Worship through Prayer

Father, we come to you this morning in the name of your eternal Son, We praise you for Sublime Gracia. Give them much grace and fruit these early days of ministry. We praise you for Campus Outreach. Continue to use O and S and other Restoration members to advance to the gospel. We praise you for DC127 and the Central Union Mission. Use the people in these organizations to help care for the impoverished and marginalized. We pray your gospel advances among refugees in Jordan and Greece. Raise up an indigenous church among Muslims in Iraq. Grant the gospel laborers there much grace, wisdom, discernment and rest in Christ.

Lord, we praise you for all that you have done in and through Restoration Church. Grant each member of this church a deep and growing love for Jesus. Grow not just our obedience but our affections, our delight, our joy in knowing Christ. For the glory of your name, give us the humility to put personal preferences below gospel priority. Use our Community Groups as places where we mutually care for each other, physically and spiritually. Holy Spirit, for the witness and exaltation of Jesus, help us foster and cultivate unity in all our diversity.

Father, we thank you for the birth of A. May your grace be upon D and M as they learn the sanctifying joys of parenting. We pray for the many others expecting a child in the coming days or months. Use this church body to care for families and to raise children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Father, we pray for those here this morning who long to be married, or those here who long to have children. Remind us of your goodness even when you don't give us what we want. Keep us from doubting you and denying you. Holy Spirit, press upon our soul the eternal joys that await us even if that means our immediate desires are never met.

Lord, we thank you for your gospel work at Redeemer City and Mercy of Christ Fellowship and Del Ray Baptist. Sustain their pastors and their work of preaching the Word. Use them Lord to advance the good news of Jesus and give them the joy of seeing more conversions.

We pray for all the other churches in and around this city where the gospel is faithfully preached and practiced. Grow these churches in conformity to your word that they might enjoy Christ. Father, we pray for the gatherings in church buildings in our city today where the gospel was once preached but now it's denied–either explicitly or functionally. Bring repentance to the pastors and parishioners. Lord, have mercy on them and compel them to preach your gospel once more.

Holy Lord, we praise you for your word. As Nathan preaches Judges 6 this morning, convict us, encourage us, and shape us. Heighten our understanding of the destruction of sinful rebellion. Deepen our joy in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Remind us of your past grace that we might trust in future grace, all while longing and looking forward to the eternal grace of heaven. We pray all of this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Father, we praise you for being such a good and merciful God!

You created a good world and we messed it up. You are good and loving and holy and we are sinners and evil. In spite of that, you did not satisfy justice by destroying us, but by giving your own Son to save us. Had we been in your shoes, we would have demanded and acted to accomplish vengeance and vindication. You, however, patiently pleaded with us and patiently arranged circumstances so as to make us cry for mercy.

Father, we praise you for being good and merciful.

We confess that we are neither good nor loving. We love ourselves, and our good is as good as our belly and comfort. This past week we thought highly of ourselves, we demanded vindication when people went against us and we feared for our reputations and well-being at the expense of truth and love. We sought prosperity by looking at people around us who are better off and by trying to copy their idols and self-images.

Forgive us Father for our rebellion. We exchanged your glory for that which does not profit. Forgive us Lord for having forsaken you, the fountain of living waters, to hew broken cisterns for ourselves (cf. Jer. 2).

We thank you that in Christ you forgive us our rebellion. We thank you that you discipline us in love, rather than destroy us. We thank you that you provide us with your clear written word and with your Holy Spirit to guide us. We thank you that you provide us with all the good things we have. We thank you for all the food, drink, clothes, shelter, families and friends you have given us. We thank you for all the talents, jobs and other good things you have provided.

We pray Father that we would live by faith in your Word rather than by sight in our limited and faulty understanding. We pray that we would not do what is right in our own eyes, nor follow the instincts of our bodies to do what feels right, but that we would do what your written word reveals to be good, lovely and true. We pray that you would empower us to resist the temptation to give into the sins of lust, greed, envy, discontentedness, and self-reliance. We pray we would not fear for our reputations or lives and not long for the images the world sets in front of our eyes as being good, successful, smart and attractive. We pray we worship Jesus, the image of the invisible God in whom all things hold together.

Father we thank you for the new B baby girl and we pray that you bless her and bring her to you. Please bless the entire family in this time of change, encourage, protect and provide for them. We pray for the A and the C families that are expecting, that the births would go easy and that everybody would be healthy.

We thank you for Iglesia Biblica Sublime Gracia and for the fact that it is now a reality. We pray that you bless this congregation as they covenant together today. We pray that this church would be a light in Columbia Heights and that many people would turn to you there.

Father, we pray for the Gospel to be proclaimed in Washington DC and beyond. We pray that you would empower us and other believers to faithfully proclaim the truth of the Gospel in the face of the bait, attractive lies, mockery, intimidation, threats and physical and emotional danger that fallen leaders, regimes and societies use to fight against your Gospel and people. We pray that you weaken these evil leaders, regimes and societies and bring light into the darkness.

In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Father,

You, O Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

When we think of who you are, we are reminded that we are not like you, and we are comforted to know that the God who controls the universe is One upon whom we can depend. Lord we praise you because you are not only strong  - but you are also very good - and good to us.

You are steadfast in your love and completely faithful to us. We could never say this of ourselves - nor of any other human being. But you are constant, unchanging and dependable. Your word is full of many wonderful promises. You have accomplished many of them - and that gives us confidence that your promises for our future will also be accomplished.

