Well, please turn in your Bibles back to that passage we've read in Acts chapter 4.
! I'm going to read again from verse 23.
So when Peter and John were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and elders had said to them.
And when they heard it, they lifted up their voices together to God and said, Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth,
and the sea, and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
Why do the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers are gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.
Truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus,
whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
Now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
while you stretch out your hand to heal,
and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit,
and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Amen. This is God's word to us.
Let's bow our heads just for a moment in prayer to God.
Heavenly Father, as we turn our attention for a while this evening to a notion in your word of the importance of corporate prayer in the life of the church,
we cry to you, Father, that you would bless us in this.
Just as we were thinking last week about the prayer life of the individual Christian,
and how crucial that is to our whole relationship with you,
and all of the priorities that ought to inform our relationship with you,
help us tonight to see how our relationships with one another are interwoven into that relationship with you as well.
And so help us tonight to see how we can best bless one another,
how we can help one another in our pilgrimage in this world,
as we seek to live a life of shared prayer together,
and as we seek to pray not only for one another privately,
but with one another in our lives day by day.
We need, Lord, the Holy Spirit to guide us in this.
We're so conscious, Lord, of the weakness and the fragility of our own hearts.
Lord, I know tonight I'm really conscious.
Many brothers in particular who are in anguish over public prayer.
And I pray, Father, that they would be encouraged,
that they would be built up,
that they would not be grieved by what we consider tonight,
but rather that they would see ways to grow and to mature in your service,
and in how much they can bless the church.
I pray, Father, for others who are so anxious about praying with other believers
that they find it actually almost impossible,
just almost struck dumb when they gather.
I pray, Father, that you, by your Holy Spirit,
would teach us how we can bless one another
and encourage one another through praying together
and to be a blessing to one another in this way.
And so, heart, we pray tonight, Lord.
Shake our hearts.
We know the building was shaken after the apostles and their friends prayed
that day in Jerusalem.
Lord, we need our hearts to be shaken as well.
We need the Holy Spirit to come and work among us,
to inform us and enlighten us and change us,
and for the power of God to work in and through us in these things.
And so we ask all of this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
This evening, I want to, when I say continue, conclude, I suppose,
thinking about our prayer life as Christians.
If you cast your mind back to last week,
you think that was maybe about good habits
that should shape our private prayer life
and our priorities in prayer,
and how that's really tied up in our individual walk with God,
then this evening, it's about how priorities
that should shape how we corporately
work and pray together in God's service.
And so I think tonight, if anything, I want to just reiterate
that line from Derek Kidner that I was quoting last week,
that the greatest happiness
is to be in close agreement with God.
That would be true of us as a church.
It would be true of us as little fellowships within this church as well.
It's difficult, you know, with a church of more than almost 400 people
to speak meaningfully of us all having fellowship with one another.
We gather on a Sunday and have fellowship together.
But within the life of the church, there are little circles and fellowships
of believers that are gathered together,
family units that are clustered together.
In all of these contexts as well, I want us to be encouraged
about our walk with God and the joy that is to be found in harmony there
with God corporately as much as individually.
I have to say as well, last week, a few people have spoken to me
since last week's sermon.
And they've asked me about something I said that I was,
in a sense, I was being deliberately provocative.
What I said was, public prayer often means in people's minds
that I'm talking about the prayer meeting.
No, I mean corporate prayer because all Christians everywhere
should and do pray with other Christians.
And I think that was probably very controversial, as I said.
It is inconceivable, in fact, that you could be a Christian
and never pray with another Christian.
And what I want to do, first of all, tonight is back that up from Scripture.
I want to back it up from the teaching of the Bible
and take us to the Book of Acts, where our text is tonight,
and discover the things that Jesus...
Remember, this is a key to understanding what's going on in the Book of Acts.
The Book of Acts is what Jesus continues to do
and teach in the life of the church.
This is one of the great wonders of the Reformation, in fact,
that the Roman Catholic Church had built up so many centuries to tradition
and said all of these centuries of tradition
are what we build our hope on and the life of the church upon.
