Worship and Prayer Sunday

Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast.

We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for tuning in.

We wanted a pawn.

So if you came for controversial Jesus, then you're like, what about Jesus in marriage?

That'll be next week.

Um I think it was maybe Thursday morning, Jenny and I were talking.

And like, you know, all of you are just kind of broken just over the state of our world, over the state of the war, over Israel and Palestine, over the loss of so much life.

And I mean, you just zoom out from there, and you just think on the global scale and the you know famine that's ravaging northern Africa and Sudan and Somalia and Ethiopia and the wars that are civil, that are they're not so civil actually going on in Ukraine and the gang violence in Haiti.

And I mean you just go, you just can go, and it's overwhelming.

And then you look at our world in the US and the division, the polarization, the angst, and the anger.

And then you go into like my world, your world, and I don't know what you walked in with.

And the confusion and the turmoil and the uncertainty.

And as Jenny and I were talking, she just looked at me and she said, What are we gonna do?

Like a prayer and worship Sunday.

And I said, I don't know.

And I was thinking about our calendar, and then I'm like, there really isn't even time.

I'm like, how bad is that as a church?

Like, we don't have time.

It's not acceptable.

And so we decided let's pause.

Because this is what my soul needs, and I think this is what your soul needs.

And let's pray together.

We believe actually that wherever prayer focuses, the power of God falls.

Like James said it this way, that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

That when we pray at a church, we are most effective as a church.

Oswald Chambers said it this way.

He said, we do not pray in order to do the greater work.

Prayer is the greater work.

And then Jesus' disciples, the only recorded thing that we have of them asking Jesus isn't how to do miracles, isn't how to, you know, raise the dead or preach a great sermon.

Jesus, would you teach us to pray?

There's something about the intimacy and the connection and the power when you pray and we want to learn how.

And then he said this to them.

This then is how you should pray.

And if you want to read along or pray along, you can.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

And so we're gonna take a season where we pray through that line by line, some friends that I dearly love who are gonna lead us in different seasons of prayer.

And as we do that, I just want to encourage you.

Um, if you need to stand, stand if you want to sit, if you want to kneel.

Our communion tables are open.

If at any point during the time you want to take partake in communion, please do so.

There's a gluten-free option in the back.

But we're gonna pray as a community and as a church.

And I already know this because we've done this once already.

Gosh, my soul needs it.

And our world needs it.

So let's lean in together.

And so as we do, would you just take a moment to relax, to breathe?

I want to just begin the way the Lectio app so often invites us to.

As we enter prayer now, pause to be still.

Breathe slowly.

Recenter your scattered senses upon the presence of God.

Jesus, as we meditate on the good news of your kingdom, make us a courageous and loving witness to your goodness.

Empower us afresh in this moment through the gift of your Spirit.

Holy is your name.

Set apart is your name.

Powerful is your name.

So when we greet you acknowledging your presence, we say, Welcome, Father God.

Welcome, Jesus Christ.

Welcome, Holy Spirit.

Acknowledging him in his rightful place, just inspire our worship so we can just take him in and worship prayerfully, prayerfully, worship whatever order.

Give me vision to see things like he do.

God, I look to you where my health comes from.

Give me wist.

You know just what to do.

Oh God, I look to how won't be overwhelmed.

Give me visit to see things like you do.

God, I look too where my health comes from.

Give me wist.

You know just what it is.

Give me wist 'cause you know just what it do.

We need your wist 'cause you know just what it is.

You're holy, there is no one like you, there is none beside you.

Open up my eyes in order.

Show me who you are and fill me with your heart and leave me in your house and on this eye.

Open my eyes on me with your heart and me in your love to those family.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Lord, our hearts ache and are heavy with everything that's going on in the world, with all the fighting, the war, the destruction, the loss of lives, the sorrow, the tears, and the darkness.

Lord, in these times, our hearts cry, may your kingdom come in its fullest, and may you eliminate all the evil that's in this world and establish the new heaven and new earth.

But until then, we pray, Lord, you reign in our hearts.

You rule in our hearts.

May your peace rule in our hearts.

May your message dwell richly among us.

May our hearts ache with what aches your heart.

And break with what breaks your heart.

May we surrender our will to yours.

Your sweet will, Jesus.

We know that you will for us is to love, to love you, and love our neighbor.

And your word says that love does no harm to a neighbor.

Jesus, teach us in our circumstances where we feel helpless, powerless to do anything, to choose to love, to abide in your love, and to extend your love to the needy.

Your will be done on earth, Jesus, as it is in heaven.

Would you take a few minutes and pray along these lines, along the lines of God's kingdom and his will on earth?

Give us today.

Give us today our daily bread.

God, give us today our daily bread.

I admit I don't know where to start my prayer since the requests are so immense and so desperate.

