Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Yes, Father, hallowed be your name. Magnify the glory of your eternal Son, Jesus Christ, in this place this morning. Use us, Lord, to advance the gospel to our neighbors and to the nations. We praise you that you have provided so lavishly for us – from food to eat, clothes to wear, friendships to enjoy. You provide us with material riches and, even more, every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Holy Spirit, remind us of all that we have in Christ Jesus. We praise you, Holy Spirit, that you are our seal and our guarantee of our heavenly inheritance. Shape our deepest loves and longings to match what you, our great God loves; propel us by the beauty and brilliance of Jesus.

This morning we pray for those of us who are hurting. We pray for those who are wrestling with the shame and guilt of sin. Cleanse us in Christ Jesus we pray. Work true confession and godly repentance into the depths of our being that we might drag our sin form the darkness into the light, where it will die. We pray for those who are crippled by sin committed against them. Use the gospel, Lord, to remind us who we are and whose we are – we belong to you God, our gracious King who lavishes love upon us.

We pray for those struggling with unmet godly desires. Give grace and contentment to those who desire good things like a godly spouse or children. Give us the wisdom how to truly desire good things, but not be defined by our unfulfilled longings. Take our real emotions and give us understanding how to embrace our emotions but not let our emotions alone determine how we feel in light of the truth, who is Jesus Christ. For those who of us desire to have joy in Christ, but our souls are dry and weary, move in us, we ask. For the fame of Jesus Christ, plant the seeds of joy deep down in the fertile soil of our hearts, then Holy Spirit, bring forth growth as you point us to the Living Water of Jesus Christ.

This morning, as your blood-bought children, we confess before you our own sinfulness. We have doubted your power to protect us. We have pursued immorality through worthless media. We have fantasized about relationships in ways dishonorable to Christ and disrespectful to your image bearers. We repent, O Lord. Forgive us, we pray. We idolize sports letting them determine our joy or lack of it. We idolize fashion dressing in certain ways to gain the approval or acknowledgement of others. We have arrogantly judged fellow church members. We have impatiently disciplined our children. We confess misusing food, either in gluttonous overeating looking for ultimate comfort in a created thing, or under-eating finding our identity in something or someone other than Jesus. We repent, O Lord. Forgive us, we pray. Forgive our lack of faith; have mercy on our weakness. Grant that through the tears of repentance we may see more clearly the brightness and glories of the saving cross. Help us rest in Christ, who died and rose again that we might be made new, clothed in indelible robes of righteousness.

Grant us gospel unity. So unite us to Christ Jesus that we are deeply bound to each other. Give us the humility and self-control to put our personal preferences below gospel priority. Holy Spirit, fill us afresh that we live in a manner worthy of the gospel. Let us not be controlled by the fear of others. Remind us of our secure position in Jesus so that we are confident in him and speak boldly of him. Give us wise winsome words that fearlessly proclaim the one true gospel, the reality of heaven, the horrors of hell, and the daily hope found in Jesus.

We pray for those who oppose us. Give us the grace to wish good for those who mock us and ridicule us and slander us. Save our opponents that we might go from enemies to brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray for those who persecute our brothers and sisters for declaring the supremacy of Jesus Christ. We pray for the advancement of the gospel among ISIS, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, Al-Shabaab, and Boko Haram. In scandalous grace, bring saving faith to the leaders and followers of these terrorist organizations. You saved us, and you can save them. Father, in your sovereign glory, turn these men and women from persecuting the church to planting gospel churches. We pray for the North Korean government leaders and tribal leaders in Somalia who savagely oppress those who speak of Christ. In your kindness, bring them to repentance, that they themselves would be willing to suffer for the gospel. Whatever you do Lord, in the name of Jesus, we plead that you would restrain the evil these groups & governments are able to accomplish.

We thank you that we labor alongside other faithful churches here in DC. Bless 4^th Presbyterian and Redeemer Arlington and Del Ray Baptist. Advance the gospel through Waterfront Church and McLean Bible and All Nations DC. We also pray that you would continue to use DC127 and the Porch to bring the gospel to the marginalized. And we pray for our brother Nathan as he preached the word to us. Fill him with your Spirit. Give him a holy ambition and passionate zeal mixed with pastoral tenderness as he unfolds the banquet feast of your word that our hungry souls might be satisfied in Jesus Christ, who is the bread of life. Amen.