And the Reformers, Luther, Calvin in particular,
were saying, no, we go back to the Bible
and we build our expectations of the life of the church
on sola scriptura, on Scripture alone.
And so we go back to the Book of Acts and to the New Testament,
and there we see what the history of the New Testament church was like
and the pattern of the New Testament church.
You see it in Matthew chapter 6,
that passage we were looking at last Sunday morning.
The Lord's Prayer begins with the word,
Our Father.
So when Jesus was teaching the disciples how to pray,
what he began teaching them was that you pray together.
The chief mode, in fact, of prayer in the New Testament
is not individual and private prayer.
The chief mode of prayer in the church is actually corporate prayer.
And that is the best expression of it,
that we would pray together towards our Father.
And it's interesting that when you go to the end of the book of the New Testament,
to the book of Revelation,
what you find there is, in fact,
a really fascinating pattern emerges in Revelation chapter 8
when the golden censer full of the prayers of the saints
rising up as incense before God is revealed
at the breaking of the final seal.
The prayers of the saints have come up before God.
It is the corporate combined prayer of the saints together.
The intercession of the body of believers.
Not as if all of these prayers are somehow individual prayers
that are going up to God on our own,
but that actually the activity of the church praying together
itself is an intercessory moment
that rises up before our God,
echoing what Jesus has said in Matthew chapter 6,
our Father.
So we ought, therefore, from the example of Jesus
and from the revelation,
to recognize prayer together is important.
It follows through in the book of Acts.
In Acts chapter 1, verse 14,
it's really interesting that the apostles
and the woman with them
were all gathered together,
devoted to prayer,
in the days between the ascension of Jesus and Pentecost.
You see it again in Acts chapter 2.
On the day of Pentecost,
there are about 3,000 people added to their number,
and they devoted themselves.
So this is what faith looks like.
They devoted themselves to corporate things.
The apostles' teaching,
to fellowship,
to breaking bread together.
That could be seen either as sitting together at the Lord's table,
breaking bread in remembrance of the Lord's death,
as he taught us,
or it could simply be just in having actual physical fellowship together,
meeting together and breaking bread together,
and being in a corporate setting like that.
But it's something that they do together.
And then the fourth thing that Luke tells us
is that they devoted themselves to prayer.
And again, the notion that that is something
that they then broke off and did individually
is not following through.
The pattern continues.
They come together under the apostles' teaching.
They come together in fellowship to encourage one another.
They come together breaking bread together.
And they prayed together.
Acts chapter 14,
during Peter's imprisonment,
the church prays.
And there's a servant girl called Rhoda
who's present at that time of prayer together.
Rhoda goes to the door
when she hears someone knocking
and looks out to see,
and it's Peter.
And she kind of doesn't believe it's him.
She thinks it's a vision, an apparition.
And so she goes back in
to speak to everybody else,
leaving Peter standing out at the door.
It's quite a comical scene almost.
But again, you've got that impression
that she's there as part of the church
gathered together in prayer.
You've got, as you go on in the New Testament,
you go into the Corinthian church.
And there is a passage that is,
in some ways, very confusing.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 11,
it's the famous passage that talks about
women having head coverings.
And I know having grown up in the island,
I know that that's a passage
that for some of a certain generation
really obsesses their thought and their thinking.
But it's really interesting
what Paul actually says there.
Women cover their heads when they pray.
And prayer in the New Testament
is not something you do quietly,
privately.
And the point about head coverings
in these contexts is
it's not something that's done
in a corner in your own home.
It's in the gathered church.
Women were participating in that,
engaging in it.
You see it in 1 Timothy.
Paul talks to the men of Crete
that he wants Timothy to encourage and teach.
And he says he wants them,
men everywhere,
to lift up their hands in prayer.
And then he says,
likewise, women also
should adorn themselves
in respectable apparel
with modesty and self-control,
not with braided hair, gold,
or pearls, or costly attire.
Now, the question is,
what does the likewise apply to?
The likewise can only possibly apply
to that action of prayer.
