"Take My Life and Let It Be"

Let's take some time today for individual personal prayer, using the lyrics of this familiar hymn by Frances R Havergal ...

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine,
it shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal Throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
at Thy feet its treasure-store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all, for Thee.

Hear our words, oh God, that they might be real and true and genuine. Holy Spirit, move within each of us today that we will desire to do and be all the things we have just prayed for ourselves. There is nothing more we would rather be than totally yours; so please take our hands, our feet, our voices, our possessions, our lives, hearts, thoughts and motives and use them, direct them, so that everything we say and do will be pleasing to You! Take our love, Lord, and multiply it so that it overflows onto everyone we meet today. In the precious name of Jesus ... Amen

Praying for the wives ... and future spouses out there

Heavenly Father, there are some exceptionally wonderful women you've placed at GS and we need to take some time to lift them up to you!

You know each one by name ... you know all of their struggles ... all of their joys ... their hurts; their pains. You know every hair on each beautiful head, Father. You will fulfill your purpose in each one of them, Lord ... Your love endures forever!

Right now, we lift up Judy, Chris, and Kimberly; wives of great men who love "to tell your story".

Lord, thank you for 40 years for Judy "in the ministry" with her husband! Thank you for your faithfulness to her all these years ... for inspiring her, for providing for all her needs, for comforting her. Lord Jesus, wrap Judy in your arms and hold her tight ... continue to fill her with support and encouragement for her husband. Be with Pastor and Judy as they plan for retirement ... send your angels to guard against all danger during traveling ... provide good health ... shower them with Your peace and love always!

Father God, we praise you for Chris and the woman she is! Her joy, peace, patience, and kindness radiate your love, Lord. Guide her and show her your ways as she mothers the 5 little blessings you've given her. Please keep her strong and healthy; providing her with rest and replenishment as she needs it. Protect her and the kids as they camp this week. Give them and all the "family campers" good weather and wonderful memories, please Lord. Father, as Pastor and Chris get ready for their mission trip to Alaska next month, reassure them in their plans ... calm any fears or worries with your peace.

Holy Spirit, abide in Kimberly as she is apart from Tom right now. Provide just the right amount of time for her to take care of everything that needs to happen before she leaves to join him in Haiti next month. Guide her as she continues to be one of your shining stars ... even in this dark world. Give her just the right words to always speak your truth, no matter what the reaction of others might be. Continue to give her wisdom and understanding as it pertains to mothering, being a supportive wife, a responsible employee, and every other role you have given her.

Lord, we pray for each of these women and all women connected with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School; that your love and mercy is felt by each and every one of them. Place on their hearts the desire to grow in their relationship with you, Lord, and with that will surely come hearts filled with support and encouragement for their husbands, children, friends, ... everyone they come in contact with.

For those women that are not yet married, Father, we ask that you provide patience and confident hope that the man you have picked out for them is out there and you have it all planned out ... just right. Build up those men, Lord ... make them men of great integrity ... men that have humbled themselves and make you the center of their lives.

Father in heaven, we thank you for this wonderful day and the opportunity we had to come into your sanctuary and worship you! We look forward to living each day this week knowing that you are with us; walking right by our side. Make your presence known Lord. We long to feel your touch; fill us up when we are empty. Bless us and keep us, Lord. Look down on us with favor. Make your face shine upon us and give us your peace. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Great Expectations

"We should act with as much energy as those who who expect everything from themselves, and we should pray with as much earnestness as those who expect everything from God." Charles Caleb Colton

Lord God, Heavenly Father, King of Kings, Prince of Peace, we do expect big things, but unfortunately we do tend to rely on ourselves to provide them ... and sometimes we don't expect much and aren't surprised when not much happens. Instead of us being complacent, we are letting go of any old, bad habits and crying out to you, earnestly in prayer! We know we need change in order to grow Your Kingdom, Father. We know we need unity so that we can all work together, side by side, with a one-mindedness, focused on You. Lord, we're asking You now to be the King of the Universe to the children and teens of our congregation; to reveal Yourself in a new way to them and draw them close to You. We need your help, God, and we have been also looking for manual help by adding a staff member dedicated to serving You by working with our youth. We have been blessed with the addition to our paid staff and we ask you to lead and guide Terry as he endeavors to rally our youth for You! Father, help Terry stay the course and run the race marked out for him. Provide him everything he needs; health, energy, time, focus, and helpful parents. Holy Spirit, fill the kids with the desire to want to know you more and help them to see that this is a great opportunity to be a part of something big! Fill the parents with Your conviction to also be a part of the new improved youth program, Lord. Instill in them that parents are to "train up a child" in Your way, God. Show them that everything they do and say is a model for their children and teens. Help us all be supportive of Terry, encouraging to him and our youth. Help us to seek ways to be a positive part of the youth program. Convict our hearts to know what to do and how to pray, Lord Jesus. Be with us, the kids, Terry, and our pastoral staff and ministry leaders. Guide us, lead us, protect us from Satan, and teach us to go out and make disciples for you, Jesus. Amen.

