In the Place of Crying Out

If we can find our way to our seats. OK, and now that you've found your seats, if you could be quiet. Well, I do want to thank you guys for, for coming out, tonight. And, joining us, in worship and, and some of the things that we're going to be talking about here.

Over, the next, little bit. This is going to be your night, as we'll explain, in a, in a few minutes, but I, I want to begin by talking to you guys for a little bit. on the theme of tonight, which is in the place of crying out. When we say that we're speaking of us putting ourselves in the position and even God putting us in the position of crying out to Him, in prayer.

And essentially, that's what I, I want us to focus on tonight is the subject of, of prayer. And, just, I want to begin my train of thought tonight by just thinking for a little bit about the Jerusalem Church in the Book of Acts. I don't think in church history, there is another example of a church that went from virtual nothingness to being a mighty church, not just numerically, but also, mighty in power and, and the experience of the genuine power. Of God, and earning the respect of the populace of Jerusalem, and even fear, people are, were afraid to join themselves to them if they weren't serious, about, their faith with great power, the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of Jesus.

The church grew from 120 on the day of Pentecost to 3000 in addition to that, and then, Many thousands more. Eventually, it, it reached all the way up to the religious establishment of Jerusalem. There were even priests that were becoming obedient to the faith. They, they rocked the city of Jerusalem.

And as we look in the book of Acts, and the story of the Jerusalem church is told, it's not a story wherein the historian says, it looks like they made a little bit of a difference. you can tell that they were there and a difference was made. no, they, they turned the city upside down to such a degree that they raised the ire of the nonbelievers there, and they began to be sorely persecuted. But when those attacks came, the Jerusalem Christians were scattered for their lives.

But everywhere they went, they went everywhere preaching the word. And so more people ended up getting saved as a result of that. And one guy that got saved, and we have to say, partly as the result of the influence of the Jerusalem Christians, and even like guys like Stephen, Paul was saved on the Damascus road, and that's normally where we start in our thinking. in terms of his conversion, but Paul knew these early Christians, and he knew them well enough to hate them and to chase them to foreign cities to destroy them.

his conscience, people don't fight that hard against a religion unless there's something inside of them that's Like half agreeing with what they're saying, but desperately wants to not believe that their message is true. And Paul was holding the coats of those that stoned Stephen, and he saw the way Stephen died in his testimony to his dying. last breath, and no doubt his conscience was very active and at work and pricked by the testimony, by the witness, by the power of these early Christians, and God ultimately with his heart prepared in that way, saved him on the Damascus road and then called a Jerusalem Christian to be the one who baptized him.

So the Jerusalem saints were all over even Paul's salvation.

And then through the influence of Paul and many others who came out of the Jerusalem Church, the gospel ended up going to the farthest reaches of the Roman Empire in one generation. So the Jerusalem Church made a difference in Jerusalem and in all of Israel and then all throughout the Roman Empire in the course of one generation. How does the church do that? How does a church reach a place of that power and their impact upon a community?

What was it about these early Christians that can maybe serve to explain the power that they had in their lives and in their witness? One of the passages that you could go to find a partial answer is Acts 2:42, a passage that's very familiar to. us here at Cornerstone, I want to focus on only one aspect of this verse. It says they, the believers in the Jerusalem church, were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, which is communion, and literally to prayers, to prayers.

they were devoting themselves to 4 things, the last of which we're going to focus on tonight, and that is to praying or to prayers. Now to devote oneself to this Greek expression basically is the Greek word for strong, to be strong with the preposition towards attached to the beginning of it. It literally means to be strong towards, to take one's energy, to summon that energy, and hone it in and direct it. And devotion to something.

just a silly illustration of this. Sometimes kids will have a party and the party will feature a pinata where kids are blindfolded and they smack it around and ultimately, hopefully the pinata breaks. And I've been to parties where it never broke and it's a real downer, but ultimately it breaks, candy flies everywhere. And at that point, every child in attendance at the party becomes strong towards the contents of that pinata.

They're not lackadaisical about it. They're not like, wow, that's interesting. I see a piece of candy over there. I've got to make sure to get to that at some point, maybe later today as the party unfolds.

No, they're very passionate. And nothing else matters. You can try to talk to them. You're wasting your breath.

They are honed in. And all of their energies are devoted towards that candy. Every piece that they can get, they are strong towards that devoting their energies towards that. And even once they get the candy, they're strong.

Towards in their devotion towards the candy that they just got. with one hand, they're, they're, they're trying to cling to the candy and stuff it in their shirt or put it in a bag. And they're very protective. Don't touch the bag.

Don't touch my candy. So they're strong towards protecting what they have acquired. And basically, the attitude of children towards something like that. That's the way the early Christians were about prayer.