That women, as they gather
with the church in prayer,
do so in an appropriate way.
And so the pattern
of the whole of the New Testament,
the thrust of it is
that all Christians
are men and women
who pray together.
And before we get tied and not,
then, about the context of that,
and we rush to the conclusion
of saying,
well, that just refers
to the prayer meeting.
What are we going to do
in the prayer meeting, Gordon?
I want us to think, actually,
about the fact that
the church, as a body,
not just what we do
on the few occasions
when we're actually gathered together
in the large group,
but that we continually
be people
who gather together
in the small group
and who pray together.
That's the emphasis.
The thrust of the New Testament
is that if you're a Christian,
you are someone who prays.
Whether you are an old Christian
or a young Christian,
whether you are a man
or a woman,
whatever your situation is,
you are part of a body of people
who pray.
So all disciples
are praying together.
Perhaps the most intimate
of that setting
is within your own family.
In fact, not even just
within your own family,
but with your spouse.
If you are a Christian
married to another Christian tonight,
the pattern of the New Testament
is that you pray together.
Paul's even very specific about it.
You can read the passage
in 1 Corinthians 7.
where Paul talks about
just how marriage works
and the flow
and the rhythm of marriage
when you set aside
time to pray together.
So there's a real emphasis
on that role of prayer
in the corporate life
of our families.
There is a pattern for it
within our family worship.
Again, I would encourage you
to reflect on this
and think about this
as Christians.
How do you conduct
prayer in the context
of your family home?
Is prayer a part
of what you do
with your kids?
Do you set them
an example of it
in how you pray with them?
You've got people
who do this
in evangelism as well.
The great example
that I find
is probably in Acts 17
where there's a group
of people
who are called
God-seekers
and among them
is Lydia
in Philippi.
And there isn't a synagogue
in Philippi
so these people
among whom
are the women
like Lydia
they've gone
to the riverbank
to a quiet place
a place where
they can see God.
And it's a place
of prayer.
And you've got
Lydia there
and Paul
and his team
of evangelists
go along
to this place
of prayer.
And in that place
of prayer
they share
the gospel.
And I think
it's a wonderful example
just in scripture
of the importance
of setting aside
time
to pray
with those
who are seeking.
And those of you
tonight
who are seeking
you know
those of you
who haven't yet
come to a place
of settled faith
in the Lord Jesus
I want to encourage
you tonight
to look for
people
Christians
who will pray
with you.
Perhaps tonight
you don't know
how to pray
and you don't need
a lecture
to tell you
how to pray
but what you
could best do
is actually
find Christians
who will show
you how to pray
who will set
an example
for you
of teaching
you how
to pray
to the living
God
how they come
to him
how you pray
for one another
how you encourage
people through that
how you bring
forth the blessing
of God
in people's lives
by praying
for them.
I heard a wonderful
example of this
actually just recently
I was talking
to some friends
who were in the
South Uist
and Mbecula
congregation
at one point
and they were
telling me about
the history
of that congregation
and one of the
most precious
things I have heard
said in a long
time
was you know
Gordon
we used to
pray people
into the kingdom
there
they would
basically
when Ian
McCaskill
was preaching
some of them
would be off
in the cafe
in the weak
space in the corner
one of the other
rooms in the building
and they would be
praying for the
congregation
who are there
listening to the
word being preached
and it reminded me
of something I'd read
actually about
the past
about Spurgeon's
ministry
in the
metropolitan
tabernacle
and Spurgeon's
ministry was
characterized by
that same thing
there was in fact
a group of people
when Spurgeon preached
who stayed aside
out in the
you know what we
say almost the
session room
or out in the
hall
and there they
would pray
and intercede
before God
for the blessing
of the word
and the people
who were gathered
there that night
and Spurgeon
called it the
engine room
of the church
it's really
interesting in fact
that that's the
pattern of the
New Testament
that prayer
and evangelism
go really
hand in hand
don't they
and when Paul's
talking about
the Christian's
armor
he talks about
us having
the sword
of the
spirit
which is the
word of God
but the other
weapon that goes
with it
is prayer
the offensive
weapons in the
armory of the
Christian
are the word
of God
and prayer
and they go
