Prayers by the Pastor for the People of God

OPENING PRAYER BASED ON THE HYMN: "ABIDE WITH ME"
 
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God:
In this darkened age, when afflictions and ailments,
when adversaries and adversities,
and
when anxieties and alarms,
seek to engulf us;
it is good to know, that You help not only those who help themselves;
but that You also help those who are UNABLE to help themselves!
You have promised to never fail us or to flee from us.
Help of the Helpless, continue to abide with us.
Having applied our hearts unto wisdom, we are conscious of the brevity of this life,
recognizing that its joys grow dim,
and its glories are passing.
In every direction we look, we behold unparalleled changes and rapid decay.
You change not, O Lord, remaining the same yesterday, today, and forever!
We need both the knowledge and the experience of Your presence,
every hour,
every minute,
and every second.
Display to the men and women, on our prayer list,
a fresh awareness of Your all-mighty presence,
a stronger visitation of Your all-mighty power,
and a deeper sense of Your all-mysterious providence.
Abide with them, Lord.
Bestow Your grace, to enable them to foil the Tempter's enticement toward
despair,
and his entanglement with the pre-occupation of the problems facing them.
You alone are our Guide and Stay, not only on the cloudy days;
but the sunny ones, as well.
With You at our side, we fear no foe, and can embattle the world,
the flesh,
and the devil.
Provide us, with triumph over illness,
tears,
death,
sorrow,
unemployment,
addictive and self-destructive behavior,
martial discord and family strife.
By focusing our eyes on Your cross, and pointing us upward to the heavenly
skies,
our gloom is dispelled.
We join with the Anglican vicar Henry Lyte, who wrote this hymn,
baaed on the Easter Gospel account
of the Risen Lord's appearance to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus,
and we affirm:
"O Lord, abide with us, in life, in death, and in life beyond death."
And all the people said: "AMEN!"

PRAYER BASED IN THE HYMN "CROWN HIM WITH MANY CROWNS"
 
Let us pray.
 O Jesus Christ,
Lord of Life,
Lord of Peace
and Lord of Love:
Anticipating that time in heaven,
when we will join the twenty-four elders,
the four living creatures,
the cherubim and seraphim,
and the great multitude no one can number
from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue,
we in this place,
now express our individual and collective praise!
Our adoration seeks to drown out the clatter and clamor of earth!
Our souls have been awakened by faith in Your holy death,
Your victorious Resurrection,
Your triumphal Ascension,
Your glorious exaltation,
and Your eternal reign over all.
There is none like You in the universe! Your are without equal!
As the Lamb of God seated upon the throne,
You exert Your providence, power, pardon, provision, and promise:
from the North Pole to the South Pole,
the entire globe is encircled by Your presence!
Son of God, we expect that the bruises and birthmarks,
and disfigurements and disabilities of our physical bodies,
will be eliminated in Paradise.
You have retained the wounds of Your Passion, as permanent reminders to us,
of the cost of our salvation.
Redeemer, Your nail-scarred hands and feet and pierced side,
do not emit a smell which is odious unto us,
but exudes a fragrance like that of a spring flower!
We look forward to that day, when the emperors and emirs,
grand dukes and dalai lamas,
and sultans and sheiks,
cast their crowns before You, as recognition of tribute,
to a greater sovereign.
Prompt us, to lay at Your feet, our beauty pageant prizes,
athletic trophies,
military medals,
academic achievements,
and professional accomplishments.
Grant us, the ability to discern, that all that we have, and all that we are,
and all that we hope to become,
is bestowed from Your lavish bounty.
O Lamb of God Jesus Christ, Our Great High Priest, Our Righteous Prophet,
and All-Powerful King:
we ascribe unto You,
all might, majesty, dominion, and praise, now and for ever.
And all the people said "AMEN!"