Worship through Prayer

Oh Lord, our God, salvation belongs to you. The angels, rightfully sing your praises even now, and so we join in, with them. One voice of a throng that joyfully sings to you.

You are timeless, oh God, and yet you graciously enter time.

Your power is immeasurable, and yet you are tender.

You are set apart, and yet you stepped in.

You are faithful, and yet you are patient with us when we are not.

You are just, and yet you are also gracious.

You are love, and yet you love us when we do not love you.

How wonderful are you, oh God? Time does not permit us to consider the excellencies of your glory. If we had a thousand days to do nothing but consider you, we would not begin to have enough time. You dwell in unapproachable light and reign over the universe. As we slept last night you were doing 10,000 things. As we pray now, you receive the praise and thanksgivings of millions. How good it is to think upon you, Lord. How good it is. Because you are the definition of goodness, glory, and love. You are God, the only God.

And, yet so often, Lord we do not set our thoughts upon you. We are slow to think on you, slow to speak of you, slow to lift our voices in praise to you. Some of us were slow to come to this gathering this morning. We are want to pray. Want to sing. Want to encourage others in Christ. Oh Lord, you are magnificent, and we are dull.

So often, Lord, we confess that we’d rather talk about the circumstances of our lives…our jobs, our sleepless nights, family matters, or more trivial matters like what we had for dinner last night, before we speak of you to others. Forgive us Lord, for how often we act as though you were light and fluffy when in fact we know that you are deep and heavy. Forgive us for our disinterest in you. Forgive us for our disinterest in speaking of you to others that need to hear of you. Forgive us for our fears that, too often, protect our self-image before we promote the image of Christ in others. Our allegiance is all too often focused on ourselves and not enough on you or the good of our neighbor.

Forgive us, Lord, for sexual immorality, for greed, for gossip, and for slander. Forgive us for our lack of thankfulness. Forgive those that have not served the church, but only sustainably received from her. Forgive those who have not given to the church or to the poor and the needy. God, we are a mess. We admit it. We need your grace; and oh how glad we are to know that you generously provide it for us in Christ.

Thank you that in Christ all of our sins are forgiven. By His blood the penalty of our trespasses are dealt with, once and for all. Thank you that in Christ we are free from the guilt of our sin and free to then love as you loved us.

Thank you for ways A and E loved others this week as you loved them. Thank you for A and M, and the ways they loved each other as you loved them. Thank you for A and H who strive to know you and make you known. Thank you for J and M and the way they have shown us Jesus. Thank you for C, M, C, and T who loved you by praying to you this week. Oh Lord, we have so much to be thankful for.

Towards that end, we pray to you, our Sovereign God. Seeking you to move for the sake of your glory.

For North Wake Church in Wake Forest, NC, as they continue their preaching series on love, will you give their people new and profound insights into the depth of your love for them and from that, will you move them to love their neighbor’s sacrificially

Here in D.C., we pray for Redeemer City Church, bless their time in the letter to Timothy. Show them the hope of Christ and the aim of their charge as love…keep them faithful as they seek to stand firm in the grace of Christ. Bless our brother K and our sister M as they are here with us. May they sense your love for them among us so that they might be refueled to go back to the saints at Redeemer City this week knowing and believing that they are not alone in the great task of making disciples. Remind them that they are not alone. You are with them, and so are we.

Father, we pray for the pastors that were part of the training in Nairobi this past week. As they learned about prayer, the sufficiency of Scripture, church discipline, and church membership from pastors K, C, and V, among others, I pray that this would result in more and more and more healthy churches that proclaim Christ not only there in Kenya, but also in the other countries of Africa. Reclaim pastors and churches that bought into the lie of the health, wealth, and prosperity Gospel and lead them into beautiful cities that reflect the supremacy of Christ.

As we pray for the church in Africa, we pray for our brother D in Uganda, Lord, as he is receiving death threats from family members for placing his faith in Christ, would you strengthen him and cause him to testify boldly about the truthfulness of Christ? Would you turn his wife and children to you as well? Show them in the suffering of their husband and father that Christ is better than this world.

Lord, we pray for the Christian teens in Nigeria that are currently gathered in a camp. Would you use this camp to help them forgive their attackers. May friendships be formed and may love, compassion, and courage be given to them as they return to their home where they will likely face more attacks because of their faith in Christ.

Jesus, teach your church, here in America and around the world, that we are citizens of heaven. Teach us the words of Peter, that we should not be surprised at fiery trials that come upon us. Remind us of your words, Jesus, that if the world rejected you, they will reject us. Teach us these things, Lord, so that we will more fervently pray, and more fervently engage those that don’t know you--so that they can come to see that, you, Jesus, are more valuable than gold, silver, or any other earthly comfort or acclaim. Make the members of this church, bold evangelists that say, "take the world, just give me Jesus."

