The Pastor’s Corner

Prayer: Our God in heaven, you who made us from the dust of the ground and breathed into us the breath of life and made us a living soul, we bless and praise you for your great work of creation. You placed our first parents in a perfect world made by your hands. They rebelled against you and plunged us all under the weight of misery and death. Yet, you promised them a redeemer who would come and shatter sin and the grave. Through his life of suffering and eventual agony on the cross and the glorious resurrection, he did exactly as you promised. Though we die, we do not fear death. Though we still suffer under the weight of sin, we know that there is the hope of the new heavens and the new earth. Through our redeemer's labor, all that was lost is being made new. Thank you, our Father, for your plan and purpose of saving a people for yourself. We long to be free of this life and to ever be with our risen Lord. We pray these things in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

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Q4 What is God?
God is a Spirit, (John 4:24) infinite, (Job 11:7–9) eternal, (Ps. 90:2) and unchangeable, (James 1:17) in his being, (Exod. 3:14) wisdom, (Ps. 147:5) power, (Rev. 4:8) holiness, (Rev. 15:4) justice, goodness, and truth. (Exod. 34:6–7)

Prayer: Our God in heaven, you are holy, and in your Word, you have told us what you are. You are the eternal God, infinite in glory and goodness. You are a God who cannot change, and therefore we can trust your promises and works. Your wisdom is beyond searching out, but you have promised us wisdom as we ask for it from you. Your power is immeasurable. Therefore you can accomplish all that you decree to do. Your justice is perfect, unlike the weak efforts of men. For these reasons and many more, we have reason to praise you, love you, and obey you. Please forgive us for failing to think of your beauty and majesty. Please forgive our shortcomings and our sin. Thank you for revealing yourself to us and for being a God who delights in the forgiveness of sin. We pray these things in the name of the Savior. Amen.

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Prayer: Our Father in heaven, you are a good and gracious God. You have not treated us as our sins deserve. You have buried them in the deepest ocean and separated them as far as the east is from the west. You are the God who provides, and you have provided us the Lord's Day to remind us of the hope we have in your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout this day, we are reminded that the warfare of this life will come to an end. Though we are pilgrims and wrestle against the world, the flesh, and the devil, we know that your Word tells us of a rest to come that will be eternal. In that rest, we will behold your Son, and we will be like him and with him for that eternal rest which we hope and trust you will provide. We thank you that we can remember you and your mighty work of redeeming a people to yourself on this day. Thank you, our Father, for making the sabbath for man and not man for the Sabbath. We pray these things in the name of the Lord Jesus, our Sabbath rest. Amen.

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God requires of man. (2 Tim. 1:13, 2 Tim. 3:16)

Prayer: Almighty God, you have given us your Word that we would hear your voice and your mind as an infallible rule for how we are to live. Through it, we learn how to walk with you in faith and life. We confess that we are slow to learn and mourn this effect from indwelling sin. The church of old was slow to hear you and often rebelled against what you told them. The church today is not much different. We pray that you would grant your people a greater willingness to hear you and obey you. Please grant to us the help of your Spirit to pursue your Word, learning all that it contains, with a willing heart to obey what it says. We thank you that you have not left us to wander in darkness. Your Word is a light unto our path. Please help us meditate on it and seek to bring forth its fruit in our lives. We pray these things in the name of the Savior, your Son, and our Lord. Amen.

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Prayer: Our God in heaven, we thank you that you have given us your Word. Left to ourselves, we would not know what you require that we may live to glorify you. We are thankful that you have revealed yourself in creation, but that alone would not be enough for us to know what you require. Though we see your majesty displayed in the sun, moon, stars, seasons, and all that you have made, we would not understand them without that special revelation you have offered to us in the Bible. Through it, we hear from you, and we are told what we must believe to be reconciled with you. In your Word, we are told what is required of those made in your image. Please help us, therefore, to ponder deeply those things that are found in your Word and grant to us a willing heart and mind to obey you in all that you have commanded us. We pray these things in the name of the Savior, our Lord. Amen.

