Gracious and glorious God, we come to you this morning. We adore and praise your name. We rejoice in the sin-atoning, Satan-crushing, death-defeating, heaven-bringing blood of Jesus Christ. Saturate our souls, we pray, saturate us with a deep affection for Christ that overflows into sacrificial love for neighbor.

We thank you, O Lord, for the gospel unity we have here at Restoration Church. Holy Spirit, continue to give each one of us the grace to put personal preference below gospel priority. Let us weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. Remind us, that each member of our church is a needed part of the body, as you, God, as you arranged us.

We thank you for the members that serve in Restoration Kids making disciples among our youngest. Thank you for K’s faithful labors as she organizes, equips, and trains us to serve our children. And thank you for the dozens of men and women who serve us by leading and hosting Community Groups. We praise you for the discipling relationship inside our church family. Use us to spur each other on.

This morning we ask that you would bless B and M, C, P, and D and H. Grow these brothers and sisters in grace, transform them one more degree of glory to another as they behold Christ. Holy Spirit, remind Y and A, C, J and M, and K of your great love for them in Jesus Christ. Remind them of their eternal inheritance and increasing their longing for heaven.

For the glory of Christ, use our church to advance the gospel. Use the every-day, every-member evangelism of our church to bring people to repentance and faith in Christ. Bless our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters at Iglesia Biblica Sublime Gracia and use them to make disciple-making disciples.  We praise you for our brother J laboring in the Northeast. Bring him another elder-qualified man to help shepherd the saints at Mercy of Christ Fellowship. We pray your blessing upon Cherrydale Baptist, The District Church, 4^thPresbyterian, Washington International, GraceDC and Anacostia River Church.

And we pray that the good news of Jesus spreads among the unreached Bs. Raise up an indigenous church. O Lord, would you grant wisdom and perseverance to the Bible translators. And would you bless R&E, W&C, J&J, K and L.

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.”

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

We also pray for government leaders at the national level. Grant President Trump, representatives, and senators wisdom and surround them with wise counselors. Give them a deep sense of their responsibility to serve and not seek personal gain or pursue partisan political agendas. Holy, sovereign and gracious God, bend these hearts toward honesty, true justice and righteousness that that promotes the dignity of all people – men and women, all races and ethnicities, all religious backgrounds, all sexual orientations, all ages – from the womb until natural death. End the division in this country. Eradicate unjust systems and bring to light injustices against your image bearers. Grant discernment and the conviction to do what is right even among those leaders and officials who deny you.

Even as we pray for the government, we do not hope in it. Let us, Lord, let us as Christians be a light of hope. 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.