Please join us in prayer for Haiti, its citizens and the millions who have been impacted by the tragedy. Please post your prayers below:

Holy God, we bow before you this day full of wonder at the One who comes full of grace and truth.

We admit that kneeling at His manger throne feels at once awkward and conspicuous, and yet peace and gratitude and joy well up within us. The radiance and innocence and splendor of this infant King is more than we could have imagined, more than that for which we dared to pray, certainly a gift we know we do not deserve and for which we could never hope to reciprocate. O God! What were you thinking? Sending One so helpless to save the world? Sending One so small to be so great? Sending One so pure to bear such filth? Sending One so innocent to carry the weight of such guilt? O God! Make us able to see the One whom you have sent for all He is: Christ the Lord!

With angel chorus we sing His praise, this moment, this day and forevermore! Allelujah! Amen!

Thanksgiving is a celebration of the Lord’s provision and most Americans celebrate with abundance: A harvest table that abounds with turkey and dressing, potatoes or rice, green bean casserole or peas with pearl onions, some variety of cranberry relish, gravy, and, yes, pumpkin pie.

But not everyone’s table will be so abundant. Based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual survey on “household food security,” released last week, more than 49 million (or one in six) Americans doesn’t have enough to eat.

In the world’s wealthiest country – a place where obesity is among our most serious health issues and a very small percentage of our total food waste (about 30 million tons each year) could feed millions – some will have an empty stomach on Thanksgiving.

It’s even more sobering to consider that America’s worst hunger statistics are still far better than the best figures other nations have ever known.

In India, for example, more than 200 million people (one in four) are going hungry. Among the world’s highest in malnutrition and hunger, nearly half of India’s children younger than 5 years old are underweight and more than 70 percent are anemic.

On our own continent, more than half of Haiti’s inhabitants survive on less than $1 per day and malnutrition takes the lives of nearly one out of every three children under the age of 5.   

So, as you count your blessings this Thanksgiving, consider how God is calling you to extend those blessings to others.

As you count the blessing of being in the presence of family or friends, consider extending the blessing of table fellowship to a widow or an orphan or a single person you know.

As you count the blessing of abundant food and anticipate even the eating of leftovers, consider extending the blessing of your bountiful table through Feeding America (formerly known as Second Harvest), a local food pantry or soup kitchen.

As you count the blessing of freedom and peace, a warm place to sleep without fear and a safe place to worship without war, consider extending the blessing of shelter to a foster child, a political refugee or a military veteran.

Please join us, and readers of The Layman, in counting the Lord’s many blessings this holiday season by posting your prayers of Thanksgiving here. But also, recognize this blog entry as a call to action in our various communities where hunger, homelessness and hopelessness are real issues faced by real people every day. Share what you’re doing in the name of Jesus Christ to fight poverty and hunger in your neighborhood. Your ideas, and prayers, will inspire others to do the same.

 The following prayer request was submitted to The Layman by a friend of missionaries planning to minister to Muslims gathered in our nation’s capital today:

Dear Friends and Family,

(Sept. 25) there is going to be a gathering of Muslims in Washington, D.C.  Here’s what the organizers are saying:

ISLAM ON CAPITOL HILL

“The objective of this gathering is to invite the Muslim communities and friends of Islam to express and illustrate the wonderful diversity of Islam. We intend to manifest Islam’s majestic spiritual principals as revealed by Allah to our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) of Arabia. Likewise, we intend to inspire a new generation of Muslims to work for the greater good of all people. We shall serve all people, regardless of race, religion or national origin.

“On this day, the Muslim call to prayer will be chanted on the Capitol Hill, echoing off of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and other great edifices that surround Capitol Hill. Thousands of Muslims from all races, creeds, colors and ethnicities will gather for the sole purpose of prayer. Bonds of friendship will be formed between those in attendance, both Muslims and non-Muslims. Muslim youth will experience tours of the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court. The peace, beauty and solidarity of Islam will shine through America’s capitol.”

The announcement ends with, “OUR TIME HAS COME.” May this be the day of salvation when Muslims come to Christ.

