Cherryville Baptist Church Pastor Tom's Weekly Blog

Pastor Tom Roberts Pen

You can contact Pastor Tom
by calling (908) 782-7831 or
send him an email at PastorTom@Cherryvillebaptist.org

Subject: Lenten Prayers

The most important, most meaningful prayer ever spoken:

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

Thank you, Jesus.

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On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus shared a great deal with his disciples, as recorded in the gospel of John chapters 14 – 17, and then closed with a prayer. As we have learned, he prayed first for himself, then for the disciples, and today, for you, for us, for all believers:

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

Wow!!!

The scripture says: “When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.” Went into it for more prayer, in what we know as the Garden of Gethsemane.

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In his prayer on his last evening with his disciples, recorded in John 17, Jesus prayed first for himself, and then for his disciples. Learn from Jesus Christ to pray:

"I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified."

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As we enter Holy Week, we will meditate on the prayers of the Lord Jesus Christ himself in his last week of earthly ministry. This morning we begin with the beginning of Jesus’ prayer in John 17, in which he first prays for himself: Jesus spoke these words during his Last Supper conversation with his disciples:

¹After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

"Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. ²For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. ³Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. ⁴I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. ⁵And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

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Brothers and Sisters, Holy Week begins tomorrow. Our Lord who has set his face to go to Jerusalem, enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and weeps over the city that “did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (Luke 19: 44) May our hearts be humbled as our Lord’s was as he entered the valley of the shadow of death, that we may recognize his coming and calling for us:

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart,
Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Rafael Merry del Val (1865-1930)

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This prayer first appeared in 1915, and is often attributed to Francis of Assisi. It does capture the simplicity and humility of his ministry.

Lord make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, Joy.

O Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled
As to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

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Today a Children’s Morning Prayer with a special shout out to Mrs. Hill’s Kindergarten class at Crossroads Christian Academy who look forward to their daily prayer time!!

Lord, in the morning I start each day,
By taking a moment to bow and pray.
I start with thanks, and then give praise
For all your kind and loving ways.

Today if sunshine turns to rain,
If a dark cloud brings some pain,
I won't doubt or hide in fear
For you, my God, are always near.

I will travel where you lead;
I will help my friends in need.
Where you send me I will go;
With your help I'll learn and grow.

Hold my family in your hands,
As we follow your commands.
And I will keep you close in sight
Until I crawl in bed tonight.

Amen.

-- Mary Fairchild

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Ignatious of Loyola was born in Spain in 1499. In 1521, his leg was severely wounded in battle, and during a long convalescence he had nothing to read but a book on the life of Jesus Christ. From this beginning, he surrendered his life to Jesus and served him throughout his life. This is a prayer of surrender that anticipates our evening worship tonight, to which everyone is invited!!

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will.
All that I am and all that I possess You have given me:
I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will.
Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more.

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Beloved,

A prayer in poem form, a sonnet to be specific, from the great Christian poet John Donne (1572 - 1631) which speaks of the need at times of God's forcible intervention in our hearts to bring us to our senses, when our instincts and sinful nature would lead us away. It is very dramatic, very honest, and very earnest in its appeal to God to break through:

Batter my heart, three-person'd God, for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp'd town to'another due,
Labor to'admit you, but oh, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly' I love you, and would be lov'd fain,
But am betroth'd unto your enemy;
Divorce me,'untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you'enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

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Beloved,

As a new work week begins, it is appropriate to submit ourselves completely to God’s will for us. Rather than asking God to get behind our agenda, it is best to open ourselves to whatever it is that God in his perfect will can use us for. This prayer is by a theologian and poet named François Fénelon who wrote in the late 17^th Century:

Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of Thee, Thou only knowest what I need; Thou lovest me better than I know how to love myself. Father! Give to Thy child that which he himself knows not how to ask. I dare not ask either for crosses or consolations; I simply present myself before Thee. I open my heart to Thee. Behold my need, which I know not myself; see and do according to Thy tender mercy. Smile or heal, depress me, or raise me up; I adore all Thy purposes without knowing them: I am silent; I offer myself in sacrifice; I yield myself to Thee, I would have no other desire than to accomplish Thy will. Teach me to pray. Pray thyself in me.