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Prayer: Our God in heaven, in days of old you spoke by your own voice, through signs, oracles, and through your prophets. In these days you have spoken through your Son and now, through your infallible Word by men called by your Spirit to proclaim Your will and mind to your people. As we gather today to hear from you, we pray that you would make willing servants listening intently to you, striving to do all that you have commanded. We know that we are easily distracted by the cares of this life and these things work to sidetrack our minds and hearts from those things that are most necessary. We long to be willing listeners and doers of all that you have commanded. Please help us to hear from you today! We do not want to be like the church of old that failed to hear your voice and died in the wilderness. We long to serve you with willing hearts and minds, loving you with every fiber of our being. Please grant to us your Spirit and be merciful to your church. We pray these things in the name of the Savior, the Lord Jesus. Amen.

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Q2 What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, (2 Tim. 3:16, Eph. 2:20) is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. (1 John 1:3–4)

Prayer: Almighty God and our Father, we praise you for giving us your Word, which sustains and guides and directs our path. As the only rule by which we can know how to glorify you, we are grateful that you have given us eyes to see, ears to hear, and the Spirit to teach us all that we must know to please you. Forgive us for failing to mediate on the bread of life. Forgive us for spending so much energy in fruitless pursuits and not on your Word. Forgive us for failing to use the means of grace that you have graciously provided that we would live holy lives before you. We pray that your Word would never return void and that it will accomplish all your holy will. We pray that it would be used in such as way as to point many to their great need and then cause them to look to Christ. We pray these things in His name. Amen.

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Q2 What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, (2 Tim. 3:16, Eph. 2:20) is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. (1 John 1:3–4)

Prayer: Our God in heaven, we thank you that you are a God who has revealed himself to us through your inspired and infallible Word. We live in a world that seeks counsel and knowledge from fallible sources, but you have given us your Word -- the very mind of the living and true God -- that we might know how we are to live. Your Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It is profitable for us in its instruction, doctrine, reproof, and correction. We know that as we hear your Word, you have also called us to obey it. We confess that we often take it for granted. So often, we hear your Word and fail to take seriously those things we read and hear. Forgive us for a low appetite of your Word and grant to us a greater hungering and thirsting for it. We pray these things in the name of the living Word, your Son, and our Lord. Amen.

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A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

1 Cor. 10:31; Rom. 11:36; Ps. 73:25-28.

Prayer: Our loving and faithful God in heaven: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we bless the name of the Lord Jesus today as the only name given to men whereby we can be saved. We thank you that you are a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God who has made promises for his children. We have been made to glorify you in all that we do. We have also been made to enjoy you forever. We know that we see a tiny fraction of what that will be like in the New Heavens and the New Earth. We long for that day when the distractions and cares of this world, including our sin of omission and commission, will not impede that enjoyment. We long for that day when there will be no more tears or sorrow or pain. We cry out to you, our Savior, to come quickly, Lord. Until then, we ask that you would persevere us by your Spirit working in us that which is well-pleasing in your sight. We pray this is the name that is above every name -- the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Prayer: Our God in heaven, we come to bless and praise you for your many mercies. We thank you that you are not like the dead idols of Israel as you see and hear and speak. They were impotent, but you are omnipotent. You can do exceedingly, abundantly beyond anything we can ask or imagine. We thank you for the daily outpouring of faithfulness to us as your redeemed children. We confess that there are many times in our lives that we are faithless. We know that your sins deserve your wrath, but, in Christ, you have not treated us as our sins deserve.

Today, as we gather to worship you, we pray that you would speak to us through your Word. We long to see you exalted and your Son magnified. We need your Spirit to worship you as you have commanded. Please cause us to listen with minds ready to receive the Word and then go and do what it tells us. We pray that your voice would thunder as in days of old when you spoke to our fathers from your holy mountain. We pray that we would heed your voice and strive to live as faithful ambassadors of the Most High God. We pray these things in the Name of Christ our Lord and King. Amen.

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Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

1 Cor. 10:31; Rom. 11:36; Ps. 73:25-28.

Prayer: Our glorious God in heaven, we thank you for granting us another day in which we have the privilege to serve you and love you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are reminded that we are here to serve you, honoring you in all that we do and say. We confess our tendency to stray from our primary purpose. We grieve the sin that indwells us, and we long to be free from it so that we may fully enjoy you. We rest confidently in that hope of the new heavens and the new earth where we will be fully blessed in the full enjoyment of you for all of eternity. Until then, please grant the Eternal Spirit to persevere us and help us, equipping us to glorify you in all that we do. We pray these things in the name of Christ. Amen.

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