Our
Father in heaven,
You are the God who creates, sustains,
redeems, judges, and reigns forever and ever. You are the One who is merciful,
gracious, and longsuffering. You are love.
We confess that, as a people, we have not
been fully obedient to the charge of the Great Commission to make disciples. We
have not prayed for our enemies or made many overtures to reach out to those
who are lost in the darkness of this present wicked age. Father, have mercy on
us.
We thank you that you have saved us and
that the glorious gospel of the Lord, Jesus Christ is available to any and all
who will believe. You have made a people for Yourself and continue to add
to
it from every nation, tribe, and tongue on the planet. What a privilege we have
to be a part of this ministry of reconciliation.
We
are humbled.
To You, O Lord, we lift up our souls. For
You, Lord, are good, ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who
call upon You. We want to stand in the gap and plead in behalf of those we know
who are not saved. We call on You, the One who has done all the work, to save our
family and friends who are outside of Your will presently. We bring before you
those in our community—within our sphere of influence, folks we will come into
contact with soon—asking that You make Your glory known to them and in them.
All
nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall
glorify Your name; for You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are
God: Would You, God of the nations, continue to save sinners here in our
nation? Will You save souls right here in our communities? We pray for
evangelistic opportunities in Winston-Salem, Pfafftown, Bethania, Germanton, Tobaccoville,
King, and here in Rural Hall. May you bless our efforts for the redeeming sake
of others and for your great name.
In
Christ’s gracious and powerful name we pray, Amen.