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A Saturday Bible prayer from the New Testament. Peter and John had just been released from arrest, and they returned to the believers and shared what God had done. Acts 4 says: "When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God." Here is that prayer:

"Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
   " 'Why do the nations rage
      and the peoples plot in vain?
²⁶The kings of the earth take their stand
      and the rulers gather together
      against the Lord
      and against his Anointed One. ²⁷Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. ²⁸They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. ²⁹Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. ³⁰Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

Luke says that "after they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." May it be so with us tomorrow!! PT

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Beloved,

There came a time in King David's life when he began to think about the blessings he enjoyed, and it bothered him that he lived in a fine house, but the ark of the covenant still resided in a tent. He decided to build a house for God. At first, the prophet Nathan encouraged him, but God revealed to Nathan that He did not want David to build such a house. Instead, God was going to build David a house, a dynasty, that would exceed anything he could ever imagine, and that permanent blessings would come to his descendants (climaxed by Messiah, Jesus Christ, "of the house and lineage of David"). David's prayer of praise not only glorifies God, but expresses stunning awe at what God was planning to do. It contains elements of prayer that we can incorporate in our prayers like praise, repentance, petition, and thanksgiving, and reflections of history.

¹⁸ Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:
"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ¹⁹ And as if this were not enough in your sight, O Sovereign LORD, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant. Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD ?

²⁰ "What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Sovereign LORD. ²¹ For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.

²² "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. ²³ And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? ^[a] ²⁴ You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God.

²⁵ "And now, LORD God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, ²⁶ so that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty is God over Israel!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you.

²⁷ "O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer. ²⁸ O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. ²⁹ Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever." 2 Samuel 7: 18 - 29

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As we look to the Bible, God’s word, to teach us a prayer vocabulary, we turn today to an episode in the life of the Godly King Jehoshaphat. Enemies had gathered to attack Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat went into the temple of the Lord and prayed. His concluding words, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you” has more than once been a part of my prayers. We are blessed at Cherryville to have adults and children worship together, and that practice finds scriptural support in this passage. The Chronicler notes that “All the men of Judah, with their wives and children, and little ones, stood there before the Lord,” as Jehoshaphat prayed in the temple. May your eyes be on the Lord today!! PT

"O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. ⁷ O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? ⁸ They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ⁹ 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.'

¹⁰ "But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. ¹¹ See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." 2 Chronicles 20: 6 - 12

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Beloved, As we prepare to gather for worship tonight, two Bible prayers from King Hezekiah. The context of each is very important. In the first prayer Hezekiah has received an arrogant and threatening letter from Sennacherib, King of Assyria, calling on him to surrender before he is crushed, like Sennacherib has crushed all the neighboring countries in his path. Scripture says that Hezekiah "went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord", a wonderful visual of laying out our concerns before God. It continues:

And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD : "O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.
"It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men's hands. Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God." 2 Kings 19: 15-19

Sometime later, Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. God sent Isaiah the prophet to tell him to put his house in order because he would not recover. Scripture says:

'Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.' 2 Kings 20: 2 - 3

Hezekiah's earnest prayers were answered most emphatically by God. In answer to the first prayer, Sennacherib and his army were defeated without a fight. And God added 15 years to Hezekiah's life in response to his crying out to God. May the Lord hear and answer your earnest prayers today and always!! PT

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This week we are sharing prayers of the Bible. This morning our prayer is from Nehemiah, who was a great man of prayer. The book of Nehemiah is constantly interspersed with prayers as he tells the story of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. While in exile, he heard that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, and that its gates had been burned by fire. The scripture says that "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven." This morning's prayer was part of that initial time of prayer before God as he sought to address this situation. I would draw your attention to the first words of the prayer: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands''. It is almost identical to the beginning of Daniel's prayer from yesterday, and a wonderful phrase to memorize and incorporate in our prayers as we enter God's presence with praise.

"O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8 "Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.'
10 "They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man." (The man being King Artaxerxes, whom Nehemiah served as cupbearer)

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Beloved,

This week let’s consider some of the great prayers of the Bible. Our first prayer will be Daniel’s prayer from Chapter 9 of Daniel. It is always a blessing to weave the Biblical language of prayer into our prayers!! This prayer comes from the time of the Babylonian Captivity. Daniel “turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes” when he “understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.”

⁴ I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:
"O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, ⁵ we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. ⁶ We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

⁷ "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. ⁸ O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. ⁹ The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; ¹⁰ we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. ¹¹ All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
"Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. ¹² You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. ¹³ Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. ¹⁴ The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.