They really were, they were strong towards prayer. And it means to be devoted to, to be strong towards, to persist obstinately in, to be passionate about prayer. Now, if a church advertises to its congregation, we're going to have a prayer meeting. On a Sunday night.

and the average church, that would be the most, poorly attended service of all, because believers are not devoted to prayer. And could it be that the reason churches make just a little bit of a difference. And their cities are no difference at all. Could it be that it is because in part, we are not strong towards prayer, taking our strength and devoting that to prayer to God.

The early Christians were in Acts 1:14, we learned that they were devoting themselves to prayer, same expression, Acts 2:42, and they were continually devoting themselves to prayers. In Acts 6:4, the apostles who at this point, were leaders of the Jerusalem church said of themselves, we will devote ourselves to prayer. So from the leadership on down, they were saying, we've got, we've got energy, we've got strength, we're going to deposit that and direct that towards this thing called prayer.

Now, the reason I want us to think about this is that I know in my own life, this is a struggle, and I have to confess this to you that, you get up in the morning and there's a lot of things that, that you realize you need to devote your strength towards every day, right?

There's bills to pay. You've got to go to work, you've got to take your kids here and there, school your kids if you're homeschool. If you don't homeschool, help them with their homework. Make sure they're doing what they need to be, doing.

There's laundry to be done. There's groceries to be purchased, and I know for me, I get up in the morning and immediately I'm introduced with, List of things to do and things to think about, things that are basically saying you need to devote your strength towards me, these items on the list, and there's nothing at all wrong with that, because we do need to devote our strength towards these things. But the temptation is that we can say, well, I don't really have time today to devote my strength towards prayer because I have these other things to do.

I'll put my strength towards these things, and then maybe later in the day, if there's an opening, I'll devote myself to prayer.

And what ends up happening. If that's your approach, by the end of the day, you have found no time to devote yourself to prayer. You guys know who William Gates is, don't you?, Bill Gates, actually, listen to what he says. he said a number of years ago, he says, just in terms of allocation of time resources, religion is not very efficient.

There's a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning. That's his attitude about church. It's a waste of time. There's a lot more productive things I could be doing.

And we might read that and just shake our heads and say, man, it's just terrible that someone has that attitude. But let's take that quote and change a few words and let's ask ourselves if we don't have the same attitude towards prayer. Just in terms of allocation of time resources, prayer is not very efficient. There's a lot more I could be doing.

Instead of praying. None of us have said those words out loud, and yet how many of us by the decisions that we have made indicate that this is actually our thought process. We want things to get done. We want much to be accomplished.

Therefore, we set aside prayer and we put our strength towards this list of things that need to be done. God speaks to us in His grace and says, I know that you want much to be accomplished in your life, in your home, and in your church. I want much to be accomplished in your life as well. And so God speaks and says, the effective prayer of a righteous man.

accomplishes much. God is saying, I, I want much to be accomplished. In fact, between the two of us, I want more to be accomplished in your life than you want accomplished in your life. So if anyone's all about getting stuff done and getting stuff accomplished and making stuff happen, I'm the one who has the greater desire for that.

My list would blow you away if you saw the things I want to get accomplished through you and through this church. So that's my passion. And what God invites us into is this, he says, if you can just devote yourself and be strong towards praying and talking to me, that will accomplish much. And when we think of us as a church, I can tell you as one of the pastors here at Cornerstone from the vantage point of where I sit and where I stand, That our church is in dire need of prayer.

Our church, is making an impact, but we can make much more of an impact. Our church is making a difference, but we can make much more of a difference. To the degree that we are making a difference in the lives of people, we are being attacked. And in recent months, I have seen the viciousness of the evil one and the nature of some of the assaults and attacks, not just against this church per se, but against individuals who are in this church.

There are brothers and sisters in this body that need prayer. The elders, absolutely require your prayers. And so, We, we not only need prayer to be able to hold our ground and to hold the gains that have been gained, but then to advance forward and to not be intimidated, and to make a difference. And so much needs to be accomplished.

And, and God looks down on us and he's like, oh, if these people only knew what I want to accomplish in their lives and through them. And God says, Here's how to make it happen. Take your energy and your strength and devote it into prayer. Come to me.

This is why the devil fears a praying church. Samuel Chadwick said the one concern the devil has is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless ministries. He laughs at our toil, mocks our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.

D. Edmund Hebert. Says the devil cares but little. How many activities we engage in or how many organizations the churches develop, so long as he can keep believers from intensive prayer.

Without prayer, all of the machinery is useless. For lack of power. When we pray, what are some things that we pray for? We pray for laborers in the harvest, for God to send forth laborers.

We pray for those laborers that he's already sent. We don't just say, Lord, send forth labors into the harvest and, OK, I see you're doing that, and then we don't pray for those that are out in the harvest. We pray for them. we pray for spiritual fruitfulness in our lives and in the lives of our brothers and sisters.