An Arab pastor is organizing Christians to go hand out literature. His goal is to share the love of Christ with Muslims by placing the Gospel in their hands, and boldly declare Christ as the only hope of glory.  My friend and I will be going down to help share the Gospel.  Please pray for us from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Prayer requests:

1. Divine appointments. That God would direct us to whom he would like us to share the Gospel.
2. Much wisdom and discernment.
3. That we would not be argumentative.
4. That the police would allow us to distribute literature.

People often ask for help in cultivating a deeper life of prayer. I have always found that the Word of God itself is an excellent guide. In my own prayer life, I allow the Scriptures to frame my prayers. Here is an example from Ecclesiastes 3.

Grace,

Carmen

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

¹ There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What does the worker gain from his toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on men. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. ¹³ That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil – this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him.

¹⁵ Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.
 

Questions to consider …

What time is it? (This is the time of your life.)

 What season is it? What season in your life? What season in your family? What season in the Church?

 Pray for expectant parents and those who are grieving; pray for the season of harvest –

 Pray for those whose bodies need healing, structures that are coming down and relationships being built –

 Pray for those who are suffering and for those experiencing great joy –

 Pray for those families who are scattered and for the ingathering of the family of faith –

 Pray that the lost would be found, for the keeping of the Word and for the casting off of sin –

 Pray for wisdom and godliness in the use of words –

 Pray for your friends, loved one and enemies; pray for the military and for the peacemakers –

 Thank God for the work He has set before you to do today and for the privilege of participating in advancing His Kingdom purposes. Thank God that He has set eternity in your heart and revealed Himself to you in ways that you can receive. Pray that He would continue to illumine your mind by the power of the Holy Spirit that you might grow in your knowledge and understanding, cultivating the very mind of Christ. Thank God for the gifts of daily bread and meaningful, fruitful work. Thank God for that which endures forever – and for the reverence He has planted in your heart.

 Pray verse 15 several times through, giving it all to God: yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Like Paul, let us pray for our Christian brothers and sisters around the world in the spirit of Ephesians 3:14-21

“I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Abba, Father, take this day into your everlasting arms those who have no mother to hold them and no father to feed them. Extend the resources and the compassion of your people to open hearts and hearths. Indeed, dear Lord, lead us all to live more simply that others might simply live.

Great God, our Father, we know that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to “such as these,” little children who clamor their way into your presence through Jesus Christ, your son. We ask, O God, on their behalf, change our hearts that we might see you through their eyes, love you with reckless abandon, laugh and play in your presence, and come to see ourselves as no more than little orphans in need of adoption into your eternal family. Indeed, change the way we see the world – and ourselves.

We praise and thank you for the extraordinary evidence of the gift of faith you have poured out upon your people in Africa. We thank you that you have given us a glimpse of their spiritual abundance even in the face of economic poverty. O God, you have exposed the reality of our spiritual poverty in the midst of economic abundance! Forgive us, Lord. Forgive us for taking your goodness and your mercy and your blessings for granted. Forgive us for acting as if the material world matters more than the spiritual; forgive us for laying claim to the things of the world as if they were our own when in reality, everything we have and everything we are we owe to you. Open our eyes to the spiritual bankruptcy we are facing and change our hearts.   

We pray for our brothers and sisters in the CCAP even as we trust they pray for us. Knit us together that we might bear common witness to the saving grace of Jesus; continue to conform each of us more and more into His image by the power of your Holy Spirit at work within us; and grant, Lord God, that we might together be a provisional demonstration of your Kingdom to the world. In Jesus’ powerful and precious name we pray, amen.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty – hear Your people as we pray this day.

Answer us, according to Your perfect and eternal will. Guide us, by the power and presence of Your Holy Spirit. Hold us in the palm of Your hand.

We acknowledge that You are Steadfast Love;

We acknowledge that You are Sovereign Lord;

We acknowledge that You are Everlasting God.

You are present with us even when we fear we are alone;

You provide perfect watch care over us even when we wander away;

You present us with opportunities to live life abundantly, and

You preserve for us eternal life in the heavens.