¹⁵ "Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. ¹⁶ O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.

¹⁷ "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸ Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. ¹⁹ O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."

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Late on a Saturday Night, a prayer for Sunday Morning (and a reminder to move your clocks forward an hour!); while looking forward to worshipping together on the Lord’s Day!!!:

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty; heaven and earth are full of Thy glory; glory be to Thee, O Lord most high.

O God, I crave Thy blessing upon this day of rest and refreshment. Let me rejoice today in Thy worship and find gladness in the singing of Thy praises. Forbid, I beseech Thee, that only my body should be refreshed today and not my spirit. Give me grace for such an act of self-recollection as may again bring together the scattered forces of my soul. Enable me to step aside for a little while from the busy life of common days and take thought about its meaning and its end. May Jesus Christ be today the companion of my thoughts, so that His divine manhood may more and more take root within my soul. May He be in me and I in Him, even as thou wert in Him and through Him mayest be in me and I at rest in Thee.

O Thou who art the Source and Ground of all truth, Thou light of lights, who hast opened the minds of men to discern the things that are, guide me today, I beseech Thee, in my hours of reading. Give me grace to choose the right books and to read them in the right way. Give me wisdom to abstain as well as to persevere. Let the Bible have proper place; and grant that as I read I may be alive to the stirrings of Thy Holy Spirit in my soul.

I pray, O God, for all human hearts that today are lifted up to Thee in earnest desire, and for every group of men and women who are met together to praise and magnify Thy name. Whatever be their mode of worship, be graciously pleased to accept their humble offices of prayer and praise, and lead them unto life eternal, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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A Diary of Private Prayer, John Baillie

With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early; for when thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Give me, O God, this day a strong and vivid sense that Thou art by my side. In multitude and solitude, in business and leisure, in my downsitting and in my uprising, may I ever be aware of Thine accompanying presence. By Thy grace, O God, I will go nowhere this day where Thou canst not come, nor court any companionship that would rob me of Thine. By Thy grace I will let no thought enter my heart that might hinder my communion with Thee, nor let any word come from my mouth that is not meant for Thine ear. So shall my courage be firm and my heart be at peace.

I steadier step

When I recall

That though I slip

Thou dost not fall.

O Thou Desire of all nations, in the knowledge of whose love and power there is salvation for all the peoples of the earth, hasten the day, I beseech Thee, when all men shall acknowledge Thee as Lord over all. Hasten the day when our earthly society shall become the kingdom of Christ. Hasten the day when Thy presence and the strong hand of Thy purpose shall be found not only in the hearts of a few wise and brave men but throughout the broad land, in court and council-chamber, in workshop and market-place, in the city and in the fields. And whatever I myself can do, give me grace this day to begin; through Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Evening Prayer - John Baillie

O Father in heaven, who didst fashion my limbs to serve Thee and my soul to follow hard after Thee, with sorrow and contrition of heart I acknowledge before Thee the faults and failures of the day that is now past. Too long, O Father, have I tried thy patience; too often have I betrayed the sacred trust Thou hast given me to keep; yet Thou are still willing that I should come to Thee in lowliness of heart, as now I do, beseeching Thee to drown my transgressions in the sea of Thine own infinite love.

My failure to be true even to my own accepted standards:

My self-deception in face of temptation:

My choosing of the worse when I know the better: O Lord, forgive.

My failure to apply to myself the standards of conduct I demand of others:

My blindness to the suffering of others and my slowness to be taught by my own:

My complacence towards wrongs that do not touch my own case and my over-sensitiveness to those that do:

My slowness to see the good in my fellows and to see the evil in myself:

My hardness of heart towards my neighbor's faults and my readiness to make allowance for my own:

My unwillingness to believe that Thou hast called me to a small work and my brother to a great one: O Lord, forgive.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and give me the strength of a willing spirit. Amen.

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Any prayer that focuses our attention on Jesus is a worthy prayer. A morning prayer from John Baillee.

Hoping to worship with you all this evening.

O God, who hast proven Thy love for mankind by sending us Jesus Christ our Lord, and hast illumined our human life by the radiance of His presence, I give Thee thanks for this Thy greatest gift.

For my Lord's days upon earth:

For the record of His deeds of love:

For the words He spoke for my guidance and help:

For His obedience unto death:

For His triumph over death:

For the presence of His Spirit with me now: I thank thee, O God.