We pray for opportunities to speak. We ask our brothers to pray that we will have opportunities to speak with boldness, the gospel. Do you get up in the morning and do you ask God, Lord, bring about an opportunity for me to share the gospel, and then you go through the day looking for the Lord to answer, that, that prayer. We pray that the word of God would spread through us, and through others around the world.

We pray for boldness and proclaiming the gospel. We pray for believers to know the fullness of gospel realities. We pray for forgiveness and healing for ourselves and for each other. We pray for protection, from attack and from the effects of those attacks.

There's so much we could say about even what's on this list. But, here's what I want us to do tonight with all of that, being said. I, we've got two microphones up here and we're going to just, we're going to go to prayer. And anyone that feels led of God to come up and pray, we want to invite you to come up to one of these microphones and pray.

If you want to praise the Lord, Then praise the Lord. If you want to make request of God, then make request of God. If you want to confess. Then confess.

If you want, maybe the Lord prompts you to read a scripture that, you feel led to read, read, then, then read that. And as we listen to you, we're hearing from God speaking to us in this season of prayer. But as we do this, guys, I want to just offer one explanation. I, I don't like the, the idea of a prayer meeting where it's like, OK, let's all get together and let's all speak to God.

And let him know what our needs and desires are, as if he didn't already know. And then we say amen. OK, good, God has heard from us. We actually need to see prayer the other way also, that prayer is us hearing from God.

And God moving in our hearts when we pray corporately, God moves in the hearts of our brothers and sisters in our own heart, and he moves us in terms of what to pray for, what to ask, what to praise Him for. And technically, I want this next season of prayer to be such that, that we all have a sense of anticipation that God is here. God is in this room, is he not? And God is going to work in our hearts, and he's going to orchestrate this prayer meeting.

And so as you're seated or whatever position you're in, be, be listening, be, Sensitive to any movement of the spirit. If, if God prompts you to pray for something, come up and pray for that. It may be just a one sentence prayer. It may be longer.

But listen to what Watchman Nee says about prayer. And so you can get the full picture of what prayer really is. He says the first step, this is how God works and does great things in people's lives and in churches. The first step is that God conceives a thought, which is his will.

The second step is that God reveals this will to his children through the Holy Spirit, causing them to know that he has a will, a plan, a demand, or an expectation. The third step is that God's children return His will by praying to Him, for prayer is responding to God's will. If our heart is wholly one with his heart, we will naturally voice in our prayer, what he intends to do. And the 4th step is that God will accomplish this very thing that we have voiced to him.

And he misses the 5th step. And that is that we praise Him for answering our prayer. Wow, God answers prayer. Thank you, Lord, we praise you.

You're awesome. But sometimes when we praise Him for that, we lose sight of the fact that the whole burden to even ask Him originated from Him. In the first place, the whole thing comes from Him. And Watchman Knee goes on to say this.

Listen carefully. Prayer must originate from God. And be responded to by us. Such alone is meaningful prayer, since God's work is controlled.

By such prayer. So God is in this room. And all of us should Be sensitive to the promptings of the spirit. And as he prompts individuals, we come up to the microphone.

We give voice. To the praise, to the prayer requests, confessions, scriptures that are read, And God orchestrates this as we are sensitive to him. I fully anticipate walking out of here, not just feeling like, OK, well, good, God has heard us. He will.

But I will walk away from here, a wiser man and knowing God better because of how he has spoken through my brothers and sisters, I will know something of his plan for our church. As brothers and sisters make requests of Him, those burdens behind those requests are from him anyway. And so we will learn of Him. We will discover him more deeply in this season, where we come before Him and make our hearts open to Him and say, God, move in our midst, and we will give voice to that.

And hear our prayer, direct us and reveal yourself to us. Is that all clear? OK. I'm going to start with prayer and I'm going to read a prayer from the valley of vision, and, at that point, just as God leads, again, a request, confession, praise, or you can read something from scripture that God's spirit, prompts you to, to read.

And I think we're going to go till, well, we'll just, we'll, we will end at a, at a very reasonable time. Let's just say that. I don't want to put a limit on the spirit and say spirit, you have to work in this period of time. and what, if there's a moment of, of, of, of pause where no one's praying, that's OK.

That's OK. We'll wait for God to move and to prompt and for someone to come up and give voice to that through prayer. I've also asked Mike, Mike's got a list of songs that might be appropriate, may not be appropriate, and as the spirit prompts him, just come up and, and lead us in some of those songs which are prayers, to God, also. So let's all go to the Lord in prayer and let's just ask him to direct us and reveal himself and move among us in a powerful way tonight.

