Prayer for December 17, 2023

Great God,

you alone created all things. You alone fill all things. To you alone be all the honor and the glory and power and might and wisdom.

You created the world and all that is in it to be a land for your kingdom. You alone are the great king, the King of kings. You created a people to rule and to share your rule with and through.

In Adam, we all forfeited that kingdom but in Christ you have restored and are restoring your kingdom. We acknowledge you as the the king of the universe and all other kingdoms are false and misleading. No nation is the kingdom of God. No nation represents the kingdom of God. Rather, the church is the representative and representation of the kingdom. In Jesus, our king came and showed the world what kind of world was coming. He showed and taught his followers how to live.

Help us to live how he showed and taught. But not by our power, but by the power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit. Through faith we are justified and accepted into the kingdom as citizens and disciples. Through the Holy Spirit are we empowered to do good works that reflect your kingdom.

The world is in dire need to see that kingdom as it only sees kingdoms of selves around it, everyone and every nation living for its own good when you desire the good and flourishing of all who are created in your image.

As 2024 quickly approaches, Lord, would you bless your churches, the Crossing in particular, to be a people who reflect the values and ethics of the kingdom. May the Crossing be a people who proclaim faithfully the message of the gospel of the kingdom of God.

We thank you for the upcoming opportunity to serve the Citrus Valley community and pray that your Spirit begin to stir the hearts of people here and over there to both serve and receive from you and your kingdom.

We pray that we all continue to grow as disciples of Jesus through our own Bible reading and obedience to your commands; through the women’s and men’s study groups as well, that you would use those to continue to shape and transform a people for yourself that we might be a blessing to others.

We pray that you help us live out your great commission of discipleship and obeying as we go throughout the world in our respective places be they at home, at work or for our leisure.

We pray for the world that we seek to win and serve. We pray that wars may cease. War is an atrocity period. Both sides lose as both sides use death to conquer. Image bearers against image bearers only sounds like Cain and Abel all over again. We pray for Russia. We pray for Ukraine. We pray for Israel. We pray for Palestine. We pray for the end of hostility and aggressions and war.

We know that there will be wars until you come back, but we also long for them to cease already because we long for your coming!

Until then, keep us faithful. Let us not be discouraged. Let us look through the world through your Word.

We continue to pray and give thanks for the health of the people of the Crossing.

We thank you that Esther is recovering. We continue to give thanks for the health of Victor Martinez, for Dan and for Rob Frye. And for other health battles that happen quietly.

We pray all this in the name of the One whose name is above all others, the name of Jesus. Amen.