Grant that the remembrance of the blessed Life that once was lived out on this common earth under these ordinary skies may remain with me in all the tasks and duties of this day. Let me remember -

His eagerness, not to be ministered unto, but to minister:

His sympathy with suffering of every kind:

His bravery in the face of His own suffering:

His meekness of bearing, so that, when reviled, He reviled not again:

His steadfastness of purpose in keeping to His appointed task:

His simplicity:

His self-discipline:

His serenity of spirit:

His complete reliance upon Thee, His Father in Heaven.

And in each of these ways give me grace to follow in His footsteps.

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I commit all my ways unto Thee. I make over my soul to Thy keeping. I pledge my life to Thy service. May this day be for me a day of obedience and of charity, a day of happiness and of peace. May all my walk and conversation be such as becometh the gospel of Christ. Amen.

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An Evening Prayer from John Baillie, this one is a favorite of Betty Tinnes who shared it with the ABW-CBC recently.

O God, the Father of all mankind, I would bring before Thee tonight the burden of the world's life. I would join myself to the great scattered company of those who, in every corner of every land, are now crying out to Thee in their need. Hear us, O God, and look in pity upon our manifold necessities, since Thou alone art able to satisfy all our desire.

Especially do I commend to Thy holy keeping:

All who tonight are far from home and friends:

All who tonight must lie down hungry or cold:

All who suffer pain:

All who are kept awake by anxiety or suspense:

All who are facing danger:

All who must toil or keep watch while others sleep. Give to them all, I pray, such a sense of Thy presence with them as may turn their loneliness into comfort and their trouble into peace.

O most loving God, who in the Person of Thy Son Jesus Christ didst manifest Thy love to man by relieving all manner of suffering and healing all manner of disease, grant Thy blessing, I pray, to all who in any corner of the world are serving in Christ's name:

All ministers of the gospel of Christ:

All social workers:

All missionary workers abroad:

All doctors and nurses who faithfully tend the sick. Accomplish through them Thy great purpose of goodwill to men, and grant them in their own hearts the joy of Christ's most real presence.

And to me also, as I lie down, grant, O gracious Father, the joy of a life surrendered to Christ's service and the peace of sin forgiven through the power of His Cross. Amen.

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Beloved,

John Baillie was a Scottish theologian and a Church of Scotland minister, as well as professor at Edinburgh University. In 1936 he published "A Diary of Private Prayer", which has Morning and Evening prayers for each day of the month. The copy I have first belonged to my Grandmother, Mrs. T.E. Roberts. This week we will look at some of my favorites:

Eternal Father of my soul, let my first thought today be of Thee, let my first impulse be to worship Thee, let my first speech be Thy name, let my first action be to kneel before Thee in prayer.

For Thy perfect wisdom and perfect goodness:

For the love wherewith Thou lovest mankind:

For the love wherewith Thou lovest me:

For the great and mysterious opportunity of my life:

For the indwelling of Thy Spirit in my heart:

For the sevenfold gifts of Thy Spirit:

I praise and worship Thee, O Lord.

Yet let me not, when this morning prayer is said, think my worship ended and spend the day in forgetfulness of Thee. Rather from these moments of quietness let light go forth, and joy, and power, that will remain with me through all the hours of the day:

Keeping me chaste in thought:

Keeping me temperate and truthful in speech:

Keeping me faithful and diligent in my work:

Keeping me humble in my estimation of myself:

Keeping me honorable and generous in my dealings with others:

Keeping me loyal to every hallowed memory of the past:

Keeping me mindful of my eternal destiny as a child of Thine.

O God, who hast been the Refuge of my fathers through many generations, be my Refuge today in every time and circumstance of need. Be my Guide through all that is dark and doubtful. Be my Guard against all that threatens my spirit's welfare. Be my strength in time of testing. Gladden my heart with Thy peace; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

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In preparation for sharing Communion tomorrow, first the communion prayers from the Didache, the early Christian discipleship manual, and then a prayer from "Valley of Vision" entitled: The Lord's Supper:

First concerning the Cup: "We give thanks to you, our Father, for the Holy Vine of David, your child, which you made known to us through Jesus, your child; to you be glory for ever."