O God, we praise and thank You for all that You are and all that You do.

We ask this day that You guard and guide those who put their lives in harm’s way on our behalf. We ask this day that You bless and protect the little children in our midst and those within our reach – and beyond them, Lord, that You send caring, loving adults into the lives of those children whom we cannot reach.

Lord, there are so many people about whom we are concerned.

By the power of Your Holy Spirit be with those whose health is failing, whose bodies ache, whose minds are filled with worry, and whose spirits need uplifting. Open our hearts and minds to reach out in love, and send us as agents of Your grace into the world which You so love.

We give You ourselves – we have nothing else that is worthy to offer. Take us, use us, send us, lead us, love us. By the power and in the name of Christ we pray. Amen

O Lord, You are beautiful. Your face is all we seek. When Your hand is upon us, when Your presence is palpable, Your hold on our lives tangible, Your plan for our future illuminated, we are filled with the peace which passes understanding, even in the midst of conflict and conflicting circumstances.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

From the sea spray to the warm sun, from lapping waves and gentle breezes, to gliding gulls with their faces to the wind, from towering pines to eagles' wings, the evidence of Your handiwork is literally all around us. As we watch the wind fill billowing sails and carry ships across the sea, we are reminded that Your Spirit is the invisible and powerful force directing our lives. As calling birds in the trees pay no heed to the signs for silence to be kept, we smile, acknowledging that there is never a moment in all of history that Your glory has not been sung, Your provision not celebrated, Your name not praised. Yes, even if all of us should fall silent, the very rocks would cry out in witness to You.

O Lord, our Lord, fill our hearts this day with a passion for You.

Inflame our lives with your Spirit. Embolden our faith. Give us the courage of our convictions, and help us to bear faithful witness to Your Son in every moment of our lives.

Holy God, on this day when we celebrate our national independence –

independence from tyranny and independence to live in freedom,

we also acknowledge our radical dependence upon you, our Lord, our Sovereign, our King!

You alone have authority over our lives,

You alone supply our needs and keep eternal watch-care over us.

You alone are worthy to be worshipped and glorified, praised and adored.

O Holy God, you are our Lord and yet you do not lord it over us!

You have taught us that with ultimate freedom comes the ultimate opportunity to serve. You who were free from the limitations that bind us in time and space, gave up that freedom to take on human flesh and dwell among us – and being found in human form you humbled yourself unto death, even death on a cross –

O God, our God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You overcame for us the shackles of sin and death – setting us at liberty.

You have set us free from the tyranny of the Evil One – and guaranteed our eternal freedom.

You have invited us to live lives that are worth living – lives of perfect independence from the fear of death and lives of perfect dependence upon You for the fullest of life.

We acknowledge Lord God that the freedoms we enjoy are not free and we honor Christ who has purchased our freedom with His blood. We acknowledge also that the freedoms we enjoy as Americans are not free and we honor those who gave their lives that we might live ours as we choose. Holy God, grant this day your hedge of protection around those men and women who stand this day around the world seeking to bring peace, freedom, liberty and justice to others.

Great God, we acknowledge that our lives are filled with events and circumstances that bewilder us – and we come before you this day simply trusting in your goodness, counting on in your faithfulness, and asking for your grace. All these things we pray in the name of Jesus, in whom we find the freedom to be the very children of God, and so we are. Amen.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! How we revel in Your glory and have the privilege of ‘bragging’ on Your wondrous works! As our spring slowly develops, here in the north, after a snowy winter, bright flowers are popping their brave little heads through the cold but thawing ground, breaking free and reaching for the warm sun, we are reminded of Your everlasting love and promise of tomorrow. 

As spring ends and leads us into summer we continue to celebrate our freedom as a great nation with Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day and our Independence Day; all military celebrations reflecting one nation under God. We are reminded that strength comes from God with these words taken from the fourth verse of the Star-Spangled Banner.

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto:
“In God is our trust.”