Gracious Lord. Your name is Love. And love, receive our prayer. Our sands are more than the wide seas sand.

But where sin abounds, there is grace more abundant. We ask tonight that you would look to the cross of your beloved Son and view the preciousness of His atoning blood. Listen to His never failing intercession, and whisper to our heart, Thy sins are forgiven. Be of good cheer.

Lie down in peace. Grace pours from heaven and flows forever, and mercy never wearies in bestowing benefits. Grant us, Lord, more and more the prize, the privilege of prayer, to come to you as sin soiled sinners, and to find pardon in you, and then to converse with you, to know you in prayer. As the path in which our feet tread, the latch upon the door of our lips, the light that shines through our eyes, may prayer be the music of our ears, the marrow of our understanding, the strength of our will, the power of our affection, and the sweetness of our memory.

May the matter of our prayer be always wise, humble, submissive. Obedient Scriptural. Christlike. Give us unwavering faith.

That supplications to you are never in vain. And that if we seem not to obtain our petitions, That that means that we will have larger, richer answers surpassing all that we thought to ask. Unsought by us, you have given us the greatest gift, the person of your Son. And in him, You will give to us.

All that we need Lord, direct this great congregation. Direct us all, move amongst us. Help us to give voice back to you as you move in our hearts. May we be still and listen.

And may we speak, In the presence of all, the glories of your name. And the desperate needs. That are represented here. As we are helpless sinners before you.

Who needs you in everything. Accept our prayer that we now offer to you this corporate prayer. In Christ's name. As the Lord leads, just come up to the microphone.

And pray Dear Heavenly Father, we do thank you for this time of prayer. I thank you for Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church. Their dedication to, God, the Bible OK. That's that's the one program for you.

OK. Thank you. How you've worked and, these children's lives and, They've memorized God's word and we just pray. now.

help us who And to use these verses. And hide it in their hearts. And now I just have so many Burdens to pray for. And got our country and thank you how you've blessed us in the past.

We are truly one nation under God, and we just pray that you would continue to bless us and help us to, just to come back to you in, in a real way. And God, I do pray for President Bush, and I pray that you would just lead him in wisdom and insight and, help him to make the many difficult decisions that he has to make. Lord I, I confess to you that, I do not, Devote myself to prayer in the way that I've been challenged to do tonight. I'm so prone to feel that I can get much more accomplished on my feet than on my knees.

And help me, Lord, to remember that without you, I can do nothing, but through Christ, I can do all things. Thank you. Psalm 130. Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord.

Lord, hear my voice. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with thee.

That thou mayst be feared. I wait for the Lord. My soul is weight. And in his word do I hope.

My soul waits for the Lord. Oh God, Thou art my God. I shall seek thee earnestly and early. My soul yearns for thee, my flesh yearns for thee in a dry and weary land where there is no one.

Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise thee, so I will bless thee as long as I live. I will lift up my hands. For thou hast been my help, and in the shadow. I will sing for joy.

My soul clings. Thy right hand upholds me. Father, we just praise you and thank you for your love to us. I thank you that the blood of Jesus.

the gate that we may come into your. for our Visits you long for us to And Father, I thank and praise you most of all because you have revealed yourself to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Especially when you call yourself El Shaddai. God who is enough, the all sufficient one.

Father, forgive me when I've sought. Comfort or Entertainment or whatever elsewhere, but let me remember that you the most efficient way Lord, just draw me to you. And I might be used by you. To share your love to others for Jesus.

Dearest Lord, I don't really know how to put this in words. Please help me because I know you put it in my heart. I confess that I've spent the entirety Love you gracious and merciful salvation in me. like Like an ungrateful idiot.

Struggling to live with that new creature. He blessed me to be. And I pray for myself. And I pray for this entire congregation.

Lord, may I be so bold as to pray for the entire body of Christ on this earth that you would bring into our hearts. A revival. That last day of revival, Lord. Where lately you've put on my heart such a desire to finally be completely sold out to you.

Dragged down and distracted and soiled by stuff in this earth and stuff that held me before I knew you, that still jerks me around. I want to be sold out to you. I, I want to be a Jesus freak. This world disdains to hear from so often.

I want to be that. I want to be nothing more and nothing less. In a In love enraptured. Obsessed Child of God.

And I pray that for every Christian on this earth. And in particular, In this loving home called Cornerstone that you've led me and Amanda to. And I thank you Lord for putting that on my heart. Please give me your resurrection power.

To live like that new creature along with the rest of my brothers and sisters. You put that in your heart too. Thank you. thank you that You are Sara, if you were absent.

You are in charge of every Every little circumstance that we find ourselves in. You were their circumstances that The The Lord thank you that Find ourselves will help us to To relax your care, help us to Ro Of to Sense of how Great Lord, help us to As was just There's just so much noise. Stuff around us that distracts, And and trust To love you less as we see you working. Working things out Just a 1, Dear Lord, we come before you.