And concerning the broken Bread: We give you thanks, our Father, for the life and knowledge which you made known to us through Jesus, your child. To you be glory for ever. As this broken bread was scattered upon the mountians, but was brought together and became one, so let your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom, for yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever.

Didache (2nd Century)

God of all good,
I bless thee for the means of grace;
teach me to see in them thy loving purposes
and the joy and strength of my soul.

Thou hast prepared for me a feast;
and though I am unworthy to sit down as guest,
I wholly rest on the merits of Jesus,
and hide myself beneath his righteousness;
When I hear his tender invitation
and see his wondrous grace,
I cannot hesitate, but must come to thee in love.

By thy spirit enliven my faith rightly to discern
and spiritually to apprehend the Saviour.
While I gaze upon the emblems of my Saviour's death,
may I ponder why he died, and hear him say,
'I gave my life to purchase yours,
presented myself an offering to expiate your sin,
shed my blood to blot out your guilt,
opened my side to make you clean,
endured your curses to set you free,
bore your condemnation to satisfy divine justice.'

Oh may I rightly grasp the breadth and length of this design,
draw near, obey, extend the hand,
take the bread, receive the cup,
eat and drink, testify before all men
that I do for myself, gladly, in faith,
reverence and love, receive my Lord,
to be my life, strength, nourishment, joy, delight.

In the supper I remember his eternal love,
boundless grace, infinite compassion,
agony, cross, redemption,
and receive assurance of pardon, adoption, life, glory.

As the outward elements nourish my body,
so may thy indwelling Spirit invigorate my soul,
until that day when I hunger and thirst no more,
and sit with Jesus at his heavenly feast.

Valley of Vision

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Beloved,

The "Didache" or "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" was a handbook of Christian morals and church order that probably dates from the early second century. In addition to recommending the Lord's Prayer and several communion prayers, it encourages believers to give thanks in prayer:

We give thanks to you, O Holy Father, for your Holy Name which you made to tabernacle in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you made known to us through Jesus, thy Child. To you be glory forever.

You, Lord Almighty, created all things for your Name's sake, and gave food and drink to people for their enjoyment, that they might give thanks to you, but us you have blessed with spiritual food and drink and eternal light through your Child.

Above all we give thanks to you for you are mighty: To you be glory forever.

Remember, Lord; thy Church, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in your love, and gather it together in its holiness from the four winds to your kingdom which you have prepared for it. For yours is the power and the glory forever.

Let grace come and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God of David. If any man be holy, let him come! If any man be not, let him repent: Maranatha, Amen.

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A short prayer today from a man named Origen (185-254) , an early Christian scholar and theologian who taught in Alexandria, Egypt.

Jesus, my feet are dirty. Come even as a slave to me, pour water into your bowl, come and wash my feet. In asking such a thing I know I am overbold, but I dread what was threatened when you said to me, “If I do not wash your feet I have no fellowship with you.” Wash my feet then, because I long for your companionship.

—Origen (c. 185–254)

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A euchologion is a worship service book containing liturgies and prayers (see, you even get SAT words thrown in along with prayers!) Fragments from this book, called the Euchologium Sinaiticum were found by archeologists in a monastery in Mt. Sinai in 1850. The book dated from the 11th century, but some of the prayers, like the one below, came from the 4th century. Ancient stuff, but still the same power of the gospel!!

Hope to see you all tonight for worship and soup. Pastor Tom

Be off, Satan, from this floor and from these four walls. This is no place for you; there is nothing for you to do here. This is the place for Peter and Paul and the holy Gospel; and this is where I mean to sleep now that my worship is done, in the name of the Father and of the Holy Spirit.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ [God] send me your Spirit; instill the wisdom of your Holy Spirit into my heart; protect my soul and body, every limb in my body, every fiber of my being, from all possible harm and all traps the Devil may set for me and every temptation to sin. Teach me to give you thanks, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

— Euchologium Sinaiticum

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We continue a week of prayers from the Earliest Church:

ON you we call, Lord God, all-wise, all-surveying, holy, the only true Sovereign. You created the universe, you watch over all that exists. Those that are in darkness, overshadowed by death, you guide into the right road, the safe road. Your will is that all men should be saved and come to knowledge of the truth.

With one voice we offer you praise and thanksgiving; full-hearted, full-throated we sing you the hymn you have a right to at this hour. In your mercy you called to us (holy the calling!), taught us and trained us, gave understanding, wisdom, truth to us, life eternal.

