“Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all
partake of the one bread.  Look at the
nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?” (1
Corinthians 10:17-18)

The Lord has come that all who
are in Him might be one even as the Lord is One.  There is great mystery in all the Lord is
doing, for He who is eternal has come into our temporal world that we might
follow Him into eternity.  This faith is
not to be figured out, but lived.  Grow
in wisdom and follow the Lord all the days of this life, being prepared to be
with Him forever in the world to come.

Lord, in this age of reason rather than faith I want to figure things
out.  There are some things that cannot
be figured out because of the temporal reality in which I live.  Lead me to live by faith not as one who is
blind, but as one who sees Your eternal light shining in the darkness of this
world and by it sees all else.  Guide me,
Lord, in the way of truth that I may now and always abide in the light of Your
presence.

Lord Jesus, You have come to lead
the way for as many as would follow You out of the darkness of this age and into
the light of the glory of the Father which You have revealed.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may
learn to humbly abide in the grace You have given knowing that in You alone is
the hope for all people.  Lead me in the
way of salvation that I would walk with You now and always.  Amen.

“I speak as to wise men; you judge what I say.  Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a
sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in
the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:15-16)

It does not matter what the
world thinks of you, but of who you are in Christ.  You have been called wise because of the call
you have in Christ.  Come then as one who
is wise and realize the gift you have been given.  Do not live as one who seeks the things of
the world, but as one who lives in the truth of Christ.  Feed your soul with the truth of His Word and
live into the life to which you have been called.

Lord, create in me a heart that seeks after the eternal truth You have
given.  Let me not be led astray by the
illusory glowing images of this age. 
Keep my mind clear that it would not fog over with the illusions, but
see the light of truth You have revealed once for all.  Guide me along the narrow path that I may
walk humbly in Your sight and live according to Your goodness.

Come Holy Spirit and sift my
heart that the things which hinder my walking humbly in Your guidance may be
set aside.  Wise or not wise, let me not
be concerned with what others think, but with continuing to run the race with
perseverance.  Lead me, O Lord, that I
may follow, with You always being the One who guides me day in and day
out.  Let me walk fully in Your grace and
according to Your call.  Amen.                                                  

Prayers of the Church, 4^th Sunday in Lent (March 22, 2020)

Let us lift our hearts and voices to the Lord in prayer, that he would be merciful to his people.

A brief silence

Holy Father, thank you for the light of sun and moon, stars and streetlights, candles and lamps. Thank you for these “created lights” that are the faintest glimmer shed from your true and uncreated Light, your Son, Jesus Christ. Lead us, even when eyes fail and earthly lights grow dim, to his kindly light, which no darkness can overcome.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Heal the blindness of your Church. Give it eyes to see its own sin, and to repent. Give it eyes to see the world’s sins, and to offer your forgiveness to any who will receive it. Give it eyes to see the plight of all who are afflicted by the powers of sin, death and the devil, and to proclaim your gracious redemption, bestowed through the Passion of your dear Son.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Heal the blindness of those who persecute followers of Jesus, and of all who turn a blind eye to their plight. Grant that all who suffer on account of Christ may be so faith-filled and gracious that their tormentors turn to you for healing, forgiveness, and new life.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Be gracious and merciful to your missionaries, to our seminarians and their professors, and to all who strive to be Jesus’ apprentices and disciples. Give them clear sight and strong faith, so that through their labors, many who are spiritually blind may be led to Jesus and healed.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Heal the blindness from which we, the members of this congregation, suffer. Give us new eyes to see Jesus in one another, and for his sake, to love even the person we don’t yet like. Give us eyes to see new opportunities for serving you; for sharing our faith in you; and for making this church a lamp that shines with the light of Christ’s love for everyone we encounter.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Let your healing, blessing and grace rest upon the blind and deaf; and upon those with impaired or distorted senses of touch or taste, balance or movement. We often take for granted these gifts; unless it happens to us, we can’t imagine lacking them. Give them strength and courage. Sharpen the perception of their other senses. Surround them with people whose respect and encouragement leads them to greater faith in you, their light and their life.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Heal the blindness of the nations, and all who are in positions of authority. Give them eyes to seek your will, and hearts and hands to do it. Give them eyes to see injustice, deceit and cruelty, and the strength and courage to combat them. Make each of us into children of your light, living in faith toward you and with fervent love toward one another.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

As your dear Son healed the man born blind, we pray that he would also bring healing, light, hope, and renewed faith to everyone who suffers from any affliction. Especially we lift up the needs of: {List}. Lift them up from their pain, sorrow, fear or grief. And give them the joy of your saving help, now and always.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We thank you, dear Father, for receiving into your greater light and into your eternal life, everyone who died trusting your promises. Deal mercifully with those shadowed by grief and loss. And we beg you: Lord, let us receive our sight, so that day by day, we see you more clearly; love you more dearly; and follow you more nearly. Bring us to that endless Day in which we see you face to face in the company of all who have been redeemed by the merits of your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Into your hands, gracious Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers of the Church, 3^rd Sunday in Lent (March 15, 2020)

Let us lift our hearts and voices to the Lord in prayer, that he would be merciful to his people.

