Grace Church AZ Prayer Topics for Sunday, August 18, 2019

Praise and Thanksgiving

Psalm 24:1–6 — The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers. 3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah.

It is not an easy thing to come into your presence, Father, because you are infinitely pure and holy! You dwell in unapproachable light! Your eyes are too pure to look upon sin! We need a spotless righteousness so we can stand in your presence. We cannot be serving idols and serving you at the same time. We cannot be harboring deceit and seek to serve the God of Truth. So for us to come before you is impossible unless you do something in us to make us clean and pure and holy in your sight – and you have done that for us in Christ, through his life and his death on the cross. Praise you, Father, that as we draw near now you see that our hands are clean, our hearts are pure in Christ. We are perfect and spotless in Him!

Hear our prayers this morning Lord, as we lift them up with hands and hearts made pure and clean through Christ. Glorify your name in answering these petitions this morning!

Global Topics

Please be at work in Rancho 3M to be a father to the fatherless and to shed your love in their hearts. Bring the children to know you. Soften hard hearts and skeptical hearts and open them to Christ. Thank you for answering our prayers for blessing on the work through the provision of better animal housing and the tractor to move the work towards self-sufficiency. We continue to pray for a gospel-centered church to arise in the area and to provide fellowship, teaching and counsel locally to this work.

National Topics

Restore, O Lord, the honor of your name in this land. The church, by and large, has lost sight of your majestic holiness and has re-created you as a “buddy” who is much more on our level. The people outside the church have lost most of the restraint that a knowledge of your holiness and power gave us in this land. Bring us back, Lord. Re-kindle the fire of love for the true and awesome God in your church and let the flames spread throughout this land for your glory.

Local Topics

Grace Bible Church in Chandler – Senior Pastor Scott Maxwell. The Lord’s blessing on the gospel ministry of this fellowship. Also, Jacob Hantla (an elder in the church who is battling lymphoma). Prayer for healing and peace from the Lord.

Fellowship Topics

Open our eyes to see you more clearly, Lord. Help us to recognize where our view of you is too small, or where it is altogether wrong. Be patient with us and guide us to yourself, and pour out your Spirit on us so that we might live appropriately as your children, given a greater understanding of what a wonderful father we have! Be at work through your word this morning, in the Reflections meeting this afternoon and at the Table of Grace meeting on Wednesday to continue this work in us and to shape us more and more into the family likeness.