Just a good thing. Second prayer you need a month through tonight. fellowship Just for the wonderful teaching. The other pastors just with such passion.

They just blessed me and my wife. Been here for a short time Just really thank you Lord for our church that's dedicated to preaching the truth. The Lord, it's just been on my heart over the last couple of weeks. Since I've been here but just the, know exactly how this church is involved with.

Be here for about 5 or 6. You do, Lord, and I pray. Father, that it's on my heart. Raise up the street.

To evangelize in this area. ago we used to come out of this area. Confession That we're very responsive to the gospel messages. So a lot of times they fell through the cracks because the church that we were involved with wasn't in this area.

That's just on my heart, Lord. I, I know that a lot of times the very last thing in my life that's associated or connected to my joy is, Sharing friends. A lot of times I think that that's where sometimes we struggle. Feel like there's just something missing, facing that fear of going out and sharing the price with somebody that we absolutely Jesus says, Greater love has no one than this, and one would lay down his life for his.

We're close to about Jesus because of what they might think of us. And, so, Lord, again, I hope I'm not stepping over bounds. Yeah. It's just on my heart to pray.

I just pray that that would connect with other people or other leadership within this church. Something like that to be started on because this would be a great, We pray all the supports in the name, Thank you, Father, for this. Thank you for They What is this day, Lord, in Jesus Christ's name. The Lord, your the Almighty and sovereign.

We thank you for, foundation. Thank you for this church to worship in. Come together Right now what I really pray for, Lord, is that you. Help us to be unselfish, especially myself or with my time.

Also for Release me from fear. I know what mighty work she can. I'm fearful to pray for them for what you're going to ask. I pray that you would release that from Anyone else in this congregation.

You had that fear Of what you will ask of us And help us to have the boldness and that whatever you ask, You are going to give us the power to do. Just the mighty work that you want to. Help us to be open. And Hold and be there to say, here I am, Lord.

Whatever you want us to do will help us to see it. and forward. Bring us all back to you in prayer. Daily seeking you We all Lord, thank you that you are there.

And that you are not And you have spoken first. This prayer process, You've spoken this whole world into existence by your to. Seeking the world into existence. display of your majesty and your glory.

Heavens declare your glory. God, you have spoken to us through the. Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Yeah perfect reflection of And what he Good.

death. Resurrection. well. Lord, thank you for speaking to us through your written word.

God, as we ponder how you have spoken to us, Give us responsive hearts to speak to you. As well as to Lord, as we think about your word, we're just Awestruck about how you would speak so clearly to us. What I remember when, before I knew you. I wandered in the forest and Cried out to you that you would speak to me.

Like he did to Moses through a tree or a bush or And after I came to know you, I thought, You've spoken to me in black and white, even through your word. Gracious you are What more can he say than to you he has said. You who for refuge to Jesus has fled. Lord, your word is directed us to you.

You have given us refuge. We have forgiven our sins. You have made us your sons and daughters in Christ. Your word has been implanted in our hearts.

The living word lives there. The written word comes to life. Lord Help us As we respond to what you have done in your revelation. Lord, we thank you for your written word.

Thank you for Paul's admonition to Timothy. But mark this, there will be terrible times in the last days. But you, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith. But as for you, Continue in what you have learned.

And have become convinced of because from those whom you have learned it and how from infancy you have known the holy scriptures. which are able to make you wise and salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking. Correcting training and righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God, you have said it. You have spoken it. You have written it. That we might know salvation.

I trust in you through your word. You've spoken it, we might know sanctification. As it teaches us the doctrine, the truth. And by the truth reveals error and reproves our hearts from sin.

By the power of your word, you correct us. Stand back up. Before you. And then instructs us and righteousness that we might know the way to walk, the way to live, the way to, to love.

The way to teach what you have said. equip us with your word. Thank you for equippers that you've given us in our church. that teach us the uncompromising word of God.

The full counsel of God. That we might listen, that we might learn, that we might study, that we might read, we might memorize, meditate, apply, and live out. What you have revealed and spoken to us. God help us in this operation of prayer.

To enter in more devotedly. God help me to listen to you more regularly. And to cry out to you and not be hesitant. not be distracted.

Lord, you're doing a marvelous work among us. And we praise you for it. We pray that you would help us to join in together the flood, the flow of your Holy Spirit's work. Through your word Through your life through your love.

Father, over half a century, yeah, over half a century ago, you were even then lifting up people and equipping them for the ministry of reconciliation. And some 52 years ago, Father. You touched this heart. You opened my eyes to the gospel.