A brief silence

Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus, your living water given to quench our deepest thirst. Sometimes we don’t realize how thirsty we are. Sometimes what we drink makes us even thirstier. Thank you that Jesus provides exactly what we need most – your goodness, love, forgiveness, and life – in the most spiritually digestible form: Himself.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Make your Church a place where your living water flows. In it, quench the thirst, heal the hearts, and cleanse the souls of people perishing from the powers of sin, evil and death. Inspire all pastors, deacons, theologians and teachers to share your holy Word so that many may hear, and come to believe, that your Son is the Savior of the world.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

We pray on behalf of our sisters and brothers who, in remaining faithful to you, have endured suffering we cannot comprehend. Fulfill in them the Apostle’s words: that suffering produces endurance; endurance produces character; character produces hope; and hope does not put them to shame, because God’s love has been poured into their hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Jesus said the fields are ripe for the harvest. Therefore we pray: send, guide, and strengthen missionaries to preach the Good News. We also ask that you make each of us disciples “on a mission with you” to eagerly share the Living Water with thirsty souls in our communities.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Have mercy on this congregation, dear Lord; do not let it become a place of grumbling or quarreling, but rather a place to worship you in spirit and in truth; to care for one another with gentle hearts; and to share the living water of your Son with everyone we know or meet.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Thank you for the people and organizations that make clean drinking water available throughout the world. Thank you: for water pumps and purification units; for sanitation and irrigation instruction; for desalinization and chlorination; and for the simple joys of a glass of cold water or a hot shower. Grant that all who benefit from the pure and refreshing waters of this life may also be drawn to the Living Water of eternal life, Jesus Christ your Son.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Have mercy on our nation, its elected and appointed leaders, its people, and the people of every land. Although we are all ungodly and rebellious, save us, we pray, from our folly. Give us hearts and minds that delight in your law, and wills set to obey it. Remove from us, and from every nation, the spirit of discord and strife; and crown us with the blessing of your peace.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Refresh and heal with your Living Water everyone troubled by pain, grief, despair, fear, guilt or confusion. Especially we pray for :{ List}. Give them renewed strength; deep peace; unshakeable hope; and abiding faith in your gracious compassion.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

With reverence and affection, we entrust our beloved dead into your unfailing care, dear Father. Wipe away the tears of those whose grief runs deep. Refresh us with your Word and Sacraments as we pass through the dark valleys and desert places of this life. Help us to encourage one another; to rejoice even though suffering; to honor and cultivate good character; to live in hope; and to lean on your never-failing promises. Speed the day when, in Spirit and in truth, the whole company of the redeemed will worship you, and acclaim your beloved Son as the Savior of the world, our Lord and our God.

Lord, in your mercy, please hear our prayer.

Into your hands, gracious Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God
is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but
with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be
able to endure it.  Therefore, my
beloved, flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:13-14).

Have you ever asked why this
constant tug-of-war?  Has not the Lord
promised that He will grow in you the image of Christ?  Do you not yet see that the Lord is working
all things together for good for those who love Him?  Do not be tossed about by the thinking of
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Flee from that which tempts you and walk in
the counsel of the Lord.

Lord, help me to see that the war of this world is over.  Guide me in the way of true life that I would
not place myself in a position to be constantly tempted.  Help me to walk humbly with You knowing that
only by Your grace can I not be thrown about by the constant pressures of this
world.  You, Lord, have provided the way
of living that all who walk with You may walk in peace.

Lord Jesus, You know all that we
face and You have provided all that is needed. 
Teach me to flee from those things which entice that I may not be tossed
about by this world.  You have led the
way to worship the Father in spirit and truth. 
Continue to teach me what this means that I may always come into the
Father’s presence and abide with You and the Holy Spirit, doing what is
pleasing in His sight. Amen.

“Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written
for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.  Therefore let him who thinks he stands take
heed that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:11-12).

If you are confident in your
faith, good for you. Take care, though, that your confidence is not in your
standing or your ability, but truly based upon what you have received from the
Lord.  This is the heart of the faith,
for we ought not lean on our own understanding, but upon the very breath of
God.  He who created all things knows all
that is needed.  Come into His presence
and be led by the One who knows you better than you know yourself.

Lord, help me to always turn to You first and foremost.  Guide me in the goodness of Your mercy that I
would always seek Your face.  Help me to
not fall, but to stand firm in the truth of all that You have revealed.  It is You alone and for Your glory alone that
I desire to live this life which You have given.  Guide me according to Your goodness and mercy
all the days of my life.

