Monday, February 11, 2008

Prayer of Adoration and Invocation

Almighty God,

You are the King of kings and the God of gods. To you all nations bow in submission. Kings prostrate themselves before you and authorities derive their power from you.And we who are gathered here today have gathered as one body to lift our praise to you. As crowds would gather to give laud and adoration to a conquering warrior we come to cast our praise to you, our Mighty King.

We acknowledge your sovereign power and bow our hearts in your presence. Moreover we humbly ask that you would descend upon us today. We beseech your favor, that you might draw us into deeper fellowship. We pray that we might be made to walk in the Spirit and not according to the flesh. We desire that we might be exposed to your holiness so that we might walk away radiating with holiness ourselves. As Moses came down from the mountain radiating with the glory of your presence, we desire to meet with you and become like you in righteousness, wisdom, and grace.

What we ask is that this time might be a time of worship and a time of transformation; a time of praise and a time of conversion; a time of reverence and a time of repentance. For this we ask in Jesus Name.

Prayer of Repentance and Renewal

Holy God,

If we would deny the fact that we are sinners, we would be denying what is most evident to all. We would be fools if we tried to cover our iniquity, for it would be like trying to cover the sand on the sea shore.

Lord, we cannot escape the guilt. We cannot escape the shame. And so we come to you that we might obtain mercy. For we know that you are a God of mercy. You are full of compassion and will not turn away those who humbly and honestly turn from their sins.

Lord, that which we are ashamed of, we are sorrowful for. And we pray that you might do with our sins what we cannot: Cover them and cast them far away from us. Do not count them against us, but throw them upon Jesus and let his blood be a tide that washes them away.

We ask also that you would create in us a spirit of righteousness. Give us the holy characteristics that are becoming of those who profess your Name. We ask that your Spirit might come into us and break down our critical spirits. May it be that we love our neighbor rather than despise them. Make us to magnify their gifts rather than their imperfections. May we desire what is worthy and beautiful in them rather than envy and laud that which wicked and damnable. Help us to rejoice in their virtues mimic their merits and be silent regarding what is undesirable.

We pray that we might be made to honor Christ in this way—by being people who dwell on that which is worthy of praise and devoted to what is good.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Our Cheif Desire

God of Gods,

You are beyond all comprehension. Your ways are higher than our ways. Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We know that we are unable to grasp the enormity of your being. For thinking about you is like trying to mine the depths of the oceans. But we gather together today to spend our energy in such holy contemplations. We gather in order to delight ourselves in your presence and to stand in awe of your infinite majesty.

And it is to you, the great I Am, that we come this morning. We have longed for you through this week. Our hearts have panted in thirst for you. Indeed, our inward man has yearned for the renewal of your Spirit.

So we ask that you would come and meet with us today. Come and refresh us with new life and give us a taste of what eternity will be like.

Lord, we desire one thing this morning: and it is you. And we desire that a flame of devotion might be ignited within our souls so that we might fear you and worship you aright. And we have the confidence that this will be done, for we ask this in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our Lack of Passion

Gracious God,

In looking at your law we find that you are a God who requires the utmost devotion. We understand that you take no pleasure in sin, but desire us to love you with all our heart, mind and strength.

But we acknowledge that we lack the proper devotion. We confess that our hearts are often so lethargic. Instead of having blood that boils over with passion, our hearts are like tepid waters. Our souls are as quiet as a winter night.

While we recognize your lordship and acknowledge your gracious dealings with us, we still fail to possess a passionate spirit and adoring affection for you. This we admit is a wretched thing. It is utterly deplorable.

You have never ceased to love us. Your have never ceased to shower us with affection. You have protected us, pleased us, and pursued us. You have given us nourishment for body and soul, not to mention your law, your promises, and your one and only Son.

Indeed, in view of such things, our deadness is despicable and deserves to be punished. We know that such a demeanor is not only unlawful, but it is unworthy of you. Therefore we come before you and ask that you would forgive us for it. And we beseech you for grace to overcome this lukewarmness. We pray that you might kindle a fire within our hearts and fan it into a roaring blaze. May we not put you off, but seek to abide ever in the presence of your face.