The Pastor’s Corner

Prayer: Our Father, we thank you for a new day to serve you and glorify you with our lives. We are grateful to you for your redeeming and renewing work in our lives as you conform us more and more into the very image of your Son and our Savior. As your people, we desire to be holy and to live each moment glorifying you. We long to see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Therefore, be kind to us and work in us more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. Please help us to love you and love one another. Please help us to demonstrate joy that can only come from you regardless of our circumstances. Please grant us more kindness to others and to speak evil of no one. Please cause us to live more faithfully before you with our lives. Forgive us, Father, for the many ways in which we wander from your Word and grant us more of your Spirit that we may serve you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We pray these things in the name of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Prayer: Almighty God, we thank you for a new day in which your mercies are refreshed in our lives. Your faithfulness to your people is new every morning, and as a God of truth, we have great confidence in your promise to sustain us and help us on our journey. We are thankful for your Word and how it encourages us in our daily lives as we pilgrim as exiles in this world. While we long for the day in which we will enjoy your presence in the New Heavens and the New Earth, we plod on in this life with the sure hope of your love and favor for us. Your word tells us that you created us and called us by name. In that, we are told how much you love us and care for us. Your Word tells us that you will be with us through the various trials of this life, and your continual presence strengthens us. Your Word tells us that we are precious in your sight and loved with an infinite love. We are grateful beyond words for your sustaining care and kindness displayed to us. Though we are sinful creatures and offer our best labors mingle with sin, we know that you accept us in Christ. Through your adopting work, you are pleased to call us sons and daughters. Thank you, Father, for your care and help us today to glorify you out of gratitude for all you do for us each day. We pray these things in the name of the Savior, your Son, and our Lord. Amen.

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Meditation for the day taken from Everyday Prayer with John Calvin,” written by Donald McKim:

Scripture: Daniel 9:1-10

Daniel 9 is a prayer offered by Daniel as he was in exile in Babylon. The opening verses of the chapter set the stage for Daniel's prayer as he recounts the circumstances of God's people. As he reflects on the words of Jeremiah the prophet, he is painfully aware of the trial that his people face and the discipline they are currently experiencing. As a result of the anguish of his soul, he turns to pray and plead with the God of heaven. The example of Daniel should encourage us to do the same. When we are facing difficulties, we should turn to the Lord in prayer. Nothing else will do. We must learn to plead our case before the Lord. Calvin comments, "God does not here promise his children earthly blessings, but eternal life, and while they grow torpid and cast aside all care and spiritual concern, he urges them the more to earnestly to prayer. For what benefit do God's promises confer on us, unless we embrace them by faith? But prayer is the chief exercise of faith...For the true proof of faith is the assurance when we pray that God will really perform what he has promised." (64). Life for Daniel and the church of old was hard and they were under God's discipline. Yet, Daniel reflected on the promise of God to return the people to their land. This reflection turned to prayer and that a demonstration of his great faith in God and his promises.

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Prayer: Almighty God, we praise your name today because you are good and kind to your people. You have given us your Word in which we hear your voice and know your will. We thank you that you have given us ears to hear and hearts to respond to your commands. We thank you that through the primary and ordinary means of grace -- that preaching of your Word -- we hear the living voice of the Lord Jesus speaking. As he speaks, He ministers to his people as the Good Shepherd of the sheep. We confess that there are times when we do not listen and heed the things the Spirit declares to his church. We confess that we fail to prepare our hearts and minds to hear your Word. We are ashamed at how dull of hearing we often are as we sit under your Word. Forgive us, Lord. Please cause us to hear you today, the Lord's Day. Please cause us to listen diligently and meditatively so we may bring forth fruit of your Word in our lives and glorify you. We pray these things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Prayer: Our great and gracious God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we praise your name today because you are good and kind to your people. Throughout all ages, you have proven yourself to be patient and good to us. As we read your Word and observe the many ways in which you cared for your people. Your Word describes the events that prove your faithfulness. You brought your people out of the land of sin and bondage and safely across the Red Sea. You provided their daily bread as they journeyed to that land of promise. There, in that land, you went before them and conquered all their enemies. You patiently tolerated stiff-necked people and gave them a king. Throughout all ages, you continued to labor and work and offer yourself to the church of old. Today, we continue to witness your kindness to undeserving people. You have given us your Son, and through him, we have peace with you. He is our older brother, and he ministers for us today. He is carefully and patiently guiding his church and promises our safe arrival in a better country. We praise you, our God, that though we too wander, we know that your faithfulness to us is new every day. Forgive us, Father, for our tendency to stray. Thank you for being good to us. We pray these things in the name of Christ. Amen.

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Prayer: Our God in heaven, you who ordained your Son as the suffering servant who would come, take upon himself our humanity, suffer in all ways that we suffer yet know no sin, we thank you for the labor and ministry of your beloved Son, our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. We know that we, like sheep, often go astray. Like David, we bemoan that our sins are ever before us. Yet, we know that your Son, as our High Priest, is patient with us -- more patient than we are with ourselves and others. Your Word tells us that he will not break the bruised reed. That is, he will act tenderly and compassionately towards those he has redeemed. He does not snuff us out, though our light is barely burning. Your Son deals gently with the ignorant and wayward, and these things often characterize our lives. Forgive us, Father, for such a low view of your love for us and a poor understanding of the gospel. May we preach the hope of Christ to ourselves es in times of great sin and struggle. Be merciful, Lord. We pray all of these things in the name of the Savior. Amen.