Father, I don't know how long those people prayed for me. But we do know that you gave your life, and I know that you gave your life for me. And Father That day many angels rejoiced and sang. Worthy, worthy, worthy is the lamb.

Father, today we pray for people. I have been praying specifically for family members for many, many, many years. And they are still rebellious. Still hardhearted.

And then Father, we get an email to pray for one. And we pray As late as this last Thursday. And today your angels are rejoicing over that one. We praise you, Father, for the power of prayer.

We thank you that even though we didn't do the gospel presentation. Telling them of the love story. of Christ, His death. His burial, his resurrection, but Father, we had a part.

Because we prayed. And Father, you hear prayer. And we thank you for answering all of our prayer, Father, not just some of it, but all of it. Help his father to wait upon you.

We pray, Father, that all of our people would not be discouraged in prayer. But Father bend their knees. May they learn to stand, Father, on their knees. We thank you, Father, for the power of prayer.

The greatest privilege this side of heaven very well be. To come boldly to the throne of grace. With our praises, with our requests. So Father, we pray that You would move in our hearts and lives.

And teach us and help us empower us by your spirit. To beat people That lifts up And come into your holy throne. With the boldness that we have in Christ Jesus. Father God.

There is so much to be grateful for. We thank you for this time you've given to us to come before you in prayer as a congregation. Father, we take so many things for granted. I know I take so many things for granted, God.

All the ways in which you've blessed me abundantly. Through my family My job. Through my health and well-being, Father. Through so much God and.

I pray at this time that I can remind myself of that, Father, that all good things come from You, God. All good things come from you. And above all, you've blessed us with such an amazing blessing, your Son Jesus Christ. Weird wretched sinners, Father, that deserve damnation.

We are wretched sinners, Father, that don't deserve none of the good things we have. That because of your grace and because of your mercy, You've decided to bless us through your Son, God. And through his death we've been redeemed. And we want to thank him and you at this time for what he has done.

Thank you, Father, for the fact that we are able to take part in those blessings and those promises, God. It's so amazing how your scripture explains that we would be able to take part in these blessings in the in the blessings of Abraham, Father, and that is what we are able to do at this time. And we thank you once again for that. We thank you for this time, God, that you've given to us to go to you in prayer.

As a congregation, Father, I pray that we can lift one another up, that we can have more opportunities in times like you got. Where we could praise you, worship you, but at the same time, help us always keep one another in mind. To lift one another up, to challenge one another, and to be there for one another, to be there for one another, God, through our journey with you and Jesus Christ right by our side. We thank you for this time.

We love you and say the Son in your Son. Lord, I already know, I said this to you. But I don't want to say it again just so I can. Boast about you are in The wonderful things that you have done.

Truly, you are a God that provides. And God that answered prayers, Lord. I just want to say thank you once again for the provisions that you made yesterday for the. Just with the people who showed up.

supplies, Lord, and Just with the children Thank you, Father, for your protection over the children yesterday. Some things could have happened. Somewhere obvious or You did not let those things happen to them or to the helper's father. I'll praise you for that I was anguish and anxiety on this.

and call me revealed yourself to me Yourself to Thank you, Father, for that. Lord, I pray, Father, for his children. Each and every As a Had fun yesterday, but also that message that was given. that they Ponder what was said.

Seek you, Father. Seek your son. Seek your spirit. He was Oh, Father.

As Job said, I have heard you with the hearing of my ears. And now I see you with my eyes face to face. And all I can do is, tremble and clasp my hand over my mouth. Lord, you are a holy.

And we are so wretched. We praise you, Lord. Your scripture says that in your presence is fullness of joy. But as Job learned, There is much more.

And your presence is trembling. and fear Crying and moaning. In anguish. Over what we see When we look to you in all your holiness, what we see in ourselves.

We must see is the most necessary thing for us to go before you. And cry out over our wretchedness that we might be broken before you. and humble and do nothing of ourselves. You said in your word that judgment begins at the house of God.

Let it come, Lord. That we might truly Let alone these things that take up our time. We focus on all our physical needs and our jobs. Lord, we need you to do.

A mighty move through the church, through our local church. Let us not be like Peter who cried out, depart from me, Lord, I'm a sinful man, but let us run to you in our sins and cry out before you and say, I'm willing to put myself up on that altar. And die because you say, come follow me, take up your cross. and die.

Unless we die. To ourselves we shall not live. You said in your word, Lord, To take up your cross. You said in your word that he who seeks to save his life.

We'll lose it. But he who will lose his life for the sake of the gospel will find it. Lord, we have been living a life of mediocrity. And Lord, it is time for us to stand up and be counted in these.

And throw caution to the wind and cry out, all the Father, have mercy on us, for we are wretched. In your presence is truly joy, but it comes at the price of death, it comes at the price of trembling over our own sins and weaknesses and frailty. Lord, we ask that You would shake the temple, the pillars of the temple. And come.