Help me Holy Spirit to keep first
things first.  Never let me wander and
keep me close to You.  Help me through
all the trials that will come that I may not fall.  Lead me in the grace of Christ to seek each
day to walk on a journey of becoming more like Him.  Lead me in the way You know I need to go and
search my heart that all that would hinder me might be removed.  Guide me now and always according to Your
perfect plan.  Amen.

“Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by
the serpents.  Nor grumble, as some of
them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer” (1 Corinthians 10:9-10).

The rebellion against the Lord
is deep and continuing.  We were born in
a world opposed to the Lord and the things of the Lord.  In salvation we come into a new life that
seeks to see the old Adam killed each day that the likeness of Christ may
increase.  Come into the new life that comes
through salvation and know the goodness of the Lord by putting on the mind of
Christ.

Lord, help me to see where I rebel against You.  Guide me in the way I need to go that I may
grow in the likeness of Christ.  Lead me
according to Your goodness that I may now and always abide humbly in Your
presence and walk according to Your precepts. 
Let me not be destroyed, but destroy within me those things which hinder
my relationship with You.  You know what
is needed.  Apply all that I need that I
may humbly walk with You.

Lord Jesus, You have come to save
us.  Save me from myself and all that
hinders me from simply walking with You each day.  Lead me into the life You have in store for
me.  Guide me this day according to Your
grace that I would hold fast to the truth You have revealed.  Let me not be turned aside by those around me
who hate You, but uplifted in the way You know I need to be uplifted.  Amen.

“Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The
people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.”  Nor let us act immorally, as some of them
did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day” (1 Corinthians 10:7-8).

What is the purpose of your
life?  Is it to seek after the pleasures
of the flesh?  This does not mean one has
to be austere or deny the flesh, but one should seek balance knowing that this
world is temporary and we are preparing to be with the Lord forever.  This life will disappoint, but the Lord never
will.  Do not practice idolatry, but live
in the presence of the Lord always.

Lord, help me to see where I cross the line and the worries of this
world supersede the truth of eternity. 
Grow in me a balance that sees my life lived in balance.  Guide me Lord in the way of truth that I
would now and always look to You first and know that I am always in Your
presence.  Guide me, Lord, according to
Your will that I would live life in a way that is pleasing to You.

Come, Holy Spirit, and minister
to my inner life.  Lead me in the way I
need to go and when I cross the line, convict me that I would repent and remain
on the narrow road.  You know all that is
needed and You continuously search my heart. 
Guide me in the way of truth that I would grow to become like Christ in
all things.  Help me now and always to
keep the balance You have given me. 
Amen.

“Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they
were laid low in the wilderness.   Now
these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil
things as they also craved” (1 Corinthians 10:5-6).

We seek after temporary things
to appease our desires and place our faith in our comfort.  Be not tossed about by the fickle feelings
this world encourages, but by the truth that the Lord has revealed.  Come into the presence of God and see Your
life become what it was meant to be.  Do
not be as those who wander in the wilderness, but as those who sit at the feet
of Jesus and receive the one thing necessary.

Lord, help me to be a temperate person who is balanced in this life in
preparation for what is to come.  Guide
me according to Your goodness that I may see that in You alone is the truth of
life.  Keep me from being led astray by
hunger in the belly, or a tantalizing temptation.  Hold me fast to the truth You have revealed
once for all.  Guide me in the goodness
of Your Word that I may be satisfied.

Lord Jesus, You know all the
temptations that are common to us all. 
You know where I am led astray. 
Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may now and always walk
with You leading me.  Help me in those
moments where I am tempted to wander that I may be guided by Your grace.  Whenever I meet those obstacles that come,
lead me not into temptation, but into Your presence.  Amen.

“And all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual
drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and
the rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:3-4)

There is One Lord who is Lord of
all.  Humans sometimes run off in
tangents wanting to be special.  We are
all created in the image of the One who made us.  Look to the rock of our salvation and see
that in Him is light and life.  It is
through Christ alone that we find our salvation.  He is the One who will lead all who follow in
the journey needed for final salvation.

Lord, I often think in terms of You . . . and.  Help me to be rid of the “and” that I may
rest in You alone.  Guide me in the path
of salvation You have established for me that I may humbly walk that path and
not seek another.  Guide me according to
Your goodness to see that in You alone is all hope.  You have come to establish the never-ending
kingdom for all who follow You.

Lord Jesus, You know what I need
this day.  Help me, I pray, to live into
the life of faith You have given me that I may build my life upon the rock of
salvation which is You.  Guide me in the
steps I need to take that I may now and always abide in You knowing that You
abide in me.  Guide me, Lord Jesus, as
only You can and keep me close to You that I may be content in Your
salvation.  Amen.