You are merciful and gracious. This is seen most clearly in the cross. We read that there is no one righteous - not even one. We all have gone our own way and disregarded your righteous claim as king over our lives. While you are slow to anger, and very patient, our treason has left us in peril - we have offended the One who holds our very life in His hands. Yet in the Cross we see Christ, the One who knew no sin, no treason, no rebellion, stepping into our place and bearing your righteous anger, for our sin, on our behalf. Your grace and mercy are rich and immeasurable. In the coming ages this kindness to us, in Christ will be the subject of eternal marvelling and praise.

We confess this morning that even as your chosen people, we have been divided in our affections. We have been double minded - trying to love both you and the world at the same time. The world preaches to us a dream of prosperity found in many places apart from you. And we have often believed it; a satisfying & fulfilling career, a hefty bank balance, a spouse, children, houses, furniture, technology, or just a life of hassle free comfort. Your word tells us: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Forgive us Lord for looking for life in many wrong places. Please convince us that you are truly the fountain of living water, cleanse us and draw us to yourself that our thirst may be quenched.

Lord we pray for both our own needs and those of the world around us.

We pray for all those whose lives have been turned upside down by the Florida school shooting this past week. Comfort the grieving, heal the bodies and minds of those physically injured and emotionally scarred. Give city officials and lawmakers wisdom to protect school children from these kinds of attacks. And we pray for Nikolas Cruz, the gunman, that he would recognize the evil he has committed and turn in broken repentance to Christ who offered forgiveness to the criminal dying next to him on the cross.

We pray for our city and its officials. We ask that senior public officials would be marked by integrity and transparency. We pray against corruption and that those who hold power would use it in a humble posture of service to the people of this city.

We pray for the spread of your gospel and the establishment of a biblical, kurdish speaking church in NIQ. We ask for your blessing on the weekly gathering of kurdish believers in the city that our church has invested in. We ask for maturity in these disciples and that you would raise up local leaders who are equipped to shepherd and teach. We ask that the NT will be printed this year.

Lastly we pray for ourselves at RC.

Thank you for the joy of the baptisms this morning as they follow Christ in our midst. May we spur each other on toward love and good works. Help us to plan our schedules prioritizing being together both corporately and more informally to  serve one another and fellowship together.  

And now, prepare our hearts to hear your word. May we listen and act upon what we hear. In Christ' name, Amen.

by Kathryn Feliciano

Worship through Prayer

Our Father in heaven. We come to you this morning, and we cry out, “Abba, Father” we cry. We come to you in the name of your eternal Son, Jesus Christ. We come as adopted sons and daughters. We pray not to manipulate you into loving us; no, we come in prayer because, before the foundation of the world, you set your affection upon us.

Our Father in Heaven Hallowed be Your Name. From the rising of the sun to its setting, may Your Name be praised and be great among the nations! Among Behdini Kurds and Haitians. Among the unreached in Macedonia. Hallow your name Lord. Advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. Declare your glory among the nations, your marvelous works among all the peoples! Holy is the Lord, God Almighty! The earth is filled with his glory.

O Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom Come, May all the ends of the earth remember and turn to You, and all the families of the nations worship before You. For kingship belongs to You; You rule over the nations. Oh, save Your people and bless Your heritage! Be our Shepherd and carry us forever! You are our King, O God! You are the King of all the earth! Your throne is forever and ever! May we seek to advance the gospel. Holy Spirit, help us be strong and courageous. Give us the boldness to share the good news of Jesus with friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors and classmates that we might make disciples that delight in the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Use us to make disciples of the impoverished and marginalized. Use our brother Jeremy McClain as he plants Mercy of Christ Fellowship. Continue to prosper the work of Garden City Church and One Hope in Baltimore.

Your Kingdom Come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Make us to know Your ways, O Lord. Teach us Your paths. Teach us to do Your will. Remind us that your commandments are for our good. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Not our will, but Yours be done!

Give us this day our daily bread. We come to you completely and utterly dependent upon you, O Lord. You graciously provide all that we need to seek and enjoy you. Remind us that we have is a good gift from you. We are thankful for the many ways you provide for us – clothes, food, friends and so much more. Satisfy us with righteousness and remind us You are our portion forever. We pray for those looking for jobs. Grant them patience and perseverance. We pray for M&C – may their love for you and each other grow as they display Christ and the church in their marriage. We pray for B and S and L and F. Grow them in holiness and fill their joy full as they look to Jesus Christ. We pray for L and E and L and J. Grant the these brothers and sisters grace to delight in Christ as they help others do the same.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. We confess our iniquity; we are sorry for our sin. Have mercy on us, O God. Help us put to death what is earthly in us: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. We confess our anger and harsh words and greed and substance abuse. Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity, and cleanse us from our sin! For Your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon our guilt for it is great. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and You the LORD has laid on him the Christ the iniquity of us all. For our sake You made him, Jesus, who knew no sin, to that in him we might become the righteousness of God. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus – Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Lead us not into temptation…but deliver us from Evil We do not ask that you take us out of the world, but that you keep us from the evil one. Restore us; let Your face shine, that we may be saved. For the glory of Your name, deliver us and atone for our sins, for Your name’s sake. For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever and ever.

by Kathryn Feliciano