But then I remind myself, I remind myself Abba, my Abba, you are the Almighty God.

You are the all-powerful God of creation.

So I bring to you the hardest, biggest please in my prayer, Father.

Would you change the bitter hearts?

Would you change the hearts that is filled with hatred and replace it, change it to hearts of forgive to forgiving hearts, to loving hearts, to compassionate hearts, Father.

Father, I ask you to use all of us as Christians in a time like this to bring unity, to bring spirit of reconciliation, to bring wisdom.

God, would you usher in a spirit of reconciliation, resolution, wisdom, unity in a time that it seems it's all impossible?

We pray God for food for the hungry, for shelter for the homeless, for miraculous healing for those who are injured, and for miraculous peace that surpasses understanding for those who have lost their loved ones.

Would you continue praying as your heart steers in this moment, in this next few moments?

Who is moving on the waters?

And who is holding up the moon?

And who is peeling back the darkness with the burning light of noon?

And who is standing on the mountains?

And who is on the earth below?

And who is bigger than the heavens?

And still the lover of my soul, you are all I need yes, you are all I need, you are all I need yes, you are all I need And who is he that makes me happy?

And who is he that brings me peace?

Who is he that brings me comfort?

He turns a bitter into sweet, and who is stirring up my passions?

Oh he is rising up in me and who is filling up my hunger with everything I need, he is all thy and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Church, if you are able, let's kneel before the Father as we make this appeal.

And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Church, will you hold this verse with your hearts and let it transform you?

Let it break you.

And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Father in heaven, we wonder what would happen within our hearts, within our families, within our churches, our schools, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, our cities.

Lord, we wonder what would happen across the nation, across the world, throughout all generations.

God, we wonder what would happen if daily we humble ourselves before you in confession.

And daily we surrender ourselves to the forgiving nature you have designed within us as a reflection of you.

We are forgiven and we are forgiving.

These two things are true of us in Christ Jesus.

And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

That holds the power to redeem our brokenness.

The power to heal and restore.

The power to help us live in love and peace with you and with one another.

God, we are desperate and aching for love and peace.

And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Lord, we ask that you break all barriers that keep us from humility and forgiveness.

Whether that's pride, our hurts, our anger, our insecurity, God, whether that's self-righteousness or self-preservation, God.

Would you name the barriers for us and break them?

For we can't with our own strength, we can't do this with our own resolve.

Apart from you, we can do nothing.

Forgiven and forgiving are true of us in Christ Jesus.

Lord, would you help us walk and live in what is true of us already because of the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior?

Forgiven and forgiving.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Church, will you stay in this moment and continue with your personal prayers and supplications?

How high the mountain I could not climb in desperation I turned to heaven and spoke your name into the night.

Then through the darkness, your loving kindness tore through the shadows of my soul.

The work is finished, the end is written.

Jesus Christ my lord new could imagine so great a mercy.

What heart could fathom such boundless grace, the God of ages step down from glory to wear my sin and bear my shame.

I am forgiven the King of Kings calls me beautiful savior on your Jesus Christ my living cross means.

You are a deliverer who has all the power to rescue us.

Yet sometimes it's hard to see your power in our broken world.

We remember together there is evil and an evil one, Satan, who lies, deceives, destroys, pretends to be light, steals, and kills.

We remember together our ultimate struggle is not against flesh and blood.

Although Satan wants us to think this, your word reminds us our ultimate struggle is against rulers, authorities, the powers of this dark world, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Help us keep this in mind as we pray.

We pray against the evil one's plans and schemes in our world.

And we remember together, every person on this planet, including all people in Israel, Palestine, in Ukraine, in our Congress, in Afghanistan, on our southern border, in Hawaii, in Sudan, in Ethiopia, every person facing war, living as refugees, facing oppression, grieving the loss of a loved one, feeling fear without safety, without basic necessities of food, shelter, and water, facing the after effects of natural disaster and poverty, and weighing decisions in the midst of those horrific circumstances.

Whether it be leaders or people on the ground, every single one of them is precious and valued in your sight.

Lead and guide us, all of us, away from temptation and trial into a more just world.

Draw us and themselves and them to yourself.

We as individuals and as a world so badly need your rescue.

As our hearts and minds grieve and get angry at the death and the destruction and chaos, impossible situations.

O Lord, hold us back and do not let us take paths leading to hate and prejudice.

Deliver us.

Passivity and inaction, deliver us.

Despair and hopelessness, deliver us.

Dehumanization and revenge, deliver us.

In your deliverance, give us a new vision for what it looks like to follow you in these days.

As we come close to you and pray, show us what truth, life, light, giving, and love looks like.

As you pray, pick one or two specific places in our country or world and pray for God to lead and guide away from trial and to deliver and rescue from evil and Satan.

And hey, we'd love to connect with you.

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