As our soldiers, airmen and sailors are proudly and selflessly defending our great nation, let us be like them – soldiers, airmen, and sailors for the Lord. Jesus Christ is our commanding officer. The Holy Bible is our code of conduct. Faith, prayer, and the Word are our weapons of warfare.  As we stand with those who stand for Christ, may we ever be faithful servants of the Lord.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Prayer by Leslee E. Washer, a member of the Presbyterian Lay Committee’s board of directors and a member of First Presbyterian Church in Whitefish, Mont.

The United Church of Canada Moderator Rt. Rev. David Guiliani has called the members of the United Church to a day of prayer, today, Wednesday, June 10th.

With our partners in the Association for Church Renewal, the Presbyterian Lay Committee calls on all our Christian brothers and sisters in North America to support the United Church of Canada by joining us in prayer for the people and congregations of this great historic church body.

The United Church of Canada, beleaguered by theological uncertainty and dramatic loss of members is one of the most endangered mainline churches in North America.

• Pray with us that the Lord would pour out His Spirit anew upon the clergy and congregations of the United Church, that all would be led to submit their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of His Word  in order that God may grant renewal.
• Pray with us that they will be liberated from cultural delusion to acknowledge the sanctity of human life and a renewed commitment to sexual purity.
• Pray with us that they will own the one hope to which we are called, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)

This call to prayer is issued in allegiance with our renewal partners in the Association for Church Renewal, a strategic alliance of over 30 renewal movements and ministries in the mainline denominations of the U.S. and Canada.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty – hear Your people as we pray this day.

Answer us, according to Your perfect and eternal will. Guide us, by the power and presence of Your Holy Spirit.

Hold us in the palm of Your hand.

We acknowledge that You are Steadfast Love;

We acknowledge that You are Sovereign Lord;

We acknowledge that You are Everlasting God.

You are present with us even when we fear we are alone;

You provide perfect watch care over us even when we wander away;

You present us with opportunities to live life abundantly, and

You preserve for us eternal life in the heavens.

O God, we praise and thank You for all that You are and all that You do.

We ask this day that You guard and guide those who put their lives in harm’s way on our behalf. We ask this day that You bless and protect the little children in our midst and those within our reach – and beyond them, Lord, that You send caring, loving adults into the lives of those children whom we cannot reach.

Lord, there are so many people about whom we are concerned.

By the power of Your Holy Spirit be with those whose health is failing, whose bodies ache, whose minds are filled with worry, and whose spirits need uplifting. Open our hearts and minds to reach out in love, and send us as agents of Your grace into the world which You so love.

We give You ourselves – we have nothing else that is worthy to offer. Take us, use us, send us, lead us, love us. By the power and in the name of Christ we pray. Amen

Prayers of the people:

Holy God, You are the God of all time and all places, and Your Word promises that one day every nation under heaven will declare Your name. But today is not yet that day. Your Word promises that one day peace will reign in human hearts, the lion and the lamb will lie down together, and war will be no more. But today is not yet that day. O God, today we bow humbly before Your throne of grace and mercy, desiring peace, justice and liberty for all people. Even so, we acknowledge that because of human sin, today is not yet that day.

Dear God, we give you thanks today for men and women in every generation who have willingly walked into harm’s way in order that we might enjoy the liberties so many others only dream of. We pray today that you will continue to heal their memories, bless their sacrifice and honor their service. We pray, also, for those families who have lost sons and daughters in war. May they be remembered in this life, even as they are entrusted to You in the life they now live forevermore.

And we pray for those who even now are standing in harm’s way for us. We pray for servicemen and women deployed around the globe. O God, be their hedge of protection, provide for them Your constant watch care. Keep them safe, draw them unto Yourself, and work out Your will in and through them. Be with their families today, and give them the confident hope that comes from placing our lives fully in Your hands.

Today, Lord God, lead us to live lives that are worthy of the calling of Christ, knowing that today would be the day that His name is declared through us. We ask that today would be the day that peace reigns through us. That today would be the day that Your will is worked out in us. That today would be the day. Amen.

Prayers of the people:

O God, great and merciful God of all time, God of all creation, all redemption, all hope; God of yesterday, today and tomorrow, we worship You. We honor and adore You. We are bold to ask that You would glorify Your name in all the earth! Stretch out Your hand, Lord God. Stretch out Your hand!

