1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (Message)

 May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!

Isaiah 64: 8-12 (Message)

Still, God, you are our Father. We’re the clay and you’re our potter:
All of us are what you made us.
Don’t be too angry with us, O God.
Don’t keep a permanent account of wrongdoing.
Keep in mind, please, we are your people—all of us.

Let us pray, 

Creator God in seven days you mastered shaping the wholeness of the earth. Mighty God, with bare hands you choreographed the dance of the stars in space. God you who are magnificent, majestic, and divine are close to us- even closer than our next breath. God we praise you and thank you for your intentionality in creating, naming, sustaining, keeping our lives and the world each day. God you’ve made all things good, and you made us good- holy and whole and in your image. God you knew us before we were formed in wombs which bore us as excellent, intelligent, kind, patient, compassionate, and loving creatures. God only you and you alone make everything holy and whole. Remind us today God that you are the author and narrator of our lives. Encourage us to ever trust and depend on you for restoration, correction, for guidance and direction. We thank you God for orchestrating every joint of our bodies, piecing our spirit, and our soul together.

We thank you God for our physical bodies and for the body of your Church. God we proclaim that we are your hands and your feet doing your work bound together. We pray that we become active co-laborers, working with you in pursuit of our wholeness God. We pray for unity and restorative healing justice to take place within our church and the world. We’re the clay and you’re the potter God, have your way with us! Knowing that you made us, we ask that you forgive us Lord. Forgive us for the times we choose comfortability over the new possibility to pursue wholeness. Forgive us God for prioritizing individuality over unity. Forgive us God for mistaking unity as an exclusion of diversity. We pray our hearts, our minds, our souls, and our preaching may be of healing, and restoration. We pray that everything we do helps cultivate wholeness in our lives, in the lives of others, and the ministry of the church that only you can bring.

Amen.

 John 15:12-13

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Our Beloved God,

Nehemiah 1:3 ESV

And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

Father,

We come to you in trouble, shame and brokenness. We cry out to you through our pain. In this posture of prayer and fasting, we weep and mourn. We empty ourselves of all of our anger, pride and entitlement and repent of these things for ourselves, our families and our community that has lived in crisis for so many years.

We acknowledge that we as a people have turned from you and sought solutions that come out of ourselves and not from what could be revealed if only we would have continued to seek you as our ancestors did.

You are the great and awesome God that keeps your covenant with those that love you and keep your commandments. Your made us your people, you brought us out of bondage, you kept us in steadfast love. We confess our sins.

We have acted corruptly against you and turned from your ways. We repent of our sins. We return to you oh God! We make our hearts, our homes, our community a place where your name dwells. Thank you for redeeming us by your great power and by your strong hand.

Help us delight in you. Help us live, think, and act in righteousness. Renew in us the righteous fear of your holy name. Give us revelation that will give us success and grant us mercy in the sight of those who hold the resource that is meant for our good, our uplift, our wholeness and our restoration.

In the name of Jesus the Christ we pray, Amen.

“Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.“

1 Peter 3:8-12 (MSG)

Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, here’s what you do: say nothing evil or hurtful; snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all of this with approval, listening and responding well to what He’s asked; But He turns his back on those who do evil things.

To our heavenly Father who sits high on the throne.

The earth and all its fullness belongs to you. We come before you know we are powerless without you. We are humbled to magnify and glorify your name.

As we approach the end of this year’s temple cleanse, help us to continue on this journey and not turn back to our old ways or habits. Protect us God from the evil one who seeks to destroy and undo all that you have done for us during this time. Keep us plugged in and connected as we continue to pray and walk together on this Christian journey. Anoint us oh God that we may become more like you. Help us to be kind, compassionate, giving, humble, and loving. God forgive us of our sins and help us recognize the ways we’ve failed to display the beauty and the transformative power of what Godly unity looks like.

Strengthen us to hold each other accountable, give us spiritual boldness to walk in honesty, just as Johnathon did for David. Give us the strength to persevere and resist the temptations of the evil one.

God, as we work together to build your kingdom let us be the salt and the light that leads the world to you. Teach us to be good role models to our peers, so they may see you and your love within us compelling them to ask “what must I do to be saved?” In your word God, it was unity that added to the church daily, so grant us the patience and the fortitude to work together, so that we may bear witness and see the Body of Christ multiply. Do the same in our families, restore the unity in our marriage and peace in our home. Let us work together with understanding and compassion in our hearts. Let us not be rude or arrogant towards one another, as we light the way to your heavenly kingdom.

We declare in the name of Jesus and according to the power of God at work in us, that we are of one and the same mind, united in spirit, sympathizing with one another, loving each other as brothers and sisters of one household. Lord convict our hearts and cause us to search it when we find ourselves gossiping, returning evil for evil, and trading insult for insult. We speak against the spirit of jealousy, envy, greed, rumors, scolding, and division. Lord, we speak blessing, we speak victory over each others welfare, we speak joy, protection, and love into our homes and our church. Satan, you have no place here!

Lastly, Holy Spirit we ask that you continue to fill us daily as we continue to seek the kingdom of righteousness and present ourselves as living sacrifices.

We count all these things done in the matchless and mighty name of Jesus the Christ, AMEN!