Lord, the difference between You and us is great. You are the Creator. We are the creatures. You are the Redeemer. We are those who need to be redeemed. You sit upon an eternal throne. Our bodies will end up in the grave covered with dirt.

Lord, we are fragile. We are easily hurt and easily broken. We need encouragement, not criticism. We need the strong arm of dear friends, not the fist of our enemies. We need the everlasting love of the true and living God, not the off again, on again attention of those who really don’t care for us.

Lord, help us to love one another as Christ loved the Church. We are so prone to think of our own troubles, that it often escapes us that our dear neighbors are suffering and cast down. We are so focused on our happiness that we fail to see that we live in a world where unhappiness is a way of life for many people. Lord, some people are near suicide. Some people are so ashamed of themselves that they can hardly lift their head. They can hardly be in a crowd. They find their solace in being alone, shut off from the world. Oh Lord, lead them into our pathway and give us a heart for the poor in spirit.

Lord, tomorrow is gone and will never come again. Last week is gone forever. We cannot relive the past. We cannot change the past. We cannot retract our words. We cannot recover lost opportunities. We cannot nullify our mistakes nor erase our errors. Lord, but we can confess our sins. We can repent. We can have a change of heart that changes the way we live today and the way we will live tomorrow. By thy Holy Spirit, give us a new and better day. Give us guidance by your word, oversight by the leaders of Thy Church, exhortation by those called to preach Thy word, and comfort by those who have the gift of mercy.

Lord, our requests are large. We ask for mountains to be moved. We ask first that we might become a holy people. Sin is so powerful, how can man overcome it. We so easily become like lambs led to the slaughter. We can act like fools full of folly. Lord, make us a righteous people.

Lord, we ask for peace in thy Church. How can selfish people live in peace? How can proud people find unity together? Lord, we ask for miracles in our own midst.

Lord, we ask that Thy word do its work and as the truth is heard by the ear, that dead men may be made alive. Raise the dead from the grave. Hearts today are so dead to the things of God. Men live like there is no death. Men live like living in this world is an everlasting right. Lord, take the hardness of men’s hearts and make them soft toward the things of God. Take the obstinate and break their proud souls. Shatter them like glass into a thousand pieces and then put them back together. Humble them with thy mighty power.

Lord, we ask for the nations. We yearn for the day when Jesus shall be declared Lord by every lord in this world and King by every king in this world. We will never be satisfied until we see the banner of Christ flying over every nation on the face of the earth. We desire the days when men will live in peace and security because Christ is lord over all. We pray that we might see the day when the law of God rules every nation, and that it is to Thy word that men will go to settle every dispute, punish every criminal, judge every case, and rule on every request. Lord, anything less will disappoint us. You are the only true and living God. All other gods are false. You made the world, why should You not rule over the world? You made the nations, why then should You not rule over the nations? You made man, why then should You not rule over man?

Lord, you alone are worthy of worship. No political candidate is worthy or worship. No athlete is worthy of worship. No musician is worthy of worship. No one but You is worthy of worship.

Lord, we are Your people. Broken as we are. Ugly as we are. Sinful as we are. We are your people. Love us with your everlasting love. Love the unlovely and we shall have hope. Accept the weak, and we shall have hope. Forgive the sinner and we shall have hope.