Reveal Yourself in ways that people cannot deny.

Reveal Yourself in radiance and grace.

Reveal Yourself in wonder and majesty.

Reveal Yourself as a light that shines in the darkness, the very presence of love in the midst of a world of despair.

Stretch out Your hand, Lord God. Stretch out Your hand.

At this very moment, set people’s hearts on fire.

At this very moment, fill sleeping minds with dreams, visions of Jesus Christ, that when they awake they will find themselves inexplicably seeking Him. Even as they sit on cold pews, in lifeless worship services, stretch out Your hand that they would acknowledge that their hearts were strangely warmed, and they find themselves seeking You with passion, energy, imagination and love.

At this moment, stretch out Your hand and heal – that doctors might find themselves bearing witness to miracles, that scientists might find themselves acknowledging that there is a Life Force they cannot explain, that those who mock believers would – for a moment – be silenced by the sight of desperately ill people made whole again.

Stretch our Your hand, Lord God! Stretch our Your hand.

We want to bear witness to the name of Jesus, but we admit that we’ve lost touch with the world You died to redeem. We admit that we have fenced ourselves off from the riffraff of the world and enthroned ourselves in castles behind gates. O God, we don’t really want to go as Your ambassadors into the culture of confusion and chaos that so needs to know Your Son.

And so, Lord God, stretch out Your hand into our hearts. Make us inwardly strong and by Your Spirit make us outwardly focused – that Your name might be glorified in all the earth and in our corner of it. Stretch out Your hand, O God! Stretch out Your hand.

In the name of Jesus, stretch out Your hand. Amen.

Prayers of the people:

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!

O God, we revel in the splendor of Your glory, in the radiance of Your majesty, in the scope of Your sovereignty and in the power of Your love. You are ever faithful. You are ever truthful. You are ever gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

The earth declares Your glory and we, Your people, stand in awe of who You are. O God, all Your works declare Your praise. Your kingdom is from everlasting to everlasting. Your dominion endures throughout all generations even as nations fall, even as human economies change, even as wars rage. Throughout it all, You are unchanging, unwavering, unshakeable, holy, majestic and glorified God.

You, Lord, are perfectly and predictably just in all ways. You are near to all who call upon Your name. You turn our mourning into laughter, and You plant within our hearts genuine joy and peace, which passes all understanding.

Because we stand with You, we can face hardship and opposition and even death. Because You are certain and steadfast and faithful, we can face uncertainty in the world where there are shifting sands and human failings. Because we find ourselves in You, we can withstand the flaming arrows of the evil one, and the painful barbs of our peers. Because we know we belong to You, now and forevermore, we can declare Your glory even in the midst of our present circumstances.

O God, the weight of your glory is not a burden but a delight! We glorify Your name this day. How good it is to declare the goodness and the greatness of our God! Continue to teach us the secret of being content in all circumstances because – in all circumstances – You are God and we are Yours.

We pray this day for those who do not know You, for those who know You but who have not received You, for those who have received You but do not fully love You, and for those who love You but selfishly do not serve You. O God, for those who are broken or hurting or lost, for those who are without help and without hope, send forth Your power and Your grace to meet their needs this day, and use us as You will to be Your hands in the world that You so love. Amen.

Prayers of the people:

Lord, we have praised from the sun’s rising to its setting and we shall praise you even when the sun hides on the far side of the earth. We praise that you never slumber nor do you sleep. Even in the hours that we are unconscious of you, you are always holding us in the very palm of your hand, providing your watchcare over us, making perfect provision in our every hour and every place. We praise you that in this day, you have tended to the needs of people in places we have never been and in towns the names of which we will never hear. You have been attentive to the needs of people crying out in languages we would never understand and you have done more in the hours of this day than we could even begin to imagine. And in the midst of all that, you have heard us. You have given ear to our requests.

We submit the fulfilling of our needs to you.

We submit our nation and her people to you.

We submit yesterday, today and tomorrow to you.