You bought us back with the pure and precious blood of your only Son, freed us from lies and error, from bitter enslavement, released us from the Devil’s clutches and gave us the glory of freedom.

We were dead and you renewed the life of our souls and bodies in the Spirit.

We were soiled and you made us quite spotless again.

We pray you, merciful Father, God from whom all encouragement comes, give us strength to act as befits men with such a vocation, such calling to worship, such newness of life.

We mean to observe the sacred commands of the divine law; we long to come closer to you, closer today, long to have light from you, light to know you and serve you.

We pray you, give us the strength to do all this with a will.

Do not think of the sins we have committed or of those we still commit.

Put out of your mind the failings we give way to night and day.

Do not impute our offenses to us, whether we did them on purpose or whether we could not help them. Remember, Lord, that men are apt to make slips; we are a spineless race, given to blundering: think of our build, our limitations.

Our skins may be sound, but there are sores underneath.

O God, you are well disposed to us: give us the strength of your support. Give us encouragement; give the light that goes with it. Make us live by the dogmas of the faith preached by your holy apostles and the high teaching of the Gospels of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

May we not be content only to hear and to speak of them but behave and act as they bid us, for then our conduct will deserve reward.

Teach us to look upwards, to seek out and probe the heavenly, not the earthly.

If that is our attitude and if you act in us, what glory for your power, all-holy, omnipotent, worthy of all praise; glory through Jesus Christ, your beloved, with the Holy Spirit, now and throughout the ages. Amen.

- Ouchmounen Papyrus

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This week we will look at some prayers from the early church. We can recognize that Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. God Bless You. Pastor Tom

We ask you, Master, be our helper and defender. Rescue those of our number in distress; raise up the fallen; assist the needy; heal the sick; turn back those of your people who stray; feed the hungry; release our captives; revive the weak; encourage those who lose heart. Let all the nations realize that you are the only God, that Jesus Christ is your Child, and that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture.

—1 Clement (c. 96)

Clement was bishop at Rome, and wrote this prayer in a letter to the church at Corinth, the very same Corinthians to whom Paul wrote. This letter is one of the oldest Christian documents outside the New Testament.

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Prayer of St. Richard of Chichester

(1197-1253)

Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,
For all the benefits thou hast won for me,
For all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.

O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother,
May I know thee more clearly,
Love thee more dearly,
And follow thee more nearly:
For ever and ever.

In my generation this prayer became the inspiration for the song “Day by Day” from “Godspell” See you on the Lord's Day. PT

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This simple but beautiful prayer was published in Salisbury (Sarum) England in 1558, in a collection of prayers called the Sarum Primer. This is one to memorize!!

God be in my head
and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes
and in my looking;
God be in my mouth
and in my speaking;
God be in my heart
and in my thinking;
God be at my end
and in my departing

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From last evening's worship, a prayer of confession, to the One who assures us that he washes us whiter than snow:

“Yet I Sin” from Valley of Vision

Eternal Father, Thou art good beyond all thought, but I am vile, wretched, miserable, blind; my lips are ready to confess, but my heart is slow to feel and my ways reluctant to amend.
I bring my soul to Thee; break it, wound it, bend it, mould it.

Unmask to me sin's deformity that I may hate it, abhor it, flee from it. My faculties have been a weapon of revolt against Thee:

as a rebel I have misused my strength, and served the foul adversary of Thy kingdom.

Give me grace to bewail my insensate folly, grant me to know that the way of transgressors is hard, that evil paths are wretched paths, that to depart from Thee is to lose all good.

I have seen purity and beauty of Thy perfect law, the happiness of those in whose heart it reigns, the calm dignity of the walk to which it calls, yet I daily violate and contemn its precepts.

Thy loving Spirit strives within me, brings me Scripture warnings, speaks in startling providences, allures by secret whispers, yet I choose devices and desires to my own hurt, impiously resent, grieve and provoke Him to abandon me.

All these sins I mourn, lament and cry pardon.
Work in me more profound and abiding repentance; give me the fullness of a godly grief, that trembles and fears, yet ever trusts and loves, which is ever powerful and confident; grant that through the tears and repentance I may see more clearly the brightness and glories of the saving cross.