Prayer for Tom

Father God, we thank you for the gifts and talents you have given each and every one of us! Today we especially thank you for Tom Donnelly and his gift of teaching! We so appreciate all he has done for Good Shepherd, particularly the leading of a Sunday morning Bible Study for the past several years; teaching and preaching your Word to young and not-so-young adults.
Holy Spirit, because of your work, Tom has been an instrument in shaping and molding hearts ... because of your work in our hearts, lives have been changed ... knowing, loving, and following Jesus. What a blessing Tom has been! Thank you, Lord Jesus!
Thank you, heavenly Father, for placing Tom in our midst and thank you for his health, his energy, his desire to go out and reach people outside our community, outside this country, with the truth of your Word; the very words of life and salvation in Your beloved Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Father God, we ask now that your loving arms are around Tom, coaxing and comforting him as he makes final preparations and takes flight on Saturday, leaving his family for a time before some of them join him throughout the summer. Lord, Tom will miss his wife, daughters, sons, friends and probably even his dogs. Holy Spirit, dwell within Tom and comfort him, giving him vision and strength to carry out the mission you have given him, looking ahead to joyous reunions! Keep him safe, healthy and strong, Father. Keep him focused and fed and provide him with needed rest. Provide for him financially so he can carry on without that concern. Lord, give him wisdom and understanding as he works with the Haitian people. Above all, Lord, keep Tom's will in alignment with your will ... your good and perfect will. May many more people learn about what you, in your unimaginable love, have done for us through the death and resurrection of your Son, our Savior, Jesus!
In His mighty name, we pray. Amen.

"Pray without ceasing"

1 Thessalonians 5: 16 "Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Life is not easy. Can I get an 'amen' here?

How does one go through life on this earth "always joyful"?

Nehemiah 8:10 "...Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Psalm 28:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

Lord God, help us to see things the way you do ... seeking out the important things that give us joy ... like knowing you and looking forward to eternal life with you.

Seriously, is it possible to "pray continuously"?

In all things in all times and in all places we can and should be talking to God ... He's in love with us and loves to hear from us ... about every detail; big and little ... in trouble and affliction ... in thankfulness and praise ... there is no better listener and no deeper lover of our soul. Lord, I do believe you love me like that ... help my unbelief!

Do we really "give thanks in ALL circumstances"? ... even when we don't feel our circumstances are something to be thankful for?

Thankfully Jesus warns us, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 Thank you, thank you, for the warning, Jesus! Help me to see that any suffering or trouble I am going through pales in comparison to what you went through for me.

Father God, please forgive us when we think of prayer as a last resort ... or an afterthought. Help us to be mindful of you and all you provide and want to give us ... the joy and peace that passes all understanding ... the hope of everlasting happiness.

Lord, we lift up our pastors to you today as they make their final preparations to lead our congregation in worship of you ... as they put the finishing touches on their sermons inspire them with your Word that they may speak it boldly and declare the Good News of the salvation you've sent in your son, our Savior, Jesus!

Holy Spirit, work in the hearts of all those that enter our church building this weekend. Fill the building with your holiness and fill us up to overflowing with your love. Convict every person who is a part of Good Shepherd that although we need food and water ... man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from You, Lord. Put a desire in each one of us to absorb your Word every day.

Thank you for another beautiful day. In the precious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Praying the Lord's Prayer

In Matthew Chapter 6, beginning at verse 5, Jesus gives us direction, guidelines, specifics about how to pray. As we pray His prayer, there are 5 'P's to help us keep focused:

Praise ... Praising God for who He is ... May His name be holy among us!

Priorities ... Above all things, may His will be done and His kingdom come!

Provision ... May He provide for all our needs, and help us to grasp the difference between our 'needs' and our 'wants'

Pardon ... May He forgive us our sins ... through our repentance (turning away from) and confession (1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.") ... and convict our hearts to forgive those who have sinned against us.

Protection ... May He protect us from Satan's schemes by teaching us through His Word how to arm ourselves from that which is not from Him (Ephesians 6: 10-11 "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power ... put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.")

"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one."
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. For You alone, God, are the King, from whom we seek help. You alone, have the power to grant our prayers. We give You all glory and praise for all You have done for us.
Amen.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in afflication, and faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

1 Corinthians 1:8-10
He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Dear Father in Heaven, you are our hope, our provider, our comfortor! You give us everything we need at the perfect time ... all the time! We come to you at this time, seeking your will, seeking the face of Jesus, asking your holiness to reign in our lives and upon every heart at our church ... your church. Bless our pastors and those you've called to be leaders with the spirit of wisdom and truth. Lord, change the hearts of anyone who is not in line with your will; bring about repentance and forgiveness. God, send your holy angels to guard and protect us from the enemy, Satan, as he seeks to destroy all that is good. Give us discernment, Lord, so that we will recognize anything that is not in line with your will for us. Father God, may our mission always be about helping people to know, love, and follow your son, Jesus, our Good Shepherd. We ask all this in the precious and mighty name of Jesus! Amen