We submit our minds, our mouths and our bodies to you.

We submit our families and our friends to you.

We submit the desires of our heart to you.

We submit all that we have and all that are to you.

We withhold nothing, even as you have withheld nothing from us, but in Jesus Christ have given us all things.

Grant that we would become an evermore prayerful people. In all things and in all ways, submitting ourselves to you – the One from whom all blessings flow. We give you all honor and glory, now and forevermore. Amen.

Prayer is a great privilege. We do not lightly tread into the presence of Almighty God and make demands. We humble ourselves, we bow down, we enter under the cover of Christ, we make our requests in His name and then, we submit them all to the test of God’s will, agreeing to agree with Him, in His time and according to His will. But lest we be dissuaded, let us remember that God, our Father in heaven, loves the sound of His children’s voices and He longs to hear from us. Even when we can only pray in sighs and groans and cries too deep for words, the Holy Spirit makes the desires of our hearts known to God. Jesus demonstrates a life of prayer, instructs us to pray and even prays for us. So, let us pray…

Holy God, the Church is yours – do with her what you will. Hear our prayers for churches large and small, urban, suburban, rural and those on the fringe of all that seems to matter in the world. We pray that the Church will in all ways exalt Jesus Christ, no matter the circumstances or difficulties she might face. We ask that you would bless her, lift her up, build her up, strenghthen her, empower and equip her for every good work that you have prepared in advance for her to do. O God, grant your grace and mercy to the congregations of which we are a part – and to the Church universal, the very bride of Christ!

Prayers for local congregations – thank you to all of you who have requested prayers for your particular church. We lift up prayers for:

·         Central Presbyterian Church, Huntsville, Ala.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Bakersfield, Calif.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Berkeley, Calif.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Fowler, Calif.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Roseville, Calif.

·         Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, Calif.

·         Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, San Francisco, Calif.

·         Sierra Presbyterian Church, Nevada City, Calif.

·         Solano Beach Presbyterian Church, Solano Beach, Calif.

·         St Andrew Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach, Calif.

·         Fallbrook Presbyterian Church, Fallbrook, Calif.

·         Covenant Presbyterian Church, Simsbury, Conn.

·         Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Coral Ridge, Fla.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Bonita Springs, Fla.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Bradenton, Fla.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Fruitland Park, Fla.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Gainesville, Fla.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville, Fla.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Naples, Fla.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Orlando, Fla.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Tampa, Fla.

·         Hyde Park Presbyterian Church, Tampa, Fla.

·         Lakeside Community Church, Tarpon Springs, Fla.

·         New Hope Presbyterian Church, Ft Myers, Fla.

·         Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church, Tampa, Fla.

·         Rabun Gap Presbyterian Church, Rabun Gap, Ga.

·         Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, Ga.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Gainesville, Ga.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Cornelia, Ga.

·         Smyrna Presbyterian Church, Conyers, Ga.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Denison, Iowa

·         Faith Presbyterian Church, Quincy, Ill.

·         Attica-Williamsport Presbyterian Church, Ind.

·         Covenant Presbyterian Church, W. Lafayette, Ind.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Kokomo, Ind.

·         Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, Ind.

·         Wallace Street Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, Ind.

·         Lighthouse Presbyterian Church, Paola, Kan.

·         Hillsdale Presbyterian Church, Hillsdale, Kan.

·         Grace Community Fellowship, Ottawa, Kan.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Baton Rouge, La.

·         Woodland Presbyterian Church, New Orleans, La.

·         River Community Church, Prairieville, La.

·         River Church South, Gonzales, La.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Thibodaux, La.

·         Covenant Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Miss.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Corinth, Miss.

·         Colonial Presbyterian Church, Kansas City, Mo.

·         Dardenne Prairie Presbyterian Church, Dardenne Prairie, Mo.

·         New Creation Presbyterian Church, Joplin, Mo.

·         Gashland Presbyterian Church, Kansas City, Mo.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Hendersonville, N.C.

·         Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, N.C.

·         Montreat Presbyterian Church, Montreat, N.C.

