisfaction found in him alone. We pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who face physical persecution. Encourage them. Use their sufferings to advance the name of the suffering Servant, Jesus Christ. Thank you for your word. We praise you that it does not return void but restores and gives life. We pray all of this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

A Call to Prayer

JC Ryle was a 19th-century pastor in England. He authored several works, many of which are still read today. One of these pieces is a short tract on prayer, A Call to Prayer. Below are quotes from this work to encourage your soul in prayer.

I can find that nobody will be saved by his prayers, but I cannot find that without prayer anybody will be saved. (pg. 4)

The first act of faith will be to speak to God. Faith is to the soul what life is to the body. Prayer is to faith what breath is to life. (pg 7)

How a man can live and not breathe is past my comprehension, and how a man can believe and not prayer is past my comprehension, too. (pg. 7)

Praying and sinning will never live together in the same heart. Prayer will consume sin, or sin will choke prayer. (pg. 9)

The name of Jesus is a never-failing passport for our prayer. (pg. 10)

[Jesus Christ] mingles our prayers with the incense of his own almighty intercession. So mingled, they go up as a sweet savour before the throne of God. (pg. 11)

I believe those who are not eminently holy pray little, and those who are eminently holy pray much. (pg 14)

You may be very sure men fall in private long before they fall in public. (pg. 17)Prayer can lighten crosses for us, however heavy. It can bring down to our side One who will help us to bear them. (pg. 19)

Prayer can lighten crosses for us, however heavy. It can bring down to our side One who will help us to bear them. (pg. 19)

I believe we are very poor judges of the goodness of our prayers, and that the prayer which pleases us least, often pleases God most. (pg. 24)

Faith is to prayer what the feather is to the arrow; without it prayer will not hit the mark. (pg. 27)

[W]e should cultivate the habit of expecting answers to our prayers. We should do like the merchant who sends his ship to the sea. We should not be satisfied, unless we see some return. (pg. 28)

Tell me what a man’s prayers are, and I will soon tell you the state of his soul. Prayer is the spiritual pulse. (pg. 32)Prayer is the spiritual weatherglass. By

Prayer is the spiritual weatherglass. By this we may know whether it is fair or foul with our hearts. (pg. 32)

by Joey

Worship through Prayer

Father, we come to you this morning in the name of Jesus. We come praising you for who you are – holy, righteous, beautiful, slow to anger, abounding in love, eternally satisfying. We come praising you for what you have done, are doing, and will do. Jesus, we praise you for your sin-paying death and life-giving resurrection. Holy Spirit, we praise you for opening our eyes that we might behold Jesus in all his glory.

Lord, we praise you for these new members. Use A, M, R, D, C, J, H, L, J, A and C to strengthen our church; use them to advance the gospel to those who don’t yet know Christ. And use our church to build them up in the faith that they might delight fully in Jesus.

We thank you that there are many other gospel churches in DC faithfully laboring to make Jesus known. Grant our brothers and sisters at 4^th Presbyterian perseverance in the faith. Use Washington International Church to magnify Jesus. Grant S and T refreshment as they shepherd the saints at Pillar DC. Use Anacostia River Church to herald the good news of Jesus. We thank you for Redemption Hill and Redeemer Arlington and Cherrydale Baptist.

We pray that your gospel will go forth in DC and beyond. Grant our sister A much joy as she labors for Christ among refugees in the Middle East. Use her to see people trust and treasure Jesus above all things. Continue to give language acquisition to R and E. Give M perseverance as he leads translating the Bible into other languages. Give our brother A wisdom as he seeks to serve Redeemer Church in Leeds. Raise up more men and women from this congregation to take the gospel to the nations. Do this Lord. Do it for the glory of your name and the eternal joy of your people.

Lord we praise you for the gospel zeal and servant leadership of the members of Restoration. We praise you for our Community Group leaders, deacons, deaconesses. Grant each one of these men and women joy in serving and building up the body. Where they are weary give them strength. Where they are energized, spur them on all the more. Raise up more CG leaders. Raise up more deacons and deaconesses. We also praise you for the elders of this church. Thank you for the giftings and careful shepherding and fervent prayers of N, N and C. Encourage these brothers in the work of ministry. Raise up more elders we pray. Raise up men who are ethnically and generationally diverse to serve as elders of Restoration. Do this Lord that Restoration might increasingly reflect your glorious character; that we might display your manifold wisdom. Do it for the glory of your name and the eternal joy of your people.

Father, we thank you for the gift of music. As we praise you in song, vibrate the truth of who you are deep within our souls. As we hear our brothers and sisters sing, cause our souls to rejoice in the truth of the gospel and cause us to long for heaven. We praise you for your Word. As we read your word and listen to the preaching of your Word this morning, Holy Spirit, stir our affections. Remind us of the work of Christ and all that it has accomplished. Do it for the glory of your name and the eternal joy of your people.

And because of the cross, we come to you repenting of our sins, and resting not in our works, but in Jesus. We come to you not only as pardoned criminals, but as your precious children loved and cherished by you. We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent, for the sake of your crucified and risen Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name.

Refresh those who are weary. Comfort the hurting this morning. Draw near to those who feel you are far off. Grant wisdom to the confused. Spur on the faithful. Stir the affections of those who find you dull and boring. Work in this place this morning. Do it for the glory of your name and the eternal joy of your people.

Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus this morning. We come as your adopted sons and daughters resting in your presence, rejoicing in your grace. We pray for those impacted by hurricane Matthew. Comfort those who have lost loved ones; give strength to those who will have to rebuild homes and parts of their lives. We pray for Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and the states along the US coast. Grant first responders wisdom and grace and energy to serve and protect. We praise you for technology that allows us to foresee these types of events coming and minimize the damage that results.

Holy Lord, this morning we pray for the government of the United States. Grant our lawmakers and elected officials wisdom. Surround these men and women with people of upright character and sound judgment. Help our lawmakers not seek personal agendas or political maneuvering, but seek to help those whom they serve flourish. Grant President Obama wisdom these last days in office. As we enter an election, give us the ability to respect those with whom we may disagree. Keep us from hoping in a political party or specific candidate – cause our ultimate hope and rest be in the King of King and Lord of Lord, Jesus Christ.

We thank you Lord that Restoration Church labors alongside many other gospel churches in Washington DC. We ask your blessing upon Capitol Hill Baptist and Grace DC and Redemption Hill. Use The District Church and NCC to advance your gospel. Grant grace to Redeemer City and Waterfront Church and All Nations DC. Use the ministries of Campus Outreach, Chi Alpha, CRU and Intervarsity to reach students with the good news of Jesus.

Use each of us Lord. Use us to see others comes to faith in Christ. Give us such a deep love of Jesus it’s natural for us to tell others about his saving work and life-giving resurrection. Grant us opportunities to clearly proclaim the gospel. Holy Spirit, give us a sweet mixture of boldness and humility, conviction and kindness, toughness and tenderness. Use us Lord to make disciples that delight in the supremacy of Jesus Christ. It’s in his name we pray. Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano