The Pastor’s Corner

Prayer: Grant almighty God that we, as your redeemed people, would take seriously and uphold the ordinary means of grace that you have graciously given to your church. We confess that we live in a day and age when your people have departed from those means, inventing newfangled ways of worshiping you. Yet, your Word plainly tells us that we are to approach you on your terms. The church of old was given strict and exacting instructions as to how they should approach you. Under penalty of death, they risked their very existence by offering strange fire before you. Therefore, because you are holy, you demand that we approach you with fear and reverence, as to a Father who loves and cares for us. Yet, somehow, we think you need our help by inventing strange and weird things, calling it worship when it is, in fact, an abomination before you. As we look around our world and see the state of the church, we are forced to concede that we are not better off for engaging in such behavior. We are lured and enticed to invent worship out of our feeble and fallen minds. Our hearts seem to desire that which you have not ordered. Forgive your church, Lord. Please grant us a great zeal for your worship and give us that same frame and desire that you have for it as well. These things we pray and confess through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read More

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, you alone are sovereign over all creation. You made the world and all things in it. You are the Creator, and we are your creatures. You govern and uphold all things by the word of your power. We thank you that you have ordered our days and told us to number ours carefully and wisely. Though we have plunged your world into chaos through our own sin, we thank you that you have provided a Redeemer who is reversing the effects of the fall. Though this life is often filled with misery and strife, we thank you that we can flee to you and plead with you for the things that we need. Therefore, we pray for our brothers and sisters living in challenging circumstances today. Many of them are under great threat from wicked people. Many of them are worried and anxious. Many of them are scared. We ask you, the Father of all comfort, to help them. We plead with you to frustrate the intentions of wicked people for the sake of your people who you love. Please be gracious to your chosen people, and help them lean on you through times of great turmoil with pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read More

Prayer: Grant, Almighty God, that as we have not only been redeemed from Babylonian exile, but have also emerged from hell itself; for when we were the children of wrath thou didst freely adopt us, and when we were aliens, thou didst in thine infinite goodness open to us the gate of thy kingdom, that we might be made thy heirs through thy Son, - O grant that we may walk circumspectly before thee, and submit ourselves wholly to thee and to thy Christ, and not feign to be his members, but really prove ourselves to be his body, and to be so governed by his Spirit, that thou mayest at last gather us together into thy celestial kingdom, to which thou daily invites us by the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read More

Prayer: Grant almighty God that we, as your redeemed people, will listen to what you say to us today. You have made the Sabbath for us to enjoy. It is that one day in seven in which we have the privilege to come apart from our worldly employments and recreations to sit at your feet, to worship you, to enjoy the fellowship of your people, and to serve and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Forgive us for trampling underfoot this day. We know that you take this commandment very seriously -- as you do all of them. We know that we tend to wander from it because we are still worldly. We are often tempted to do what is forbidden on this day. We go astray and seek our own pleasure. Please help us, by your Spirit, to take great delight in the Christian Sabbath we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read More

Prayer: Grant almighty god that you would remind us of the great heritage we inherited from those who have gone before us. Throughout history, you orchestrated the events that brought us to faith in Christ. By your divine will and providence, you brought us into families who taught us the precious doctrines of our historic faith. Due to the faithfulness of our fathers in the faith, we were introduced to your Son and your Word. We are reminded of the importance of teaching our children and raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We know the calamity that befalls a generation when we do not teach the next generation the gospel and the doctrines that your Word proclaims. Please grant us the diligence and zeal to avoid hiding these things from our children. Help us to open our mouths and speak to them about the Savior. Grant us the grace needed to live before them with words and deeds that point them to that which will truly satisfy them. Forgive us for introducing our children to many things and not pointing them to the one thing necessary for their soul. Forgive us for being distracted by the cares of this life and leading our children to regard your church as common and ordinary. Forgive us for not teaching our children to pray to you and read your Word. Grant a new generation that will be faithful to you and help us be faithful to that end. All of these things we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read More