·         Orchard Christian Fellowship, Londonderry, N.H.

·         Trinity Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Liverpool, N.Y.

·         Central (on Park) Presbyterian Church, New York, N.Y.

·         Hudson Presbyterian Church, Hudson, Ohio

·         Bay Presbyterian Church, Bay Village, Ohio

·         First Presbyterian Church, College Corner, Ohio

·         Kirk of the Hills, Tulsa, Okla.

·         Hope Presbyterian Church, Rogue River, Ore.

·         Sunset Presbyterian Church, Portland, Ore.

·         Upper Octorara Presbyterian Church, Parkesburg, Pa.

·         Forks of the Brandywine Presbyterian Church, Glenmore, Pa.

·         Great Valley Presbyterian Church, Malvern, Pa.

·         Memorial Park Presbyterian Church, Allison Park, Pa.

·         Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.

·         Peters Creek Presbyterian Church, Venetia, Pa.

·         Chippewa United Presbyterian Church, Beaver Falls, Pa.

·         Fort Palmer Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.

·         Fourth Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa.

·         St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Somerset, Pa.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Beaufort, S.C.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Gastonia, S.C.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head, S.C.

·         First Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg, S.C.

·         Lowcountry Presbyterian Church, Bluffton, S.C.

·         Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

·         Providence Presbyterian Church, Hilton Head, S.C.

·         Second Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, Tenn.

·         Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church, Signal Mountain, Tenn.

·         Faith Presbyterian Church, Brownsville, Texas

·         First Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas

·         First Presbyterian Church, San Antonio, Texas

·         First Presbyterian Church, Victoria, Texas

·         Grace Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas

·         Grace Presbyterian Church, Victoria, Texas

·         Trinity Presbyterian Church, Texarkana, Texas

·         Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Dallas, Texas

·         Lifepath Church, Houston, Texas

·         Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas

·         St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas

·         Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, Virginia Beach, Va.

·         Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, Gig Harbor, Wash.

·         Covering “all,” we add prayers for each congregation, pastor, and staff of the 173 presbyteries of the PCUSA J

·         (yes, you can, may and should add your church to those for whom we are praying)

Prayers for Presbyterian and Reformed denominations in the U.S.:

·         The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

·         The Christian Reformed Church

·         The Evangelical Presbyterian Church

·         The Independent Presbyterian Church

·         The Korean-American Presbyterian Church

·         The Orthodox Presbyterian Church

·         The Presbyterian Church (USA)

·         The Presbyterian Church in America

·         The Reformed Church in the United States

·         The Reformed Church of America

·         The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America

·         And others…

Prayers for the church in America

·         For the Roman Catholic Church

·         For the Anglican and Episcopal Church in all its expressions

·         For the Baptist Church, in all its expressions

·         For the Evangelical Church, in all its expressions

·         For the Bible, community and independent churches of every variety

·         For the Methodist Church, in all of its expressions

·         For the Church of the Nazarene

·         And others…

Prayers for the Church universal – wherever she may be found in whatever expression she gives glory to God through Jesus Christ by the power of God’s Holy Spirit! May she be blessed, may she be sanctified, may she be faithful to the calling to which she has been called. Indeed, may the Church of Jesus Christ bear authentic and reliable to the Christ who calls into being, gives her life, for whom she strives, whom alone she exalts, worships and serves. She is His bride, may this be the season of her preparation to be received by the One who has given His life that she might live. Glory be to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

Prayers of the people for the church…

The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

According to Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven is like:

·         A man who sowed good seed in a field … (Matthew 13:24)

·         A mustard seed … (Matthew 13:31)

·         Yeast … (Matthew 13:33)

·         Hidden treasure … (Matthew 13:44)

·         A pearl of great price … (Matthew 13:45)

·         A net … (Matthew 13:47)

According to Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven will be populated by children (Matthew 18:4), disciples, and those whom the world considers least and last (Matthew 18:2-5).  

With all that in mind, we are called to be a living exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

Let us pray …

Lord God, we admit that we can only imagine what it will be like to walk on streets of gold beside a crystal sea; or what it will be like to see you face to face. We can only imagine what it will be like to know you fully even as we are already fully known; to live in the fullness of your presence in a new heaven on a new earth. O Lord, our God, we can only imagine.