We love you, Lord, and we need you. You are our true north--our Lord, our Savior, our friend. You're all we have. Give us more of yourself this week as we engage you in Community Groups and discipling relationships. Give us more of your grace even now as our brother K comes to feed us your word.

You are a Good, Great, and Glorious King. Reveal those things even more to us now.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is full of your glory. From the vastness of the ocean to the majesty of mountains – from the depth of the seas to the heights of the heavens. Creator of every atom and stitch of creation, and maker of every man, woman, and child, we praise you. We worship you. We exalt in you. You are boundless in your love and in your mercy and in your grace. And oh God, how we know of your grace. For not only have you saved us from sin, but you saved us while we were still sinful. Even when we had our hearts set against you, you reached out to us: forsaking your heavenly throne, you came to us as a servant. Not to be served, but to serve. And oh God, what service you provided. What more could we ever ask for than for you to die on the cross, and to rise again: to not only pay for our sins, but to provide us hope forever and ever. How good it is to be reminded of your gospel kindness towards a sinful people.

And Father, we have no doubts: we are sinful. We have sinned in both what we have done, and in what we have failed to do. In thought, word, and deed, we have fallen far short of the standard you provide. Though we know it to be wrong, we still lie. Though we know we shouldn’t, we envy. Oh God, how much of our sin this week has been rooted in envy? Father, we confess to wanting what we do not have, to quarreling for what we have not received, for failing to ask you for the desires of our hearts, and for the disordered desires that lead us to follow the god of our belly.

We confess to wanting what isn’t and shouldn’t be ours: to envying our neighbor’s possessions, and lusting after bodies that don’t belong to us.  We confess to allowing these desires to drive us to spend more time at work than we should, to sacrifice our families and friends for the sake of our own advancement, to failing to live sacrificially and generously as you command.

We confess too Father, that often when we give, we do so out of compulsion, not joy. We ask that you would set this right Father: that you would give us new hearts that rejoice in giving, not taking. We ask that you would give us hearts that worship the creator, not what you create.

And Father, we thank you for the many ways you’ve already accomplished this. We thank you that you are working in hearts even now, transforming them by one degree of glory to another. Father, we pray that you would continue this work. We pray that you continue this work not only here, but in churches throughout DC and throughout the world. Would you continue to make disciples for yourself at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, at Iglesia Biblica Sublime Gracia, at Del Rey Baptist Church, at Grace DC and Mosaic. Would you make disciples for yourself in the Dominican Republic and Haiti and Kazan and Kurdistan? Would you see disciples made in Jordan and the UAE? Would you bring more men and women in Uganda and Canada and Australia into your people?

Father God, you provide every good thing for us, so we trust you as we come to you with our requests. As we begin a new school year, would you help the students among us to glorify you in their studies and research? Would you help them to learn what they need to understand your creation, and equip them with the skills they need to serve your image bearers well? For the teachers among us, we bring you our prayers as well. We thank you for N, and J, and D. We praise you for the successes they’ve seen and will see in the classroom, and we pray that you would give them and other teachers here and throughout the District faithful patience and lovingkindness, that their students might excel and feel loved in a difficult city. We pray for the city of Washington, and for the leaders here, Father: local and national. Would you give our council members, mayor, the representatives and senators and judges and President wisdom and wise advisors? Would you help shape our government to be just and righteous as you command it to be?

Finally Father, we pray for the hearts and souls of those gathered here today. For those who are hurting, we trust that you will remedy that hurt. For those who are rejoicing, we thank you and pray you would help that joy continue on until glory. And Father, we do pray that glory would come soon – would you soon send your sin to restore all creation, that we might finally sing your praises, in spirit and in truth, crying out before your throne “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God almighty: the whole earth is full of his glory.” Thank you for allowing us to praise your name in the here and now, and for providing us comfort while we wait to see the Promised Land. We pray all this in eager expectation of that promise, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the name of your son Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Heavenly Father,

You are truly worthy of the central place in our lives and our affections. You are God - and in your eternal power, your splendour and your perfect love - you stand apart from all others.

We worship you this morning because you are Eternal. You are not constrained by the passing of time. You stand outside of it and the passing of a thousand years is like a few hours in a day to you.

Unlike the powerful and mighty in our world, the years in no way bring change to you or your majestic rule over your creation. From everlasting to everlasting - you are God.

