Prayers...

Prayers for the week of  December 21, 2014

Father of mercy, You have kept Your promise to send a Savior from the house of David. As You gave faith to Your servant Mary that she would receive the words of the angel Gabriel with joy, so open our hearts to receive with joy the promises of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord;  Lord, in Your mercy:  HEAR OUR PRAYER.

Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, through
Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever.  Amen.
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“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’  And the angel departed from her.”  Luke 1:38
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A Prayer based on the Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer

“Our Father, who art in heaven”

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Lord, Almighty God, You graciously gave Your only-begotten Son over to death that we sinners might believe that You are ‘Our Father’ and we are your children, so that with all boldness and confidence each Christian may ask of you as dear children ask of their dear father. To that end, lend Your fatherly ear to my petitions:

* For the ill, suffering, injured: As a father is ever faithful at the bedside of his ailing children, so also be ‘Our Father’ in caring for those who are ill, injured, or hospitalized (including Norm Bunge and Connie Block, family - Sue Ail (niece of Kathy Hoppmann), Debbie Taylor (daughter-in-law of Ed and Elaine) and Mary Adams (mother of Frank Cappi).
* For the anxious, lonely: As a father brings courage to his trembling children, so also be ‘Our Father’ in giving strength to those who prepare for surgery or await test results and those who are otherwise anxious or lonely my nephew, Joe, and my niece, Roxanne.
* For the mourning: As a father comforts his children, so also be ‘Our Father’ in wiping every tear from the eye of those who mourn the death of loved ones including  Jim Loszach and his family at the death of his grandfather.  Comfort them with the certainty of the resurrection and the promised inheritance of all who are children of the Heavenly Father.
* Please bless the Widows and Widowers of Calvary as well as our shut-ins: Dorothy Bratton, Irene Fehrman, Geraldine Hagemann, Bruce Morecraft, Janet Keller. Alice Breneman and Myrtle Stade.
* For the rejoicing: As a father takes pleasure in providing joys and blessings for his children, so also be ‘Our Father’ in hearing our thankful praises for the blessings you have bestowed on your children. With those whom you have called in Holy Baptism to be Your child, with those who celebrate anniversaries and birthdays with those who thank you for new and restored health, and with those who celebrate any of life’s blessings, we thank and praise you as ‘Our Father.’

Hear my petitions, O Heavenly Father, for the sake of Your Son, who has taught your adopted children to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Prayers...

Prayers for the week of  December 14, 2014

King of Kings and Lord of Lords, give Advent joy to Your Church here on earth as her heralds preach and teach Your Word and administer Your Sacraments and her sons and daughters receive Your gifts with gratitude.  Lord, in Your mercy:  HEAR OUR PRAYER.  Hear these our petitions, O Lord, and answer them as You deem fitting. Answer them for the sake of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
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A Prayer based on the Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer

“For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. AMEN.”

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Lord, You give us every reason to say, “Amen. Amen. It shall be so!” To you belongs all power and glory, forever and ever. Therefore, hear the praise that is given through an appeal to your mercy, and lend your fatherly ear to my petitions:

* For the ill, suffering, injured: O Lord, You show your power and glory through mercy toward sinners. Hear my prayer for those who are ill, suffering, or injured, especially Connie Block, Norm Bunge, Sue Ail, Pete (brother-in-law of Cindy Mahan), Debbie (daughter-in-law of Ed and Elaine Taylor), Linda (daughter of Eileen Halleran) all of whom suffer with cancer/illness; remind them of Your compassion and, according to Your will, heal Connie, Norm, Sue, Pete, Debbie and Linda of all affliction. In all circumstances, strengthen their faith, that they might clearly confess, “AMEN.”

* For the anxious, lonely: O God, Yours is the kingdom. Yours is the power. Yours is the glory. Yet, we sinners so often grow anxious about the temporal trials that face us. Hear my prayer on behalf of Widows and Widowers of Calvary, my nephew Joe, and my niece Roxanne; remind them that there is none other besides You who deserves all glory, and thus none other that need weaken our “AMEN.” Bring them confidence in the hour of trial, that they may take heart in Your promises, “Yes, yes. It shall be so!”

* For the mourning: O Lord, because You have all power and glory and dominion over life and death, we may rejoice in the Christian’s death, even as we mourn our earthly loss. Hear my prayer on behalf of Kim Dorwaldt and family as they mourn the death of their aunt,  Comfort them with the promise that Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the Life – “whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live.” Cheer Kim and her family with such life-giving words, that they might not weep as they who have no hope, but confidently confess, “I believe in the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. AMEN – It shall be so!”

* For the rejoicing: O Lord, as a God of glory, You are also a God who delights in showering us with blessings. Hear my prayer of thanksgiving on behalf of Danielle Leitner (daughter of Craig & Donna) and Christopher Jaeger, as they prepare to enter the holy institution of marriage.  Grant them thankful hearts, ever fixed on your grace through Christ Crucified, and therefore joins the eternal refrain – “AMEN. AMEN. AMEN.”

* Please bless Calvary shut-ins Florence Mitchell, Betty Wear, Fern Weddle, Bruce Morecraft, Janet Keller, Alice Breneman, and Myrtle Stade

Hear my petitions, O Heavenly Father, for the sake of Your Son, whose sacrificial death gives us the freedom to say, “AMEN – God’s promises shall be so!”, so that we may with all boldness pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Prayers ...