And bring back your glory to this country. And help us Lord to stand up and be counted and shine as lights in the midst of this dark world. Well we must do what we've been called to do. You've sacrificed so much for us, and we sacrificed nothing.

Oh God. these Kill us for your sake. That we might live a new life through the Holy Spirit. We trust in you, Lord, and we have nowhere else to go because you have the words of eternal life.

We cannot do it on our own, and we plead with you to send your spirit to us. Because we are weak. But when we are weak, You are strong. So we look to you, Lord.

You have nowhere else. Magnify yourself and glorify your name in all the earth. You sacrifice for us. Give us the courage and boldness of Joshua and Caleb to sacrifice for you.

To defeat the enemies in our own life is the power of your spirit. You before. I love you. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

less his holy name Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your. redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness. emergy Lord, may my heart cry out. May all of our hearts cry out.

David, as we bless you. Thank you so much for how you blessed each one of us. Given us so many things that we do not deserve and we just cry out. joy.

For your work in our lives. Thunder Thank you. And Father, I would pray. That we as a congregation would come behind our elders and pastors Father with this vision.

When you were taught that a 3 chorded string is not easily broken. And your one word speaks. And how can two walk together unless they both agree upon. And how your word calls your body to be in one accord.

Father, we would pray in Jesus' name, Father, that our body be a cornerstone. Would do this father. We come together. And pray And Father, we pray And in your word it also says that If my, if my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray.

Seek my face And turn from their wicked ways, that I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their grandfather. So I had just first place. Of pride and arrogance out of It's coming here to quarterstone. Pastor Milton has made it very clear that I'm a sinner.

And through my flesh I found myself to be something very special. Can I ask your forgiveness, I would pray, Father, that we as a We humbler souls. Under your mighty light, Father. And know our position within your will.

Take your will, Father. And work with yours. And not May your will be done, Father God of this church. May your word go out, Father.

May your people be equipped. An empowered father with a boldness and a courage. To live the life. Everything else goes against it, Father.

And I'm so sorry. Oh God. I I pray your blessings upon this body, Father. To be obedient to the calling that you've given the pastors.

And that we would be more than just hearers of this vision, Father, but doers of it, Father, not in our own strength, but within yours, Lord. Help us, Father God, to die to ourselves. And may we commit ourselves to a devoted style of prayer. I don't know much of this church.

But it does seem like this church is trying to come under the. Complete guidance of your word to be in your devoted to your teaching. To the breaking of bread. To communion, to prayer, Father.

And it seems as though this evening Maybe the bar has been risen for us daughters. Maybe you have called us. To get beyond ourselves, Lord God. Actually humble ourselves before you.

And pray We pray that you would help us. Fulfill your will, Father. To glorify you. Father God, You have saved us from a terrible fate that would was about to lie before us, but you sent your son to die for us.

I am grateful that you've done this for us. Because if it wasn't for you and your son, Basically just, basically we would be hopeless. Right now I've seen, So many people, so many lives that have That think that they, they think that their lives right now is all that matters. But they don't see the bigger picture.

They think that I don't see you. I pray that my fellow classmates would somehow see, and Especially those who have turned against you. I've seen It's happened before and it's, Not, not a pretty sight. I pray that you would give us clean hands, give us pure hearts.

Let us not lift our souls to another. God, let us be a generation that seeks. Your face. Oh, God, oh Jacob.

dear, dear Lord, we just affirm the fact that you have been good to us and kind to us. They gracious to us, but just way beyond measure. We We ask that you might magnify our hearts to give us a greater sense of your glory. And Your Majesty Your greatness Lord and that I think about the apostle Paul, for example, and Here he is, a man mature in faith, and he says, I want to know Christ.

There is so much more of you to be known. And I pray that you would motivate us, that we would not settle. Or anything less than full knowledge of You, God. Pray, Lord, Paul's prayer in Ephesians where he He asked that you might strengthen every single one of us with might through your Spirit and our inner man so that Christ might dwell in our heart through faith.

That we being rooted and grounded and establishing your love, would be able to comprehend with one another the magnitude, the greatness of your love, that we might be filled up with all of your fullness, God. That we would experience the gospel as our mission statement says. In all of its There's 1000 things that we could pray for, God. I want to pray that your hand of blessings would be upon this upcoming in-house conference here that.

You would motivate any more of your people here, Lord, to, To attend the paltry of confidence, Lord, and that you would use that as an opportunity for our sanctification, God. I want to pray, Lord, for the care of this, Lord, and as we anticipate a transition, as we anticipate a reshuffle. I pray, Lord, that He would direct and guide that process. And I pray for a commitment among your people, commitment to fellowship.