By comparison the longer we live, the shorter the span of our years appear to us. Your word tells us that we are like grass - that grows up quickly and then withers. Here nothing stays the same for long, we change, our family changes, our friends change, our circumstances change.

Our mortality should humble us and drive us to our knees in dependance upon you. Yet in so many ways we occupy ourselves with temporal goals in view.

  • We believe and embrace the lie that we control our own destiny - and that if we try hard enough we can accomplish anything we want.

  • We are often selfish with our time - using it to serve our own interests rather than your purposes and the interests of others.

  • We often think about and use our money as if it is completely ours to use as we wish

  • We accumulate possessions forgetting that moth and rust will destroy and will thieves will break in and steal.

  • We often forget Jesus’ words that ...whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

Lord forgive us and help us. Forgive us for our short-sightedness.

Thank you for the Cross and the assurance of your mercy and forgiveness because of Christ. Thank you that He has born the penalty that we deserve and that we need not fear your anger. We thank you that we are now your Children, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, adopted into your family, and destined for eternal joy in the your heavenly Kingdom.

We ask this morning that you would teach us both individually and as a church to number our days aright that we might gain a heart of wisdom.

  • May the reality of your sovereignty and our complete dependance upon you for our every breath inform the way that we live day by day.

  • As the summer draws to a close and many of us anticipate the beginning of new things - school, jobs, sports - may we be determined to approach these things putting Christ in the center and his purposes paramount

As many of our children begin a new year at school over coming weeks we pray for them.

  • We ask that your glorious power and works would be known by them. Bring the children to a personal knowledge of Christ and decision to follow him.

  • We ask that you would help them to live as disciples of Christ amongst their friends. Give them increasing discernment and wisdom - and courage to go your way.

  • Help the parents to persevere in training their children through instruction and discipline in the Lord. Give us wisdom when we don’t know what to do and encouragement from one another.

  • We pray for school administrators and teachers in our city. May they recognize the stewardship they have been given and use their authority and roles for good in the lives of the children under their instruction.

  • We pray for good role models for our children. We pray for Hector and others at FCA as they form relationships and speak of Christ. Use this ministry to encourage and bring the gospel to many.

We also pray that gospel would continue to go forth in the ripe harvest field of the Middle East.

  • Thank you for the workers in that region who have obeyed your call to preach the gospel to the nations. Help them to persevere in learning the language, and building relationships with local people. Protect them from discouragement.

  • We pray for the small group of believers who meet each Friday to open your word together. We pray for growth in maturity and courage to live as your disciples despite the high cost.

  • We pray that the scriptures would be translated clearly and accurately and be available soon. Ask they you would build your church in that place.

Lastly, pray for Nathan as he comes to open your word in a few minutes. Please give us hungry hearts and help us to be doers of your word.

In Christ’s Name, Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Father, we praise you for your beauty and brightness. We praise you that you love and love perfectly. Father, you are beautiful, and you are light. Your character is pure and perfect. Your love is in complete harmony with your justice and with your mercy. You are free, and you use your freedom to love.

Father, we praise you for how you made a way for us to be free. We were enslaved to sin and deserving of your eternal judgement, but in Christ you absorbed the punishment, you gave us new life and removed the fear of rejection and death which kept us enslaved to sin. We praise you for how Christ, stood between you and us and took our sin away.

Father, we confess that we have used our freedom for sin. We were free to praise you, but we praised ourselves. We were free to praise you, but we blamed you for how you don’t give us what we long for. We were free to praise you, but we forgot about it because we were absorbed with idols. We were free to love, but we chose to look down on our neighbors. We were free to love, but we chose to insist on our own right, rather than showing meekness. We were free to love, but we used our words to get back out the people next to us. We were free to love you, but we chose to work for our career, family and money.

Father, forgive us our sin and enable us to use our freedom for love. Help us remember who you are and who we are in you. Help us not fear death or humiliation or loss, but love you with all our hearts, minds and souls and our neighbors as ourselves.

Father, we thank you for your forgiveness. We thank you for freeing us from sin, at immeasurable cost to yourself. Thank you for Jesus, our Lord, who took our sin, and made us a new creation. We thank you that we will get to share in your eternal glory and love. We thank you that we don’t get to do everything we want, but that you watch over us to keep us from hurting you, our neighbors and ourselves.

Father, we thank you, that in Jesus you made a way for people to live in peace and freedom, people from all nations, people-groups, status and races. We thank you that we are no longer in search of an identity or a home, but that we are in Christ and that you are preparing a place for us. We thank you for your body, the church, in which you display your manifold wisdom in front of powers and principalities.