Thank you for the glimpses you have given us through your prophets and for the descriptions you have given us through your Son. Grant us the great confidence of a living faith in the hope of heaven where we shall live out eternity with you forevermore.

In the meantime, Lord, we acknowledge that you call us to show forth Kingdom principles and Kingdom priorities in the midst of the world that you so love. We acknowledge that you send us into the world as ambassadors of your Kingdom and agents of your grace with the intent that our lives would re-present to the world your presence, your power and your plan.

Forgive us for the ways in which we have sought to advance our own little kingdom purposes instead of your ultimate Kingdom goals. Forgive us for the times we have shown forth our own agendas and sought to draw people unto us, instead of being human signposts that helped them find their way to you. Grant that in the time we have left upon this earth, we might be fully given over to your will, authentically exhibiting your Kingdom to others – indeed, that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. To you alone be the glory and hallowed by your name, Amen. 

Prayers of the People for the Church to be an exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world…

The promotion of social righteousness

In order to understand this calling of the Church, we must understand what righteousness is, from God’s perspective as we seek in all ways to cultivate a more Biblical worldview.

Righteousness is an attribute of God and also relates to God’s saving act in Jesus Christ (whose righteousness is imputed to those who believe and receive Him as Savior and Lord). II Corinthians 5:21 clearly proclaims, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

The Hebrew word for righteousness is tseh'-dek, tzedek, and is translated variously as righteous, integrity, equity, justice and straightness. The root of tseh'-dek is tsaw-dak', is – upright, just, straight, innocent, true or sincere. For the Hebrews, this is a righteousness (or rightness with God) that is a product of upright, moral action in accordance with the Law. By this standard, Job is introduced as “perfect” in righteousness. We also know from the New Testament book of Hebrews that there are many Israelites whose life of faith was “reckoned to them” as righteousness.

The New Testament bears witness to the reality that Jesus Himself embodies the righteousness of God. Certainly, there is evidence in the New Testament of an ongoing commitment to “right” ethical (1 Thessalonians 2:10) and legal (1 Corinthians 4:4) practice – but not as a means to ultimate righteousness with God.  According to the New Testament, Jesus came to the world to address the needs, not of “the righteous,” but of sinners (aka “the unrighteous”). Righteousness, then, like faith, is God’s gift through grace.

Romans 5-11 is an amplified discussion of salvation founded on God’s righteousness.

James speaks of the relationship between works of righteousness and faith, saying that “faith without works is dead.” Righteous acts according to James include works of charity (James 2:15-16) as well as avoiding sins against the law of Moses (James 2:11-12). Which is where we get our sense of call to “social righteousness.”

What then is social righteousness and how do we promote it?

Let us pray…

O Lord our God, the Righteous One, with the prophet Amos we pray, “Let justice flow down like water; righteousness as an ever flowing stream.”

We pray that the world would be re-ordered according to your will. We pray that individuals and nations and all Creation, would be reconciled to you. We pray that our thoughts would become aligned with the very mind of Christ; we pray that our words would be echoes of your Holy Word; and we pray that our actions would promote righteousness in every social reality.

Lord, we know as we look at the world, that things are not as you desire they be. We acknowledge with shame that your Creation has been sullied, that we have not done for widows and orphans what is right in your eyes, we have not tended to the needs of others nor considered them as more important than ourselves, we have not forgiven as we have been forgiven, we have not extended second mile love, we have not opened our hearts (let alone our homes) to the least and the last and the lost. O God, we have not been ministers of your reconciling love in ways that matter in people’s everyday realities. Forgive us Lord. Forgive us our apathy, our arrogance, our forgetfulness, our failures, our faults. Indeed, impute to us the very righteousness of Christ – not only a way of saving us but as a means of changing us! Indeed, give us the righteousness of Christ that we might live as Christ would live in the midst of this world that you so love. Amen.

Prayers of the people for the promotion of social righteousness…