The Pastor’s Corner

Prayer: Almighty God, grant to your people a willing spirit to bless and love you and to live lives fulfilling the purpose for which you made us. We know that we are your redeemed people, and the work of the Lord Jesus has reconciled us as your chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for your own possession. You have called us out of darkness into your marvelous light that we would live lives holy and consecrated before you. Forgive us for our transgressions and sins. Forgive us for the many ways in which we go astray. Like sheep, we often wander and stray from your commands. Thank you for your patience with us and for forgiving us through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

Scripture: Matthew 6:7-14

The Savior graciously gave us the Lord's Prayer as a model of prayer and as one that teaches us how to pray. This prayer is used by many in various circumstances. It is often used in corporate worship as a prayer of the gathered people of God. Yet, many offer this prayer with very little thought as to what they are praying. When we pray mindlessly before our God, we treat him as common and not offering him our heart, soul, mind, and strength in worship.

Prayer: Almighty God, you who are the only true and living God, we bow before your majesty today and thank you for your kindness in providing for us another Lord's Day in which we can gather as your people and praise your name. We confess that we often approach you without reverence and awe. We often come before you with a casual frame and mind, forgetting that you are mighty and glorious and we are creatures of dust. Your Word reminds us of the need to treat your name as holy and honor and adore you. We fall short of that duty, and we ask that you would forgive us. Please help us today as we gather with your people to labor with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength to worship you as you have commanded. Please grant to us willing hearts and minds to listen attentively to your Word as it is proclaimed. Please give us a great measure of your Spirit that we might commune with you with joy and delight. We pray all of 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: Matthew 6:7-8

Every now and then, I have had to answer the question of "why pray?" when it is pretty clear that Jesus teaches that our Father in heaven knows what we need before we ask. Without question, our omniscient God is well aware of every need and concern we have! Yet, he also urges us to pray and cast our needs before him (1 Pet. 5:7). How can we answer this question? Calvin wrestled with it as well. He wrote, "If God knows what we need before we seek it, there might appear to be no benefit in prayer." I suspect that many Christians have wrestled with this issue.

Prayer: Our Father, you have invited us into your presence to pray and plead with you and to unburden ourselves before you. Your Word tells us plainly to cast all of our cares upon you because you care for us. Throughout your Word, we see many examples of godly men who would endeavor to pray day and night before your throne. Yet, we are distracted people. We move from one care to the next with little thought to our passing days. Teach us to number our days, Lord. Teach us to place the privilege of prayer as a top priority in our lives. We confess that we are easily swayed and moved from this means of grace. Our prayers are often prayerless. Our prayers often lack the emotion and heartfelt pleading with you for what we need. Our prayers are often mere words with little thought to what we are saying and to whom we are praying. Forgive us, Lord. Please help us, by your Spirit, to pray as we should and must. We ask these things in the name of the Lord Jesus, our great High Priest. Amen.