Father we thank you for your churches Legacy Humboldt Park, led by CP, and Progressive Baptist led by CD, who are lights in Chicago even as the city and area are hit by a wave of extreme violence. We thank you for their presence there, in the midst of the darkness. We pray that they put their faith in you, proclaim the Gospel clearly and that the people in their communities would turn to your truth for salvation. We pray you empower them not to be afraid about what is going on, but to faithfully love one another even as they have been doing.  We pray that you put an end to the violence in Chicago and bring reconciliation there.

Father we pray for freedom from sin in this country. We pray that people would not pursue their instincts and desires but pursue the love of Jesus. We pray that people would not use any freedoms provided by you to sin, but to serve one another, to hear one another and to bear with one another. We pray that you release the people of this country from slavery to money, power, sex and man-made images of happiness and prosperity.

Finally, Father we pray that you end racism in this country. We are saddened and angry that people would gather, as they are later today in this city, to claim that one race, the white race, is superior to another. You created us all in your image, irrespective of race and skin color. And yet, some people have deluded themselves into believing a devilish lie. We pray Father that this lie would fall and that nobody in this country would believe it anymore. We pray for reconciliation between people of different races, as well as for restitution, healing and forgiveness. We also pray, Lord, for people who have believed the lie of racism, that they would repent and believe the truth of Jesus Christ and be saved.

Father, given how easy it is for violence to break out, we pray that you make today’s demonstrations pass by without verbal aggression or physical violence. We pray that you give wisdom and self-restraint to all parties involved. We pray that no free publicity would be given to these lies, but that your truth would be proclaimed.

Father, you are building a kingdom of freedom. We pray that your churches in this city and this country would be a light pointing to the true freedom, the freedom to enjoy you and to love you and neighbor.

In Christ’s name, Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Oh God of our salvation, may all the earth shout for JOY to you, this morning. May we sing the glory of your name; may we give to you glorious praise. May we say, both now, this afternoon, tomorrow morning, and later this week…How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth will worship you and sing praises to you. Grant that we would come and see what you have done. From the formation of the heavens and the seas, to the lifting up of the mountains and the creation of plants, animals, and us…created in your image to be illustrators of your Love. Blessed are you, oh God. You have not rejected this prayer nor removed your steadfast love and faithfulness from us.

Forgive us, as we have already prayed, but pray again…forgive us of our many sins. Forgive us for our prayerlessness, how we so often depend upon ourselves and neglect you through daily, momentary prayer. Forgive us for our wandering eyes and our materialistic hearts. Teach us to not love the world like we so often do. Forgive husbands who have not loved their wives as Christ has loved the church. Forgive the wives who have not helped their husbands as Christ has helped us. Forgive our attitudes towards those that are not like us and teach us to be more loving, more patient as you are towards us. Forgive us, Lord for the ways our hearts can be bored at the thought of discipleship, Bible memorization, or evangelism. Train us to see, that all of our joys are found in you. Help us to not only agree that this is possible…but also, more tangibly see that it is real. All our joys are found in you.

We rejoice, oh Lord, in so great a salvation. How you cover all of our sin. The sins of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Thank you Jesus that all of the Father’s promises are YES in you. Thank you that we do not have to live in the slavery of lies, but instead, we can live in the freedom of your victory over sin. Thank you for the Cross…thank you for the Cross…thank you for the cross where, in faith, we are washed, clean. And thank you for the resurrection that illustrates that sinners can be made new. We rejoice in so great a salvation.

As we consider these things, we can easily consider our brothers and sisters in Christ that likewise worship you all over this nation, today. We pray for them. We pray for our brothers and sisters of the Treasuring Christ Together Network…From Kaleo Church in San Diego, to City of Joy Fellowship in East St. Louis, up to Jubilee church and Cities Church in Minneapolis, down to Grace Church in Memphis, Treasuring Christ Church in Raleigh, Desiring God in Charlotte, and Covenant Life church and Heights church in Tampa…Lord, bless them as they gather right now. Grant that they would more discernibly KNOW your love for them and may they return, with loud voices, praise to you. May these churches see conversions this coming week as a result of the promises that are preached this morning. May these churches very practically help the hurting, serve the poor, and push back the darkness of their communities. May they raise up more leaders, and may they plant more churches both here and around the world. Bless, the work of TCT. And Father, grant peace and wisdom to Sean Cordell, Jordan Thomas, and others as they lead this network of churches we are so thankful to be a part.

Here in our own city. Flood Mercy of Christ Fellowship with visitors this morning as a result of their outreach yesterday in Lincoln Heights. May those visitors see and savor Christ. Bless the work of the Grace DC churches and the Renew DC churches. Give them unity, wisdom, and passion to reach their neighbors for the glory of Christ and the gladness of their souls.

