Holy God, Father, Son, and Spirit we rejoice in your glorious grace this morning. You have blessed us in Christ Jesus and lavished your grace upon us. You have sealed us with the Holy Spirit keeping us as your beloved children until we see you face to face. We testify to your greatness and bless your holy name.

We praise you that because of Jesus you do not deal us according to our sin, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth so great is your steadfast love toward us; as far as the east is from the west, so far do you remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so you, our Father in heaven, show compassion to us.

Lord, we pray for our brothers and sisters around the world facing persecution. We pray for the 50,000+ Christians suffering from torture in North Korean labor camps. Lord, open Kim Jong-un’s eyes to the surpassing glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Give our Korean brothers and sisters boldness, especially those who are afraid to tell their own spouses and children about their faith in Christ.

Father, we also pray for our own nation. We pray for an end to any hint of racism. Lord, would this country be a place where all people, no matter ethnicity, no matter gender, no matter age, are treated with dignity and value and worth. Bring and end to police brutality. Bring an end to attacks on police. Bring an end to the oppression of undocumented immigrants. Bring an end to abortion. Bring an end to human sex-slave trafficking.

Father, we pray for those here this morning who have been personally affected by racism; those who have been physically or sexually abused; those who have been taken advantage of in some way, especially by the abuse of power over them. We pray for any one here this morning who had an abortion. By the power of your Holy Spirit, through the glorious news of he gospel that washes us clean and brings us back to you, our hope, our refuge, our rock, minister to those hurting among us this morning. Father, cause this church, Restoration Church to be a place of for rest for the hopeless, a place of healing for the hurting, a place where the glorious gospel of grace causes us to love and serve one another with kindness, compassion, and tenderheartedness.

No fear can hold us down Nor darkness steal our joy

For blood has been poured out The enemy destroyed

Death could not hold Him down The cross was not enough

To steal away His love For He is God

Oh, how we glory in the cross of Christ and rejoice in the everlasting, unending, always and forever love of God show to us in a bloody cross and empty tomb.

We pray this gospel message goes forth among the Behdini Kurds. We pray this gospel message takes root in the schemes in Scotland. We pray this gospel message goes forth to Haitian pastors who in turn shepherd their people in the gospel. We pray this gospel message goes forth through a church plant in Columbia Heights that ministers to Spanish speakers. We pray this gospel message is proclaimed and shared and discussed in our own lives; give us the grace and boldness to tell our friends, neighbors, co-workers about the good news of the gospel and the joy found in Jesus.

Father, we thank you for our brother Nathan as he labors week after week to study your word and faithfully preach it to us. Give him grace this morning as he does this yet again. Holy Spirit cause him to worship you as he preaches; use him to extol the excellencies and wonders of you, our great triune God. We praise you for each of the elders and the unique gifts you have given them to serve and care for and shepherd our church body. We praise you for the “every member ministry” of this church, and the many ways the church body serves one another. We praise you for the birth of Parker. Grant Jake and Jamie much grace these early days of parenting. Cause them to wonder at how amazingly great you are God. We rejoice in the numerous ways your working in our church body. Draw our eyes up toward Christ that we might continue to gaze on his beauty. We pray all of this in the name of Jesus. Amen.