Loving Father, we give you thanks for our Lord Jesus Christ, who, even as a young boy, astounded learned men with his understanding. So focused on pleasing you was he, that he astonished his parents, even in the midst of their worry and concern. His love for and commitment to you was so great at an early age, that he knew he must be in your house. Gracious God, as our Lord Jesus, who at such a tender age knew, loved, and followed you so faithfully, enable us to do the same. Help us to increasingly grow in wisdom, stature, and in favor with you and others, even as we love and serve you and others. We humbly ask this in the name of our Savior. Amen. (from Luke 2:47-52)
1 Comment
God of endurance and encouragement, we thank you for your Word made flesh, as well as your written Word. We know that what was written long ago was written for our instruction, so that through our endurance and the encouragement we receive from the Scriptures, we may have hope. We praise you for not leaving us in the dark, groping for something to grasp. Instead, you have given us a lamp for our feet and a light for our path, that we might follow our Lord through this shadowy world. Almighty God, use this hope we have as followers of your Son, to enable us live in harmony with fellow Christians so we may raise our voices together to bring you the glory and honor due your name. And we pray that when the rest of the world sees such worship, they too will turn to you and give you praise. For it is in the name of Christ we pray. Amen. (from Romans 15:4-7)
Heavenly Father, we thank you for all your promises in Holy Scripture. Your promises give us hope, assurance, and confidence in the midst of grief, fear, uncertainty, and doubt. We thank you that you so lovingly provide these promises to us and for us. We humbly ask you to give us the faith to believe them and to live our lives as though they have already come to pass, because, in a manner of speaking, they have. For the fulfillment of your promises is certain and we can rest our hearts, minds, and souls upon them. You promise us that your children will one day all worship you together. You promise to teach us your ways so that we may walk in your paths. You promise to judge between the nations and to turn swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks so that, one day, we will know war no more. We pray for these things, even as we rest upon these promises. Come Lord Jesus. Amen. (from Isaiah 2:1-5)
Gracious God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly ask you to fill us with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Enable us, Lord, to walk in a manner worthy of you, that we would be fully pleasing in your sight. Please help us to bear fruit in every good work and continually increase in our knowledge of you. Strengthen us with all power according to your glorious might, and with that strength, assist us to endure to the end, with patience and joy. For all of this, and for qualifying us to share in the inheritance of the saints of light, for delivering us from the domain of darkness and transferring us to the kingdom of your beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins, we give you our eternal praise and thanksgiving. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen. (from Colossians 1:9-14)
Good and gracious Lord, we give you thanks for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are loved and chosen by you. You saved them through the sanctifying power of your Holy Spirit and thus enabled them to believe in your truth. You called them, and us, through your gospel of grace so that we all may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, Father, fill us now with that same Holy Spirit, so we may stand firm to the end and faithfully hold to the teachings of your Word made flesh and inscripturated. We thank and praise you for your love, eternal comfort, and good hope through your grace. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen. (from 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17)
|
BlogCategories
All
FavoritesThe Fellowship of Ailbe
Ken Boa.org Ligonier Ministries WORLD Magazine Break Point Colson Center Acton Institute Institute for Faith, Work, & Economics Ravi Zacharias International Ministries C.S. Lewis Institute Imaginative Conservative The Gospel Coalition Desiring God The Institute on Religion and Democracy Every Square Inch Ministries 9Marks Albert Mohler Gene Edward Veith First Things Discovery Institute Center for Cultural Leadership Church and Culture Reasonable Faith David Naugle The Stream Probe Ministries Core Christianity Reformation 21 Archives
April 2019
|