For us, Lord, would you so shine your face upon us this morning? Would you make your word REAL to us. Through the preaching of our brother James, in just a moment, would you awaken us to the reality of YOUR immensity! Would you help us see that the beginning of knowledge is fear of the Lord. And from that, would you help us to not only know salvation…but REJOICE in our salvation. Will you convict unrepentant sinners. Direct the saints, and move us to attempt GREAT things here in Ward 3 because we more palatable know the riches of your grace.

Father, bless our brother J and our sister P as they continue their sabbatical. Would you give them insights into your word that are profound? And would you give them and their daughters rest that leads them to fight it out here in Tenleytown for the long haul?

Lord, I pray for J and M, J and W, and P as they have recently joined this church. May we serve them in the love of Christ. And may they do the same towards us. Lord, bring more and more to join with us here as we seek to make disciples that delight in the supremacy of Christ.

As they come in…would you give us a passion for your glory that results in a culture of discipleship…where people meet to talk about Jesus at lunches, breakfasts, and late night conversations. Would you grant that we would serve the poor, the sick, and the hurting? Grant that we might not be passive in our lives together as a church. But active in pursuing you, one another and our neighbors in prayer, in discipleship, and in acts of service.

And do it all, Lord….do all of this in order that CHRIST would be magnified! Make us long more for this…make us long more for His coming.

We love you, Lord, and we thank you that you first loved us. Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Adoration

Father, with love and authority, You speak life into being.

With mercy and grace, You freely call us out of death.

Only through the power of your word do we know life.

Only through the righteousness of Christ can we knoweternal life.

Neither man nor evil can thwart your eternal will or hold back your goodness.

With all wisdom, knowledge and faithfulness, You create new heavens and a new earth.

Only you can make and fulfill the promise of no more weeping or crying.

You have patiently listened to and heard the cries of injustice in this world, generation after generation, yet soon your complete and eternal justice will come.

You bring peace, because you are Peace.

We look to you, Father, and are glad.

 

Christ,

“You are the image of the invisible God... All things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible… were created through you, by you, and for you.

You are before all things and hold all things together.  You are the head of the church.

You are the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything you might be preeminent.

For in you all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through you the Father reconciled all things to himself, making peace by your blood on the cross.” [Colossians 1:15-20]

We rejoice in You, Jesus.

 

Holy Spirit,

You give us new spiritual life.  You sanctify and empower us.  You lead us to know our Father’s perfect will.  You help us to know  Christ. You help us to understand the Word. You comfort us in ways no one else can. You give us the words to speak and the heart to act when the time is right. You are our helper and our counsellor. You fill us and will not leave us.

We adore you, Spirit. “Through You we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.” [Galatians 5:5]

 

Confession

As our hope is in you, Lord, we confess:

We have reflected the fallen nature of the world, rather than reflecting you and your character to those around us.

While we have repented, and put away the things of this world, this week we picked some things back up. We found them wanting.  They never do really satisfy.  Yet still we cannot completely let them go.

With impure thoughts and impure motives, we have selfishly sought our own satisfaction and our own worldly gain outside of your holiness and goodness.

We have let passion, evil desire, and unrighteous anger well up inside of us and overflow through our words and actions rather than confess our weakness and turn to you for patience, guidance, and strength.

We have desired what we do not have and let bitterness linger. This has robbed us of our contentment in You. We have been quicker to pass this discontentment on to others, than to speak of your Glory and your grace in our lives.    

Forgive us, Lord.  Quicken our repentance this week and grow our trust in You.

 Father, thank you for offering your children assurance of pardon. Again and again.

You do not leave us in our doubts.  You do not leave us on a scale weighing our works. But you look to the work of Christ on the cross, You see His righteousness and proclaim our forgiveness and our worth in Him.

“[We], who were dead in our trespasses…, [You] made us alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by the canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.  This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.” [Colossians 2:13-14]

Jesus, thank you!

Thank you for the victory over sin that we do know.

 

Thanksgiving and Supplication

We are grateful for the many children you have put under our care.  Thank you for the initiative and wisdom you give Kathryn and the teachers in preparing for every lesson and activity.  We thank you for the parents as they diligently seek to raise their children under your care and counsel.

We pray that each girl and boy would come to know you at an early age, and that they would make a difference in our city and our world to the glory of your name.

We pray for the unborn in our city and our country.  We pray that they would all have a path to life.  For expecting mothers and fathers in difficult circumstances, we pray that they would be able to prioritize the care of these precious lives.  We pray that they would seek and receive any support that they need.  For any children that cannot stay with their families, we pray that you would provide families that would enable them to grow up in loving homes and churches. We pray for those in our own church who are serving or seek to serve in this way through adoption, foster care or other means.  May we come around them as a church supporting them individually and corporately.

