Friday, February 27, 2009
The God of Brainerd/Baxter
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Rick Warren's Inaugural Prayer
Almighty God, our Father:
Everything we see, and everything we can’t see, exists because of you alone.
It all comes from you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory.
History is your story.
The Scripture tells us, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one." And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.
Now today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 43rd time, we celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where a a son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.
Give to our new president, Barack Obama,
the wisdom to lead us with humility,Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.the courage to lead us with integrity,
the compassion to lead us with generosity.
Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans--united not by race or religion or by blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.
When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you--forgive us.
When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone--forgive us.
When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve--forgive us.
And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes—even when we differ.
Help us to share, to serve, and to seek the common good of all.
May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy, and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet.
And may we never forget that one day, all nations--all people--will stand accountable before you.
We now commit our new president and his wife Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.
I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life—Yeshua, Esa, Jesus, Jesus—who taught us to pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be they name.Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Colossians 1:9-14
And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you,
asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will
in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing to him,
bearing fruit in every good work
and increasing in the knowledge of God.
May you be strengthened with all power,
according to his glorious might,
for all endurance and patience with joy,
giving thanks to the Father,
who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
Morning Prayer
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
New Year Self-Examination
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Prayer for Transformation
Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.
~Isaiah 64:1-4
"Isaiah expressed a longing for God to manifest Himself once again to a people who needed to be reminded of the awesomeness of their God."
- Pray that God will stir in you a heart that cries out for Jesus to bring revival and transformation.
- Pray that Pointway Church will experience an awakening to the holiness of God and a deserate desire for Jesus.
_ Come Lord Jesus - Transformation Prayer Guide, by Steve Loopstra
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Advent 2
ADVENT 2 – December 7, 2008
Advent means coming.
We are preparing for the full coming of God’s kingdom:
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world;
the one who follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life.”
We light these candles as a sign of the coming light of Christ. (light two candles)
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
—Isaiah 9:2,
And I will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.
—Isaiah 42:16,
Come, Lord Jesus, our light and our salvation.
Let us walk in the light of the Lord.