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Beloved, On the day we shall meet to meditate on Luke 7: 36 -50, I offer you a verse, a meditation, and a short prayer, the verse from Hebrews 12: 2, and the meditation from Charles Spurgeon, and the prayer from an old hymn.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

It is ever the Holy Spirit's work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan's work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ.

He insinuates, "Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of his children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus." All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within.

But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: he tells us that we are nothing, but the "Christ is all in all."

Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee- it is Christ;

it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee - it is Christ;

It is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument - it is Christ's blood and merits;

therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ;

look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope;

look not to they faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith.

We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul.

"Lord, deny me what thou wilt,
Only ease me of my guilt,
Prostrate at thy feet I lie,
Give me Christ, or else I die."

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Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today's Lenten prayer is call the Te Deum Laudamus, or just Te Deum, an early Christian hymn of praise. The Latin title means: "You, God, We Praise." Tradition says that it was written by the early church leaders Ambrose and Augustine on the occasion of Augustine's baptism in 387 A.D. Note to Choir Members: Our favorite composer, John Rutter, has a musical version of this!! Might it be in our future?

WE praise thee, O God : we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee : the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud : the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubin and Seraphin : continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy : Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty : of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles : praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets : praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs : praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world : doth acknowledge thee;
The Father : of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true : and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost : the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory : O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son : of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man : thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death : thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God : in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come : to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants : whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints : in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save thy people : and bless thine heritage.
Govern them : and lift them up for ever.
Day by day : we magnify thee;
And we worship thy Name : ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord : to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us : have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us : as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted : let me never be confounded.

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Beloved, Three morning prayers for the start of the week:

LET US KNOW, let us press on
to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the dawn.
Hosea 6: 3

I OWE the Lord a morning song
of gratitude and praise,
for the kind mercy he has shown
in lengthening out my days.
He kept me safe another night;
I see another day.
Now may his Spirit, as the light,
direct me in his way.
Amos Herr

WHO CAN TELL what a day may bring forth? Cause me, therefore, gracious God, to live every day as if it were to be my last, for I know not but that it may be such. Cause me to live now as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

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Beloved, This prayer is the beginning of the Litany from the Book of Common Prayer, which has been a resource for Protestant worship for many years. Tomorrow we will remember the Temptation of our Lord Jesus Christ and His victory. We will also reflect on the temptations we are prone to "from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil."

O GOD the Father, Creator of heaven and earth : have mercy upon us.
O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth : have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world : have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world : have mercy upon us

O God the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful: have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful: have mercy upon us.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God : have mercy upon us.
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God: have mercy upon us.

REMEMBER not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers; spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood.
Spare us, good Lord.

FROM all evil and mischief; from sin, from the crafts and assaults of the devil; from thy wrath, and from everlasting condemnation,
Good Lord, deliver us.

From all blindness of heart; from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness,
Good Lord, deliver us.

From all uncleanness in thought, word, and deed; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil,
Good Lord, deliver us.

From lightning and tempest; from earthquake, fire, and flood; from plague, pestilence, and famine; from battle and murder, and from sudden death,
Good Lord, deliver us.

From all sedition, conspiracy, and rebellion; from all false doctrine, heresy, and schism; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word and Commandment,
Good Lord, deliver us.

By the mystery of thy holy Incarnation; by thy holy Nativity; by thy Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation,
Good Lord, deliver us.

By thine Agony and bloody Sweat; by thy Cross and Passion; by thy precious Death and Burial,
Good Lord, deliver us.

By thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension; by thy sending of the Holy Spirit; by thy heavenly Intercession; and by thy Coming again in glory,
Good Lord, deliver us.

In all times of tribulation; in all times of prosperity; in the hour of death, and in the day of judgement,
Good Lord, deliver us.

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Beloved,
This prayer was written by St. Patrick (372-466), who gave much of his life to missionary work in Ireland.

I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to me forever by power of faith Christ's incarnation, his baptism in the Jordan river, his death on the cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spiced tomb, his riding up the heavenly way, his coming at the day of doom I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, his eye to watch, his might to stay, his ear to harken to my need,
the wisdom of my God to teach, his hand to guide, his shield to ward, the Word of God to give me speech, his heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me; Christ to comfort and restore me;
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the name, the strong name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three,
of whom all nature hath creation, eternal Father, Spirit Word; praise to the God of my salvation, salvation is of Christ the Lord!