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Prayer: Our Father, we look into your Word, and we take note of how it describes the tendency of our own hearts. We are prone to wander, Lord, we feel it. We are prone to leave the God we love. We are like sheep that often go astray. We mourn that we often do what we know is wrong and do not do what we know is right. Your Son tells us to watch and pray lest we fall into temptation. Yet, we often rush into temptation, forgetting to pray and plead with your Spirit for the face needed to overcome and mortify sin in our life. We are ashamed at how easily we give in to besetting sins and those things that so easily cause us to stumble. We are weak. You are strong. Forgive us, Father. Please help us meditate deeply on your Word and hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against you. We pray these things in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

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Everyday Prayer with John Calvin
Scripture: Jeremiah 33:1-9

This passage begins with a brief description of the circumstance of the prophet. 33:1 tells us, "The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard." The reference to the "second time" echoes back to 32:1-2. This passage begins by describing to us the awful difficulty facing the prophet. It reminds us of another man of God who was shut up in prison because he was faithful (See Gen. 39:19-23). As the LORD was with Joseph, he is also with Jeremiah. He has not abandoned his servants to the enemy, and he is mindful of their condition. It is here in this miserable state that the LORD says to Jeremiah, "Call to me and I will answer you" (33:3). The God of the covenant promised that he would hear the prayer of his servant, and he would answer him.

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Prayer: Our great God in heaven: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we bless your name today because you are the only true God and our God. You have called us and redeemed us that we may live as salt and light in a dark world. From the pit of misery, you have pulled us out and set our feet on the solid rock, which is your Son. Through his righteousness, you have imputed to us righteousness and accepted us as your children. We belong to you, and, therefore, you hear us when we pray. We thank you for our great High Priest who daily prays for us. We thank you that you have given us the Lord's Day when we come apart from our worldly cares and concerns and focus our attention on your majesty. With your people, we gather today to praise you and hear from you. We pray that you would speak from heaven today and encourage your people. Please grant to your ministers your Holy Spirit as they preach your Word. Please cause us to hear and do that which we hear for your glory and our good. We pray these things in the name of your Son, our Lord. Amen.

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Everyday Prayer with John Calvin
Scripture: Isaiah 65:17-25

This passage describes the joy of the New Jerusalem yet to come, and all that will be for the citizens of the New City. It is with great excitement that we look forward to that day. There are tremendous benefits to this City, and we do well to allow our minds to drift towards them as they are here summarized.

First, note the attitude in which the saints will demonstrate upon the arrival of the New Jerusalem: they will be glad and rejoice! (65:18). This attitude undergirds the entire passage as it gives reasons why we will rejoice and be glad. Even today, as we await this New Jerusalem, we have reason to rejoice and be glad. Our chief end in life is to glorify our God and Redeemer and enjoy him. We do this, in part, today through the celebration of the Lord's Day that our God has been pleased to grant. On that day, we taste in part the heavenly joys of the New City that will come.

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Prayer: Our God in heaven, we bow before you today to pray and plead with you for the things we need. We know that we need prayer, and we know that we have been granted access to you through your Son. Thank you for the great privilege afforded to us when we can come to you and commune with you. We confess our weakness in prayer. We confess our prayerless prayers. We confess that we do not pray as we ought, and we do not pray nearly enough. Forgive us for such laziness in our prayer lives. Forgive us for not spending the time each day to plead with you for our nation, our world, our families, our churches, and our lost friends and loved ones. Forgive us for not being godly examples of prayer to our children. Forgive us for not gathering with your people to pray with them. We grieve our poor efforts and know that you are patient with us though we often stray in this area. Please help us and remind us to pray more and to plead with you, the one true God and sovereign of all things. Thank you for forgiving us and grant to us a true heart of repentance in this area. We pray these things in the name of the one who is mediating for us each day, the Lord Jesus. Amen.

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This entire section of the sixty-third chapter is a prayer of lament and penitence. Some commentators believe this prayer continues through the next chapter. In these verses, what is important to note is that the prophet is addressing God, and he is pouring out his heart before him. The reason is simple: the people of God have turned from the ways they were commanded to go. They had fled from their God and are reaping the effects of it (63:17). The prophet pleads on behalf of the people, and he does so as one who addresses God as "Father." Twice in this passage (63:16), God is addressed in this manner. The point of the address is that Jehovah is to be seen and approached as a child would come to their earthly father -- pouring out their hearts and emotions before him. We have witnessed this many times, I'm sure, with our children. Something happens, and they come rushing to their father with great emotion, saying whatever comes to mind. That is the idea here. The prophet is pleading with the Father of heaven (63:15) on behalf of his soul, his people, and God's people.

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