Prayers for the week of  December 7, 2014

Grant, O Father,  that You would – by Your word of Law – level the pride of our hearts and lead us to repentance, and that – by Your tender word of sins forgiven –You would lift up all those downtrodden and convicted by sin; and that – as people forgiven – we might, enabled by Your Holy Spirit and in newness of life, live lives walking in the ways befitting Your people; Lord, in Your mercy: Hear our prayer.

Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever...
Amen.

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“John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”  Mark 1:4
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A Prayer based on the Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer

“But, deliver us from evil.”

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Lord, even when our last hour comes, You are still the only true God and the deliverer of Your people. To that end, lend your fatherly ear to my petitions:

* For the ill, suffering, injured: O Lord, You alone can deliver us from the Evil One. Hear my prayer for those who are ill, suffering, or injured, especially Myrtle Stade  and Pat (brother-in-law of Cindy Mahan) who are recovering from hospitalization.   Please also bless Connie Block, Margaret Joseph, Sue Ail, Debbie Taylor, and Melba Todd who all contend with illness; protect them in the one true Faith, and reassure Myrtle, Pat, Connie, Margaret, Sue, Debbie, and Melba that You will deliver them from their physical affliction, either through renewed health or through entrance into eternal rest.  Also please likewise bless my neighbor Dale if he still suffers from illness.

* For the anxious and lonely: O God, even when trials and tribulations await us, You promise to deliver us. Hear my prayer on behalf of my nephew Joe, my niece Roxanna, my sister Janet, all of our Calvary shut-ins namely Velma Maas, Irma Martin. Velda Miller, Bruce Morecraft, Janet Keller, Alice Breneman. Myrtle Stade and all Widows and Widowers of Calvary; bring to them remembrance of Your Word: “In this world, you will have tribulation; but – be of good cheer! – I have overcome the world.”

* For the mourning: O Lord, when it appears that the Evil One has defeated us, Your promise to deliver us remains. Hear my prayer on behalf of all who mourn the death of loved ones. Keep them mindful of the redeeming work of Christ Crucified, that – because of Him – all who die in the faith are guaranteed a blessed end and will live with You forever.

* For the rejoicing: O Lord, as You have delivered us from the snares of the devil, You give us reasons –even in this life – to rejoice. Hear my prayer of thanksgiving on behalf of Hannah Rose Shaw at her birth and baptism.  Grant her, her family and her church grateful hearts that thanks you for such temporal blessings and confidently looks forward to the blessed end You have prepared for us all.

Hear my petitions, O Heavenly Father, for the sake of Your Son, who -through His death- has eternally delivered us from every evil and has given us every certainty to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Prayers...

Prayers for the week of  November 30, 2014.

O Lord, heavenly Father, for rending the heavens and coming down to save us in the Person of Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, receive our thanks and praise and sustain us in the faith and fellowship of Your Church, that we may not lose heart during earth’s days of struggle but look in faith’s confidence to that day when Christ returns in glory to receive unto Himself all who joyfully proclaim, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD.”   Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Graciously receive our prayers, O Lord.  Deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O , be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, Amen.

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in an spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ”   1 Corinthians 1: 4-8.

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A Prayer based on the Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer

“And lead us not into temptation,”

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Lord, You tempt no one; but we pray that you would be our advocate in times of temptation and tribulation. To that end, lend your fatherly ear to my petitions:

* For the ill, suffering, injured: O Lord, in your earthly ministry, you were the advocate of the blind, the lame, and all who came to you in their affliction. Hear my prayer for those who are ill, suffering, or injured, especially Sue (niece of Kathy Hoppmann*), Debbie (daughter-in-law of Ed and Elaine Taylor*),  David (brother of Missy Kovacik*) and Donna (friend of Diane Mautone*)  - as well as all friends and family members who struggle with cancer.

* Please bless our shut-ins in especially Dorothy Bratton*, Irene Fehrman*, Geraldine Hagemann* as well as these who are temporarily limited in their ability to attend church:  Bruce Morecraft, Janet Keller, Alice, Breneman, and Myrtle Stade.  Keep all of these from the temptation to despair and reassure them of your constant mercy and your healing hand.

* For the anxious, lonely: O God, You are the advocate of those whose anxieties need to be quieted by Your divine peace. Hear my prayer on behalf of all the Widows and Widowers of Calvary; keep them from the temptation to doubt Your will and place their hopes in self-made gods. Calm them in the hour of trial and temptation, and encourage them through the promises of Your Word.

* For the mourning: O Lord, You promise to be our advocate, even in the face of death. Hear my prayer on behalf of Bob and Dolores Kramer as they mourn the death of Bob's brother, David.  Keep them from the temptation to question Your victory over death. Comfort them in this time of sorrow, that they might rise from the temptation to believe death has won to rejoice in the promise that – just as Christ has been raised from the dead by Your glory, we too will walk in the newness of life.

* For the rejoicing: O Lord, we need not be tempted by the world’s allure, because You promise to bless us in all things. Hear my prayer of thanksgiving on behalf of Nancy and Jake White who celebrate birthdays this week.   Grant them a thankful heart  that is defended from temptation to attribute their joy to themselves or the world, and that rejoices in Your fatherly goodness.

Hear my petitions, O Heavenly Father, for the sake of Your Son, in Whom we have an everlasting Advocate against all temptation, and through whom we pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”