And, I pray, Lord, that the next time, would be better. We would be more effective. In our fellowship with one another and that word, we would, as Milton has said, we are in 1st or 2nd grade that we would graduate beyond that. And that Lord, you would just show us how that we would be faithful to.

A deeper quality of fellowship with one another that we would truly love our brothers and sisters and demonstrate commitment to them Lord and be willing to lay down our lives in a time for them, even as you have for us, Lord, that we would be expressions of the gospel in the lives of one another. That others would be able to sense your kindness to them through us. Because we are manifesting the gospel and the fruits of the gospel. I want to pray, Lord, in particular, specifically, Lord.

Knowing that this is a struggle that can capture so many of us men. a sin that can easily entangle or that you might grant to every single man in his body. Freedom of sexual lust. And in all of its forms That would, I know there's there's going to be men in our body.

who struggle, and I pray, Lord, for complete freedom. That would be would cause every single man to have total purity of, That there would be no motivation, no desire in the heart to look on anything. That would be ugly and gross and sinful. That we might view women as mothers and as sisters in Christ.

Grant to every single one of us Lord total purity. And I pray too, Lord, that You would grant to this body to whatever degree is necessary, Lord. Reconciliation amongst brothers and sisters. That Lord, there would not be anything that would come between any two saints in this body.

That Lord, whatever forgiveness needs to be extended, that it would, whatever, asking of forgiveness that would need to take place, that that would take place. And that we truly would be a body characterized by love. Lord, I think the thing that goes to the heart of all of this at the end of the day is just, humility or Sena, confess to you pride, Lord. He confesses to you as one man, but at the same time he represents us, Lord, that we do battle against pride.

We can be and are arrogant and selfish and sinful in so many ways, and I pray, Lord, that You would grant to us gospel humility, Lord, that even as you left glory to be born in a feeding trough that we do, Lord. With manifest humility that even as he went to the cross in our place to die there for us and said, Father, forgive them, that Lord, that would mark our hearts, our attitude. And I just pray for your continual leadership and guidance and direction upon this body. These things in Jesus' name God, you are the awesome creator of the universe, Lauren.

You So you're, Sorry we can understand that. university And just be in your hands. Your Lord, and we don't have eloquent words. We don't even feel like we can I know you're doing great things.

I know you're also stretching us in many ways that some of us have never even stretched before. OK, that just And to teach us and to draw us closer to you and give us a greater love for the gospel. You will help us to live in the gospel. as individuals and as a congregation.

First, help us and our families. Lord, I pray for the children of this church to see our love for the gospel and that they would love the gospel and that they would carry that. And Lord, I also do pray for our pastors and. They're being stretched and bent.

I pray that you would strengthen them. And that you would is just Heaven And that we just give ourselves completely to you. however you want us to be. and all of us.

And our pastors and our elders or OK. To you too. work in my family My parents and my brother that you would see. Soften hearts with open eyes.

Carlos my wisdom. Give us perseverance and love, and I just You would do what only you can do. Lord, I don't even know what to ask. That you would do it.

Thank you for hearing our prayers. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verses Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each 1 may receive the things done in the body. According to what he can, he has done, whether good or bad.

Knowing therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. And then verse 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. we implore you on Christ's behalf. Be reconciled to God.

For he made himself. For he made himself known, who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Lord, I just pray that you would. Opened the eyes of my family.

My sisters And the different people that are close friends of mine. And Lord, raise up laborers to be ambassadors. That will be able to be touched, that will touch these people in my life where I can't. And where other people are so familiar with their family members that are Christians and they feel their stumbling blocks that cause them to think I can't come to Christ because they.

things in certain people's lives help bring somebody else. Those people's lives that will be answers to prayers for those people in our families that we can't reach, Father, but you have somebody else that can break those strongholds and come through with words from your word. In a special way that they can receive their sight, their spiritual sight. Like you gave to me, I just appreciate that so much that you Opened up my eyes finally.

And have mercy upon me and helped me to present my body as a living sacrifice to. It helped me to see my ears, help me to see the things that I can change. In your health, for it is not me that does it's your spirit that gives me the ability to change. Next day My character and thank you for sanctifying.

for justifying first of all sanctifying. Today and I thank you for the glorification that I will not have to strive. For all of eternity in his fleshly body, but that there That will come to me and all of us. In this striving of this body of flesh.

of a resurrection to strive for eternity in this body. To help us to present our bodies. living sacrifice and be willing to go out. And you follow our fears and tell others of you.

show them through the law that they are sinners. That they may run to the Savior for a shelter. Because they know Dangerous peril without a savior, one who saves from destruction. Or danger is a saving.

It's not a magic. That can fix all your problems. We were given the true gospel that they would be set free from the chains of To sin. And be able to be A seat so we're not