We pray for unity in diversity in our church and churches across every ward and neighborhood in the District, Maryland and Virginia.  May each local body of believers display the gospel in our diversity, such that a wondering world can only conclude that it is Christ alone who binds us together.

We thank you for Iglesia Biblica Sublime Gracia, encourage them through the preaching of your word this morning and their time together.

We pray for your work in the Middle East.  Continue the development of a dictionary and a translation of the Bible in their own languages.  May these efforts lead to gospel conversations and new churches worshiping you and proclaiming your name among the nations.

In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Lord, your words are pure, like refined silver.  Your words are life and truth. You created the heavens and the earth, and everything in it and you sustain them by the power of your words.  You are worthy of praise, and great beyond our ability to fathom. You reign in majestic splendor and your works are wonderful. You are abundantly good and righteous.  You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. You are good to all and have compassion on all your creation. Your kingdom is everlasting, and your reign is eternal.  You are merciful to the lowly and downtrodden. You are near to those who call on you in truth. We will praise you with our words and sing of your holiness. Your love is steadfast, and you have delivered the salvation you promised.  You are the ultimate answer to our longings. Our hope is in you; your Word is a delight.

We confess that we are often not careful with our words.  We speak rashly in anger, or thoughtlessly without regard for the feelings of our neighbor.  We speak to tear down, rather than to build up. We talk of frivolous things while neglecting to speak of the beauty of your Gospel.  We are so often quick to speak but slow to listen, and quick to be aroused in anger. We come to your church and hear your words and then go away unchanged, as though we had never heard in the first place.  We do not restrain our tongues and we do not sufficiently care for the disadvantaged among us. We allow the influences of the world to control our passions and desires rather than resting in you, and so we worship the gods of money, power and independence.

Thank you that you sent Jesus to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to overthrow the kingdoms of the world so that we can be freed of our fruitless strivings for worldy achievement to instead live in humble submission to you.  Thank you for the forgiveness found in Christ so that we do not need to feel the shame of guilt for the ways in which we sin, because we have been washed clean by the blood of the lamb. We pray that you would guide us as we seek to live in light of your gospel, and walk in holiness, motivated not by self-righteousness, but by worship of your good works in us.

Thank you for those who serve our church behind the scenes, who work in ways that are often unseen and unthanked.  We know that you see them, and thank you for gifting them in a variety of ways so that the body will be complete and the needs of our church will be met.  We pray that you would bless their service and use it for your glory, and that you would sustain them as the faithfully serve. And we pray that you would continually raise up people in our congregation who are seeking to serve and enable them to plug in where they are needed so they can use their talents for the advancement of your kingdom through the ministry of Restoration Church.  Thank you for the ways you are doing this already, and we pray that you would continue to do it and continue your blessings of provision on this church.

We pray for our elders who are away from us this week.  We pray that you would give them rest, and restore their souls for the work that they will need to do when they return and that you would enable them to love their wives and children well through this time of rest.  We thank you for a plurality of elders so that the burdens of ministry can be shared and our church can continue to function during periods of rest for the elders. We thank you for Chris, for bringing him into saving knowledge of you and building him up in righteousness, and gifting him with the ability to teach so that he is able to work with our other elders to shepherd us.  We pray that you would speak through him as he comes to preach to us this morning and that you would work in the hearts of us here as we listen to him, so that we would go away loving you more and serving you better.

We pray for other pastors throughout and around our city who will be preaching this morning.  We pray that you would bless the proclamation of your word at Capitol Hill Baptist, at GraceDC, at Del Ray Baptist, and at the many other faithful gospel preaching church in the area.  We pray that you would help their pastors speak about you faithfully and that you would use their sermons to see people come to know you.

We pray also for the nations.  We pray that you would bring the light of your gospel into areas where the physical terrain makes it difficult to go.  We pray that you would send workers to people groups that live in relative isolation, and that you would work among them to plant local churches in those communities.

For the sake of your name we ask these things, and pray that you would glorify yourself in Washington DC and beyond.  Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Father, we praise you for your love and for your faithfulness!

Your love is amazing and true. You had a dream life within the Trinity before creation and could have done without it. But you chose to create what is seen and unseen and share your love with your creation. You chose to love sinful men and women, not once, not twice, but generation after generation, men and women to whom you didn’t owe anything. In your love, you sent them prophets to declare your love for them and you provided for them day after day. Even when they rejected you, you continued your pursuit of love by sending your own Son, who shared the dream life with you, to give His life for sinners, so that they may see your face and so that they may know that you loved them just as you loved your Son. Praise be to your name because you loved those who did not love you. Praise be to your name because your love was not empty words but had real blood and bones. Praise be to your name because your love is that of a Father who wants to see his children have an eternal dream life.