hand in hand
we should be
looking for the
preaching of the
word to be
accompanied by
prayer
earnestly seeking
God's blessing
on the preaching
of the word
as we go on
perhaps you'll
pray together
for missionaries
and one of the
great privileges
we have as a
congregation
is we support
Muriel
over in Cambodia
and other
missionaries
besides
and we take
time to stop
and pray
for their
ministry
and again
it's a context
where the church
comes together
to pray
for the blessing
of God
on that work
I've never
been to Korea
but some of you
have
and when you go
to a Korean
prayer meeting
it's very
different to
ours
Korean prayer
meetings are
characterized by
open prayer
prayer but
not just open
prayer where
one person
gets up after
the other
it's open
prayer where
everyone prays
there's just a
noise of people
lifting up their
voices to God
and interceding
for their nation
for their
community
for their
congregation
for the work
of the gospel
for the progress
of the kingdom
so prayer
together
men and women
young and old
it is completely
normal
it is completely
biblical
it is also
I would say
just as a couple
of asides
before we get
too far into
this as well
it's essential
for discipleship
young Christians
grow by being
in the company
of older Christians
and one of the
things that
older Christians
have an enormous
privilege to do
is to teach
younger Christians
how to pray
and often that
is done
simply by your
example
so as you
pray as an
older Christian
in the company
of younger Christians
you're setting a
pattern for how
they in turn
will pray as well
and so the
priorities that you
have as an
older Christian
are going to
really shape
the priorities
that younger
Christians have
and that's a
huge responsibility
on men and
women
something that
we need to
take very
seriously
if you've
got a skewed
or a misplaced
relationship with
God that is
reflected in
your prayer life
and you're
praying with
younger Christians
you're going to
pass that on
if there's no
closeness in
your walk with
God
when you pray
with others
that lack
of closeness
and familiarity
and confidence
before God
is going to
be passed on
and so it's
really important
that we think
about what we
are going to
do when we
pray with
others
it's important
that we have
biblical
priorities
it's important
that we allow
the example
that we set
to be shaped
by what
Jesus has
done
what the
apostles have
taught us
what the
Bible teaches
us throughout
it
so you know
for example
if
if you have a
habit of
addressing God
in the third
person
you know as if
your prayer is a
formal letter
written to a
distant sovereign
where you're
asking the
Lord to do
things and you
hope that the
Lord is going to
do this and
the prayer is
constantly never
addressed to
you Lord
even if you use
these and those
prayers in your
prayer but if
you simply
address your
prayer never
to you
personally to
God you
don't speak
directly to
God you
speak of him
in your
prayer but
never to
him something
like that can
be passed on
and be so
damaging in the
way younger
Christians growing
up think about
their relationship
with God
and so we have
to think
carefully about
how we speak
and what we
speak as we
speak to our
God in prayer
as well as
one other
quick point as
well just to
think about is
that prayer
corporately is
a covenanted
activity it is
an activity of
a covenanted
people by a
covenanted
people what I
mean is a
people who
have been
bought by
the blood
price of
Christ's blood
shed for
us and
where we are
brought through
that into a
new relationship
relationship with
a triune
God and so
when we think
about prayer we
need to understand
it as having a
relationship with
God our
father but we
do so as a
body of people
who are united
with Christ
and we are as
a body indwelt
by the Holy
Spirit which is
why I think that
passage that we're
looking at tonight
in Acts 4 is so
crucial when they
had prayed they
were filled with
the Holy Spirit and
they continue to
speak the word of
God with boldness
so the presence of
a triune God is
there they've
addressed prayer to
the father they've
been told that the
main point of the
prayer is actually
about proclaiming
the name of the
son proclaiming the
name of Jesus and
the person who
operates in them is
the Holy Spirit who
comes and gives them
boldness to go on
preaching fills the
church with boldness
as they go on we
are as a body
children of the
most high God we
come to him as a
father we come to
him clinging the
the royal promises
of Jesus and we
come also to the
hope and power of
the Holy Spirit and
so because of that
it's helpful to think
of prayer corporately
as a pact you know
a pact is an
agreement that we
make with one
another and when we
pray together it's
good to have a
thought about what
we're doing in that
