The Pastor’s Corner

Prayer: Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Our God, we pray these words as taught by your Son because we live in your world and, therefore, we are subject to your purposes and providence. AS your redeemed people, we desire to see your will be done and your glory known across the whole earth. We are pilgrims and confess that you alone are sovereign over our lives. We desire to see your churches full of people praising and honoring you. We desire to see men made in your image, bringing glory and honor to your name. We grieve the state of our world and plead with you to work in such a way that men are humbled, and you exalted. We pray all of these things in the name of the Savior. Amen.

Prayer: It is with great delight that we bow before you, our great God and Father, on this another Lord's Day. We are so thankful to you for wisely carving out a day that we can gather with your people in worship to sing your praise and hear from you. We know that you have determined to bless the Lord's Day and we know that we are often forgetful in striving to keep it as you have commanded. We sin when we allow our time to be spent in idleness. We sin when our conversations are on our world work and recreations. Forgive us, Father. Please help us to have conversations about your Word and your works. Please grant to us a greater zeal for this day and see it as a pleasure and joy. We pray these things in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen

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

Scripture: Micah 3:1-4

The warning in this passage is directed toward the rulers of the house of Jacob and Israel. Carrying that theme over to the New Testament church, we can easily apply this warning to the leaders of the church: ministers, elders, and deacons. The indictment offered is that these rulers have acted wickedly and done evil (3:2). They are those that call good, evil and evil, good. They are crushing the people (Cp. Is. 3:15). They are not shepherding the people as they should (See Ezek. 34). These men are bad actors in the vineyard of the Lord. As a result, the LORD will not hear their cry, their prayers. Though they cry out to him, he turns a deaf ear because of their sin. If a man regards iniquity in his heart, the Lord will not hear him (Ps. 66:18). It is a dreadful thought! To think that the LORD will not hear the prayers of his officers in the church should cause them to do serious soul searching and repent of known sin.

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

Scripture: Joel 2:28-32

The passage being considered today is one that has caused a great deal of theological discussion. Though I have my views as to the issues and timing regarding the Day of the Lord, what is essential to ponder are the words found in 2:32, "And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Regardless of the exact nature of the calamity that the prophet is describing (and it is one of the highest calamity -- the judgment of the LORD), one thing is sure: God's people, the redeemed of the LORD, are protected by him and moved to call upon him while under great distress. That, after all, is what Christians do when faced with matters of great trial or circumstance. It may be a marriage that is collapsing. It may be a financial struggle with no relief in sight. It may be sickness, either usual and seasonal, or chronic pain that never seems to let up. It may be matters related to loved ones who do not know the Lord. It may be the impending collapse of a job, nation, or society. Whatever the issue, the people of the LORD are moved by the Spirit of the LORD to cry out to him.

Prayer: Our God in heaven, we thank you for your many mercies and your faithfulness that is new every morning. We thank you for your grace and compassion and your patience as we labor on to do your will in this world. We mourn the condition of our culture and our world. We see the disastrous effects of sin and the impact it has made in the lives of people. We witness the destruction of marriages, communities, and health. Many are laboring through serious marital issues. Many communities are under duress. Many suffer from chronic illness and pain. All of these things are due to sin and our fallen condition. We thank you that you are laboring to reverse the effects of the fall. We thank you for the glorious promise made to your children that you will be with us and help us. We thank you for the hope of the New Heavens and the New Earth. We pray with the myriad of your people that our Lord and Savior would come quickly. We look forward to that great day. Until then, help us by your Spirit to walk worthy of the calling which we have received. Please give us what you command and help us to love you and love others. We pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

Prayer: Almighty God and Father of your redeemed people, we who are needy and weary come to bow before your majesty today to ascribe to you honor and glory and praise. You alone are the one true God, though we live in a world that cranks out their own idols on a daily basis. Unlike the idols of our lives, you are a God that hears, sees, and acts according to your purpose and decree. You have promised your people to accomplish all things, bringing us safely to our heavenly rest. You, a God who cannot lie, have guaranteed the glorious end of all those that your Son redeemed. As the Greater Moses, he has delivered us from the bondage of Egypt, freeing us to walk in the newness of life. You have given us eyes to see and ears to hear. Yet, this new sight causes us great distress as we look at a world that rebels against you. You invite sinner, yet they rebel. You offer sinners a great bounty, yet they insist on starving. We plead with you to open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf. Please be pleased, Father, to grant your great work of salvation to our family, friends, loved ones, and all those you are pleased to call to yourself. Thank you for hearing us as we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.