Father, your faithfulness is real and complete. We praise you because you keep your promises. You made generous promises of life, and you kept them. You did not shrink back from suffering in accomplishing them. You did not try to make them smaller, so as they become easier or less costly to fulfil. We praise you because you kept your promises even when your people didn’t keep theirs.

Forgive us, Father, for doubting your love and your faithfulness. This past week, we were afraid, angry, sad or depressed because life wasn’t the way we wanted it, and we tried to make ourselves feel better, and improve our lives by relying on idols, rather than on your promises. We lashed out at our neighbors, we looked down on the people next to us, we worked harder, some of us ate more, or some of us ate less and some of us indulged in base instincts. Some of us forgot, and some of us didn’t want to know that sometimes are our desires are evil, wrong or just plain stupid. Some of us forgot, and some didn’t want to know that our images of life fall short of the life you want to give us.

Forgive us, Father!

Father, we thank you for the forgiveness you give us in Jesus. We thank you for your mercy, for turning your back on our sin and not holding it against us. We thank you for your patience with us and for your perseverance in loving us in spite of our daily sins. Father, we thank you for your great and amazing love and for your complete faithfulness to us. We thank you that you work for your glory and for our well-being, many times in spite of ourselves.

We thank you Lord, that we can come into your presence with our pleas. We thank you that you work to do your people justice. We thank you that you do not tire in accomplishing your promises. And we thank you, however difficult it is to say, that sometimes you do not answer to our prayers. We thank you that you do not give us what we ask for but the dream life that you had with the Son and the Holy Spirit before the world was. We thank you that you work not only to give us our daily needs, but also to bring us safely into your presence.

 

Father, we pray for faith to believe your love letters and your promises. We pray our faith would not waver in big or small challenges we face. We pray that we would not rely on our feelings or on our circumstances to determine whether you love us or not. Enable us to rely on your written word and on your promises for our daily life.

 

Father, there are a lot of lies in this world, lies the world tells us and lies we tell ourselves. And there are lots of lies we have believed for so long that we don’t even know they are lies. We pray that you would free us from these lies to know the truth. Help us reject the lie that we are our careers, that we are our families or that we are our skin color. Help us reject the lie that the dream life can be had by hard work. Help us reject the lie that we are better than our neighbors who hold different opinions. Transform us through your word, prayer and love to be the people you want us to be. Help us patiently wait for your salvation in small and big things.

 

Father, we pray for the Gospel to shine in this dark and lost city. We pray for mercy. Do not give this city to its desires, Lord, but give it life. We pray we would be faithful in our proclamation of the gospel and faithful in living it out. We pray also for IBSG to be a light in Columbia Heights. We pray the preaching would be faithful, prayers fervent, lives changed, and your name glorified.

 

In Christ’s name,

Amen

 

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Gracious and loving Father, we come to you grateful for and humbled by so many things, but we are especially thankful for the fellowship we have with you and with this community of faith. We rejoice in the unity we all have in Christ!

God, you tell us that before time existed, you were there. Before the world came into being, you just were. And, long after this creation fades away, you will continue to be. Father, we recognize that humanity is such a small part of all that is, yet we are sorry that we fool ourselves into believing we are invincible – forgive us, Father!

Gracious God, help us to remember the days of Moses when even the mountains trembled before you. And, be patient with us as we try to remember who you are and whose we are. So much has filled our lives, making it hard for us to recall or even to experience the wonder and awe of your power and presence.

We mourn and hurt with victims of hate crimes like the one that happened in Annapolis, MD this week. And, we experience worry and anxieties over:

  • acts of war and threats of death and destruction,
  • viruses that spread through the world without a cure
  • anger and ignorance reflected by our own political leaders,
  • sickness of our loved ones,
  • and our own personal struggles to love you and to love our neighbors.

Forgive us for getting so caught up in our worries and anxieties that we forget that you are a God who is slow to anger and who abounds in steadfast love. You are present in all the broken places in our lives and throughout the world. You wait for us to turn to you for healing, for justice, for peace. Stir us to the kind of prayerful action, and persistent prayer that will set us apart from the ways of world.

We confess to you, God,, that when we look at what’s going on around us, we are troubled and concerned. Please silence our anxieties and fears, humble our desires for greatness, and fill us with compassion.

