Psalms 43 and 103, Matthew 26, and Prayer Table Report

7/18/08

A word received: Be still before me. Be still before me. I AM. You are in my care.

7/19/08

Vindicate me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! (Psalm 43:1)
      LORD, vindicate your faithful witnesses at the Lambeth Conference and deliver them from deceitful and unjust witnesses.

For you are the God of my strength; why do you cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? (Psalm 43:2)
      Lord Jesus, we do mourn because of the oppression wrought by those who come against your faithful people. You are our strength and our joy; do not cast us off with those who have forgotten your name.

Oh, send out your light and your truth! Let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your tabernacle. (Psalm 43:3)
      Holy Spirit, please help us walk by the light of your fire.

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise you, O God, my God. (Psalm 43:4)
      Father, please help us come into your presence and worship you with songs of joy.

A word received: Pray for my presence among your children.

7/20/08

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name! (Psalm 103:1)
      Father, help us by our lives and witness to bring honor to your holy name. Help us to keep your name holy.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: (Psalm 103:2)
      Holy Spirit, please help us to be a people who remember all the God has done for us.

Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, (Psalm 103:3)
      Father, help us forgive others as you have forgiven us through your son Jesus. Please heal our diseases — especially we ask for healing for Jesus’ bride, the church.

Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, (Psalm 103:4)
      Jesus, help us all truly desire and seek such a crown.

Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:5)
      LORD, renew your church and your people! Help us to be satisfied with the good things you offer us and reject the forbidden fruit that Satan tempts us with. Thank you.

Bless the LORD, you his angels, who excel in strength, who do his word, heeding the voice of his word. (Psalm 103:20)
      Father, send your angels among us who will do your word and heed your voice.

Bless the LORD, all you his hosts, you ministers of his, who do his pleasure. (Psalm 103:21)
      Father, we desperately need the help of your hosts — your ministers — who will do your word among us.

7/21/08

      The Second Collect at Evening Prayer.
      O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

      The Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils.
      LIGHTEN our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” (Matthew 26:36)
      Jesus, please help us by your Holy Spirit to watch with you in prayer.

And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. (Matthew 26:37)
      Jesus, you are a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Help us in our walk with you to not shy away from sorrow and grief that we encounter in others.

Then he said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me.” (Matthew 26:38 )
      Jesus, help us enter into your passion and sorrow and watch with you.

He went a little farther and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)
      Father, help us when we pray as Jesus taught us to truly mean, “Your will be done,” not our will, but your will. Help us to mean what Jesus meant here in Gethsemane.

      Jesus, the church is in a place of being pressed down and broken [a gethsemane was an olive press where the olives were crushed to yield their oil.] Help us to yield up to you the oil of your Holy Spirit.

Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with me one hour? (Matthew 26:40)
      Holy Spirit, please wake the church up to heed Jesus call to pray and watch with him.

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
      Lord, your people have grown weak and entered into temptation: renew our life of prayer by your Holy Spirit. Lord the night is far spent, the day is at hand; help us cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light. (From Romans 13:14)

A word received: Keep praying for my church. Don’t lose heart — keep on praying.

      PRAYER TABLE REPORT — I

(Darlene Chesnut and Deacon Alan Hart, in front of Christ Church, Schenectady on Saturday, July 18 — 9:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.)

t–indicates received on of Torre’s crosses. a–indicates anointed with Holy Oil.

NOTE: A definite mood of affirmation to the both of us today that this mighty Prayer Table is changing lives in this neighborhood. We had repeat visitors who were longing to come back and to get the love and hope which this Table provides in His holy name.

t-MARIA — She arrived just as Deacon Alan was pulling in the parking lot. She waved and smiled and said “I know YOU! You are always at the Sunday (Neighborhood) Meal.” Asked if she wanted prayer, she looked back incredulously and asked, “You mean … you want to pray for ME?” She said she was ” … in a bad place; I have a really big need. I don’t have very much money and I don’t know how I’m going to get it.” Prayed for Maria for provision and protection.

t– KEVIN — Wanted prayers for continued good health.

PAT — Wanted prayer for “everything.” We prayed for protection, provision, good health and that he would have “a good day” and get signs that the Lord is working in his life.

t–PABLO (older man) and t–EDDIE-ALBERTO (young man) — Two men who had just bought a stack of scratch-offs and Lotto. They hesitated at first after we asked them if they needed prayer, but they agreed and we asked for general answers to needs for both of them.

JESSICA — Repeater from last week. She is the young woman with the son who works in Albany and takes the bus. She needs better housing for her and her son. They live in one of the motels down the street. We prayed for her that God will provide and protect them both.

t, t–NATASHA — You may remember Natasha from a few weeks ago. She is the young Hindu woman who said her ex-husband keeps coming uninvited to her apartment and beating her. On one occasion he took her cell phone and smashed it when she was trying to call for help. She thanked us for “being out here for people” and gave thanks that the cruel man has stopped trying to see her and has not harmed her since we prayed. Wanted a cross for her mother and also wanted one to hang on her door because she keeps hearing noises in the night. Praise God that these beatings of this woman have stopped.

t–GARY and his baby sons a,t– ANTHONY and a,t– JOSEPH — Today’s most “special” visitors to the Table. Gary is a young man with a real sense of how important it is to be a good father. He was pushing a stroller with the two sons; Anthony is 2 years old and Joseph just a 9-month-old. Darlene prayed that Gary will continue to know how important it is to be a good father and he interrupted and asserted, “Yes, it IS important to be a good Daddy!” Pray for this young family. Anointed both children with Holy Oil for the Lord’s protection.

t–PORTIA — Young woman wanted prayers for healing as she was on her way to a doctor’s appointment. We prayed for her to get the healing she needs and for the doctor to have the skill and knowledge to help her.

