The Pastor’s Corner

Prayer: Grant, Almighty God, that as thou hast once adopted us, and continues to confirm this thy favour by calling us unceasingly to thyself, and dost not only severely chastise us, but also gently and paternally invite us to thyself, and exhort us at the same time to repentance, – 0 grant that we may not be so hardened as to resist thy goodness, nor abuse this thine incredible forbearance, but submit ourselves in obedience to thee; that whenever thou mayest severely chastise us, we may bear thy corrections with genuine submission of faith, and not continue untameable and obstinate to the last, but return to thee the only fountain of life and salvation, that as thou has once begun in us a good work, so thou mayest perfect it to the day of our Lord. Amen.

(From Calvin's commentary on Hosea)

Prayer: Our most merciful and holy God, we plead that you would grant us the wisdom that comes only from you. Cause us to see and seek knowledge by praying and pleading for it and searching for it in your Word. We know that your Word is the bread of life that man must have to be filled. It is there that we find truth and wisdom to help us on our pilgrimage to our heavenly rest. We confess that we often seek what is most needful in other things. Too often, we put our hope in the counsel and advice of this fallen world. WE know that leads to instability. Forgive us, Lord. Please help us strive after holiness and godliness and righteousness by seeking it in prayer and your infallible Word through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer: Grant Almighty God that we would remember how zealous you are for your glory and worship. You have commanded that we have no other gods in your sight. We are painfully aware of how prone we are to make idols out of everything good. We create and fashion them in our hobbies, recreation, entertainment. We develop them out of our loved ones, family members, spouses, and children. We replace you with them and those other good things you have blessed us with in our lives. Indeed the "The mind of man, I say, is like a work place of idolatries, and every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols." Please show us plainly those ways in which we have sinned against you and grant us the desire to strip those idols down from that exalted place that should be reserved for you alone. We know that if we hold too tightly to them, you will not bless us and may even remove them. Therefore, holy Father, do not let us wallow in the madness of idolatry that so ensnared your people of old. Please grant us your Holy Spirit to help us to do what you command. We humbly pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

Scripture: Romans 1:8-15

The passage under consideration today is found within the opening words of Paul's letter to the church at Rome (1:7). As is his custom, he indicates to the church that he is praying for them, and he does so with words of thanksgiving before petition (1:8 cp. with 1:10). That is a good model for us as we pray. So often, we move right to petition and forget to be thankful for the many ways in which the Lord has heard our prayer and answered us and how he has tended to our needs every day—praying prayers of thanksgiving tends to cultivate a genuinely thankful heart.