Lord, come to us as you went to the Israelites. And, lead us out of all that prevents us from being your people. Remind us of how much we have been forgiven so that we may remember to withhold harsh judgment against our brothers and sisters whose lives may be different from our own.

Long before we drew lines on our maps that separate one people from another, you claimed us all as your beloved. May we be a church that seeks to live in holy love and a church that responds to the barriers that divide race from race, rich from poor, men from women, young from old, and culture from culture. Let us not try your patience any longer with our selfish ways.

Holy Spirit, confront us with the hidden prejudices and fears that deny and betray our prayers. Enable us to see the causes of tension, remove from us all sense of superiority, and teach us to grow in unity with all God’s children.

Christ, our Lord and Savior, reconcile us by your cross! Fill us with compassion for the cry of the alien, the refugee, and the immigrant. Lead this church into ministries that help the orphans and widows. Set us free from vain discussions that prevent us from true worship. Lead us into:

  • sharing our dinner tables with the hungry
  • sharing our homes with the homeless
  • sharing our clothing with the naked

And, sharing the new heart that you through your Spirit has given us with everyone so that we may serve as beacons of hope for all who come seeking you!

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Heavenly Father, we magnify your name.  You are faithful, just, and good.  Your ways are perfect and come in the most perfect time.  You are not slow in keeping your promises. You are instead patient, waiting for all your people to come to repentance and know you, our Great and perfect King.  You are the light that delivers us from darkness.  Our hope and deliverer from guilt and shame.  You are our shield and protector from the lies of doubt and fear. You are our refuge and strength, for you are for us and nothing can be against us.  We exalt you above all of the earth.

Yet, we confess that we put our jobs, school work, relationships, finances, and our own interests above you.  We repent of complaining and grumbling attitudes when we don’t get our way or when we are inconvenienced.  We repent of our laziness when it comes to spending time with you in prayer.  We excuse our lack of time in your Word because of work or family or our need for downtime. We confess that we are quick to anger, short and harsh in our words with our friends and family.  We repent in the ways we think of ourselves more righteous than others and quick to judge of other peoples’ struggles and life decisions. We confess that instead of waiting for you, we seek out instant gratification to satisfy our own desires that is not of your will.  We confess that we have turned a blind eye to injustice in our own communities.  We repent that we do not trust you wholly, but just with parts of our lives that don’t seem much like a sacrifice.  But we thank you that the stains of these sins have been washed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and rose again so that all might be forgiven and reconciled back to you.

We thank you Father God that when lost and alone, you called us to be your own; when we were not beloved, you call us beloved.  When we were told “You are not my people” through your son, Jesus Christ, you called us sons and daughters of the living God. We thank you Lord that because of that sweet truth, our brothers and sisters at Restoration Church serve freely and joyfully as our elders, deacons and deaconesses, the teachers of our kids’ ministries, those who come in early to set up, clean, and prepare our classrooms, our place of worship, and those who stay late to break down our equipment and clean up after our services.  We thank our brothers and sisters who use their time to serve on the music team, lead and teach at Friendship Terrace, and lead our community groups.  We thank you for other sister churches, Temple Hills Baptist Church, Del Ray Baptist Church, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Anacostia River Church, and The Well Community Church, in the way they love Jesus Christ and faithfully preach your Gospel.

Father God, we pray that you use Restoration Church for your own glory and pleasure.  We pray that you would build up more men and women that would rise to the occasion and serve your local body, using their time, efforts, resources, gifts, knowledge, and experience as joyful worship, exalting your name and with desire to see your kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.  We pray, Holy Spirit, for boldness to proclaim the Gospel in our workplaces, in our classrooms, in our homes and for you to lead us into those conversations.  And we pray for the government leaders, which you have put in place of authority.  We pray that you would grant these leaders wisdom, so that they would not legislate laws or regulations for their own gain, but for your gain; that they would not bring about policies that would divide but unite.  Father God, we especially pray for our government officials, that they would administer immigration policies that would strengthen the bonds of families and not harm them.  That children that have been separated from their families would reunited with them soon. Heavenly Father, we pray for those who came in today seeking refuge, we ask that you lead them to lie in green pastures and still waters; for those who came in exhausted, we ask that you restore their souls; for those who came in with fear and anxiety, we ask that you comfort them.  Lord God, open our eyes to the abundance of your grace and love through your Gospel today. Anoint us with your Spirit and overfill us with joy to know your everlasting goodness and mercy that flows from your throne.  Use all the songs, prayers, Scripture, sermon, and conversations today to help bless your name!  Strengthen our trust and love for you as we pray in your son’s name, Jesus Christ, amen!

by Kathryn Feliciano