TIM — Asked for prayers for encouragement.

THOMAS — He wanted prayers for success in the enterprises he is working on.

t,t — DESDEMONA — While we were praying for Tim and Thomas, Desdemona waited a few paces away and said when the two men left, “I want prayer too!” Desdemona has a son, b, who is in jail and is awaiting trial. We prayed for the truth to come out at the trial and for protection for Peter. We prayed that Desdemona will get relief from the worry and anxiety she is going through.

t,t — DONALD — Another repeat visitor to the Prayer Table. He is a member of Mt. Olivet and has stopped before. He said he wanted “another cross” for the woman who has come into his life.

      PRAYER TABLE — II
(Deacon Mary Carol Hart in fron of St. Andrew’s Scotia, 10-11 a.m.)

One woman came today. Her pain was evident. She lost her younger brother recently in a tragic plane crash. We talked for a long time and prayed for comfort for all those who mourn his passing. We prayed for the repose of his soul and that all who loved him and remember him will come to faith in Jesus Christ that they will all be together at the resurrection.

Albany Intercessor

No harm

Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10

O Lord,
We pray for an outpouring of Your love upon all the competing factions at Lambeth Conference. Guard us from doing harm to our neighbors. Amen.

A Prayer for the Lambeth Conference, July 21

Apologies to all that I had to take a break from posting these daily collects and Scripture excerpts for a few days. My work schedule has been extremely heavy in the last week, and when I wasn’t working, I needed to rest to fight against exhaustion. That meant blogging had to be put aside. I do hope all of us committed to interceding for Lambeth, however, will keep in mind the serious spiritual, physical and emotional toll such intercession can involve. Refresh yourselves spiritually, rest well, and be sure to seek out prayer and encouragement from a spiritual support group! — KB

God, who taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: grant the Anglican Communion bishops and Primates, by the same Spirit, to have a right judgement in all things and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. (adapted from CoE Common Worship Collects)

Selected Passages from today’s lectionary:

Psalm 52 seemed particularly striking with its contrast between those who trust in themselves and rely on deceit, versus those who trust in the Lord’s steadfast love:

Ps. 52:1-5 Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day. 2 Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit. 3 You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right. Selah 4 You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. 5 But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.

Ps. 52:8,9 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. 9 I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.

Romans 13:12-14 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Mt. 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

***

All of Lent & Beyond’s Lambeth prayers and resources are here. We’ve also got a post with links to a number of other Lambeth Prayer Resources, here.

(posted by KB)

Pray Lambeth — daily prayer bulletins

One of the sites we highlighted in our “Other Prayer Resources for Lambeth” post about two weeks ago was the “Pray Lambeth” site.

I don’t know if other readers are having problems, but although I signed up to receive e-mail bulletins and received a confirmation, I’ve not yet gotten any e-mails.  So, I went to the site today to check things out.  It appears there are daily prayer bulletins being posted.  They’re not easy to find, however!  You need to look way down near the bottom left of the page and you’ll see a VERY small box entitled “latest briefings.”

Here are the four prayer bulletins that are posted:

Prayer Bulletin 4

Prayer Bulletin 3

Prayer Bulletin 2

Prayer Bulletin 1

Journalists

Philippians 1:9 (New International Version)
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.

The valley of Achor

Today’s lectionary reading, Joshua 7, is the story of the defeat of the Israelites at Ai. The Lord reveals to Joshua that someone had defied God’s covenant and taken some Canaanite objects as the spoils of war. The sin is traced to Achan, who had buried them under his tent. He is stoned in the valley of Achor.
The subsequent history of the valley of Achor is fascinating. It is called the brook Cherith and is the place where the ravens fed Elijah bread and flesh twice a day (1 Ki 17:3-5). Isaiah prophesies that in the new eternal Israel, the valley of Achor will be a place for the herds to lie down, for the people who have sought God (Is 65:10). Hosea foretells that in the regathering of Israel, the valley of Achor will be a door of hope, a place of song, as in the days of her youth, when she was delivered from Egypt (Hos 2:15).

O Lord,
We have defied Your covenant and defiled that which is holy. We covet the things of the world and have allowed our greed to impair our witness. Idol worship is hidden deep within our hearts. Help us to root out these sins and to put to death our unholy predilections.
We yearn for that door of hope, Lord. We cry out for a door of hope over Canterbury Cathedral and a place of song for the Anglican Communion. We cry out for the Bread of Life. We cry out for the Good Shepherd to lead us to green pastures and still waters. We cry out. Amen.

God is able

Abraham did not weaken in faith when he considered the impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief or distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness.
Romans 4:19-22

Dr. Samuel Johnson

Dr. Samuel Johnson was a famous 18th century Britiish writer and an Anglo-Catholic. This is the last prayer he wrote, shortly before his death. I was touched by his humility.
We have written many prayers of representaive confession and personal confession at this moment in Anglican history. May God likewise enforce and accept our imperfect repentance, confirm our faith, establish our hope, enlarge our charity, and make the death of Jesus effectual to our redemption.

Almighty and most merciful Father, I am now, as to human eyes it seems, about to commemorate, for the last time, the death of your Son Jesus Christ our Saviour and Redeemer. Grant, O Lord, that my whole hope and confidence may be in his merits and his mercy; enforce and accept my imperfect repentance; make this commemoration confirm my faith, establish my hope and enlarge my charity, and make the death of your Son Jesus Christ effectual to my redemption. Have mercy upon me and pardon the multitude of my offenses. Bless my friends, have mercy upon all. Support me, by the grace of your Holy Spirit, in the days of weakness and at the hour of death; and receive me, at my death, to everlasting happiness, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.