We come to you this morning God,  praising you for the joy of salvation. We praise you for good news of great joy that is for all the people. We lift our hearts with the heavenly host saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” We praise you Holy Spirit because you open the eyes of our hearts that we might know the hope of the glorious riches found in the gospel; what we might hope in the Christ-savoring joys of heaven. Yes, Lord, we praise you this morning for you who you are.

And we pray for those around the world who do not know you. We pray for the BKs who do not even have a published Bible to read about you. Give the workers and translators wisdom and favor and faithfulness and perseverance as they work on bring this Bible to completion. We pray for the 1.2 MM Bedouin people of Saudi Arabia and the Yazidi people in Syria and Iraq. Send workers to labor for the gospel among these unreached people groups.

We pray this morning for our friends and family members and classmates and coworkers who do not know or trust in Christ for salvation and satisfaction. Use us, Lord, use us to boldly proclaim the joy of salvation found in Christ. Use the members of Restoration to advance the gospel to those who don’t yet know Jesus. Give us the grace to live risky lives for the gospel. Help us renounce the idols of comfort and safety and the American Dream. Give us the grace to walk across the street and go across the seas to make much of Christ.

Inflame our hearts with such a deep joy in Christ and unquenchable passion for the fame of Jesus that we adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. Holy Spirit, shape us, mold us, change us that we might herald the excellencies of Jesus with every fiber of our being. We pray that you’d also use Redeemer City Church and All Nations DC and National Community Church and Christ our Shepherd to make much of Christ Jesus. We praise you for other churches in this city that make much of Jesus.

Father, we come to you confidently this morning, not because of our goodness, but because of your grace to us in Christ. Jesus, our wonderful Savior, we thank you for the wondrous grace and love in bearing our sin in your own body on the cross. May your cross be to us the tree that sweetens every bitterness in our lives; the rod that blossoms hope and beauty; the vine that connect us to you our only source of strength. We confess our sin to you this morning; we confess that we struggle to live joyful, faithful, obedient lives. Selfishness is in the very fabric of our flesh, and we struggle to choose love for others over pleasing ourselves.

Father, forgive us for the self-gratifying and self-exalting lives we lead. Forgive us for the greed that surfaces this time of year as we think more about what we’d like to receive than what we already have. Forgive us for withholding forgiveness when you have so freely forgiven us. Forgive us for our attitude toward you, finding you dull and boring only because our sin has numbed us to truly enjoy who you are.

We praise you for the forgiveness we have in Christ. Increase our joy in the cradle, cross, and crown of Christ. Increase our wonder and admiration for all that was accomplished in the life and death of Jesus. Melt our hearts with the wonders of the incarnation and crucifixion and resurrection until our self-exaltation gives way to delight in blood-bought salvation.[1]

We pray for the children among us Lord. Help us raise them in the instruction and discipline of the gospel. Give us the grace to model what it looks like to follow Jesus not just in our obedience, but also in our repentance. Keep us from being too proud to ask our children for forgiveness when we sin against them. Father, if there are parents here this morning that need to do just that today, give them the grace to do so. Help the young ones among us trust and treasure Christ from an early age. Use them to teach us to not be become old and crusty and too rigid. Cause their laughter and fun and joy to be contagious that we might smile at the simple beauties of life.

We pray for those here this morning struggling with fear. Help them look the Christ and your faithfulness knowing that you are a God who always answers your promises. We pray for those here this morning dealing with shame and guilt. Point them to Jesus who took every bit of their shame as he hung naked on the cross and drank the cup of wrath dry that they might be clean and pure and loved by you, our eternal Father. We pray for those who are tired and weary. Give them rest in Christ reminding them the hardest work of all, our salvation, is already complete.

As we continue to think about Christ this Advent season, help us joyfully anticipate Christmas Day and the wonder of the “fullness of God in bodily form.” Fill us, we pray, with hope, peace, joy and love. We pray all of this in the name of our glorious Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

[1] Previous two paragraphs, adapted from and spurred on by Prone to Wander, 142-43.