We will proclaim the name of the Lord; we will ascribe greatness to our God. “The Lord, his work is perfect, for all his ways are just. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” We praise you this morning. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, triune God, glorious in every perfection, beautiful beyond compare, love inexhaustible, grace immeasurable, justice inscrutable. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.

From shore to shore, hallowed be your name. From the unreached peoples in K to the overflowing cities in North America, may Jesus Christ be glorified. Raise up gospel laborers from this church, Lord, to advance the gospel where Jesus is not honored. Send men and women from this church to D to help bring a B church into existence. Give each one of us a gospel-advancing mindset so that whether we stay or go, we labor for the glory of Christ. Give us the boldness to walk in the light of Christ, to let our good deeds shine so that others might glorify you, our Father in heaven.

We pray for our brothers and sisters at Iglesia Biblica Sublime Gracia. Surprise them with your grace tonight as they gather to hear the preaching of Exodus 13-15. Remind them of your sovereign grace that brought them from life to death. We pray for the saints at 4^thPresbyterian and Waterfront Church and Redeemer City and Redemption Hill. Bless the gospel labors of Del Ray Baptist, the Well, Capitol Hill Baptist, GraceDC, Central Union Baptist, and Anacostia River Church.

Lord, in your common grace, we pray that you’d grant wisdom and discernment to DC city officials, to Mayor Bowser, to council member Cheh, to school superintendent Ferebee. For the good of your image bearers in this city, grant grace to school teachers and administrators. We pray for Kimberly Martin as she leads and oversees the activities of this school. We pray for all the counselors and special education teachers at work in the schools in and around our city. Bless the teachers among our congregation as they labor to invest in the next generation.

Holy Spirit, give all of us grace to walk in wisdom making the best use of our time. We praise you for the men and women among us that so eagerly strive to honor you in the integrity of their work, in their sacrificial service to this church, in the ways they zealously disciple others, and the many ways they raise the children among us in the instruction and discipline of the Lord. Give us the grace to spur each other on in good deeds. Give us the grace to be open and honest, transparent and vulnerable with each other. Holy Spirit, make our church a place that’s safe for the abused, an earthly refuge for those marginalized and mistreated. Give us tender, wise, compassionate words of comfort to encourage each other during life’s hard times; that we weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.

We ask that you would continue to form a deep sense of family and belonging, meaningful friendship built upon our resurrected Lord, among the members of this church body. Do this that we might display your manifold wisdom, as we increasingly comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth, and know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Use our words and our friendship as a means of grace to change each one of us, one degree of glory to another.

We look to you, Jesus, this morning, and we’re astounded that you love us and you like us; that you call us brother and sister; that you call us friend. And we confess our outward rebellion and inward indifference. Sometimes that has manifest itself as sexual immorality, gossip, and abusing food and drink. Other times our transgressions fester in our hearts or run rampant as we entertain sin in our minds. Jesus, we’re sorry for the many times we’ve doubted your love for us. In our doubt of your goodness, we are tempted to look to material possessions to satisfy. Some of us have sinned by refusing to give of our money, others of us have sinned by giving begrudgingly, and still others have sinned by giving but self-righteously. Oh, Lord, we are sorry.

We repent. We cry out with the psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

Yes, Lord, lead us in the way of everlasting life. We rejoice that life is not found in us but in Christ Jesus. We praise you that he paid for our sin – every single one of them, past, present and future – and that he crushed death by raising from the grave. We praise you for our justification, that we are declared righteous, even as we hope in our glorification, when all things will be made right and new and perfect forever and ever. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.