pact that consignment
of of intention
towards one another
as we pray and one
of the small things
and this is a very
incidental thing it's
about the language
that we use when we
do it I mean plenty
of people will quote
scripture in their
prayers and if the
scripture you're
familiar with is the
King James version
it's fine under these
contexts I think to
quote scripture in
that way but very
few people today
fluently speak 16th
century Elizabethan
language and when
you try to contort the
way you speak to God
into that because you're
not familiar with it
yourself sometimes what
comes out is gibberish
and so we should try
and the confession
teaches us this we
should try to speak in
the ordinary language of
the people around us
when we're engaged in
these activities
together so the
language we use is
important because of
not reverence for God
that we think we're
emulating but because
of respect for the
people around us who
we're seeking to be
blessed when we pray
together and it's that
sense of a community
bound together through
the blood of Jesus
under the sovereignty of
God connected by the
Holy Spirit uniting us
and binding us together
in the love of Christ
that we should seek to
be a blessing towards
one another so what
does this pact look
like the first thing
is that there's praise
you see it in the
prayer here in Acts
4 when the disciples
and their friends come
together they begin
their prayer by saying
sovereign Lord maker of
heaven and earth and so
on and what they're
doing by that is
elevating their
perception of who God
is and the majesty of
God and you see it in
plenty other places in
scripture I've got an
example for you the
notes tonight the
bulletin have these
cross references you can
go and read them when
you when you go home
perhaps if you want
Solomon's prayer of the
dedication of the
temple he begins his
prayer by saying oh God
God of Israel there is
no God like you he calls
out the uniqueness of
God the marvel of God
the the the blessedness
of God's connection to
his people and he is
leading the people as he
prays into praise for God
that's one of these things
to remember as you pray
with others you're
privileged as you pray
with others to bring them
into the presence of God
with you you have an
opportunity to bring the
people you're praying
with to see and marvel
and wonder at a God who
loves them a God whose
care for them sent his
son into this world to die
in their place a God who
seeks to indwell within
them and bless them through
his presence and his power
administered through the
power and working of the
Holy Spirit and that's true
in every context in which
you can pray with others
so it is of course true in
the context of prayer with
your spouse with your
husband with your wife
when you pray with them
it's it's easy it's
tempting I know from my
you know from from from
married life you know
sometimes the problems and
the things that you're
wanting to pray about are
so overwhelming and so
pressing you would almost
rush towards the shopping
list of things you want to
pray about but but how
good it is to bless your
husband your wife your
spouse that when you come
in prayer you draw them
into the praise of God
it's the same with your
kids you're having family
worship bring them into
the praise of God with
you with your Sunday
school class I hope the
Sunday school teachers are
not afraid to pray with
their Sunday school
classes it's a good place
to teach them to bring
them into the presence of
God if you're with a
seeker and you're opening
up the Bible together and
you're wanting to read
scripture together in a
one-on-one Bible study
again you've got an
opportunity there to pray
with them it's always good
to pray before we open the
word anyway but to pray
with them and draw them
into the presence of God
and worship and praise
with a Kirk session with the
deacons court finance
subcommittee with the
vacancy committee with the
group that are praying for
Muriel and Cambodia you
know these are practical
things that we think we
need to pray about the
practicalities yes there are
practicalities to pray for
but lead people into the
praise of God bring them
with you to the adoration of
our God and Father maybe it's
with your prayer triplet a lot
of Christians have
accountability structures like
that people that you're close
with and you walk with God
you meet with them regularly
you pray with them remember
in that place praise of God
is so crucial you don't know
how much of a blessing you'll
actually be to the others
who are there perhaps you're
confused and you're thinking
well they're confused and
thinking I don't know where
God is in all of this life that
I'm going through just now and
I haven't even shared with this
people I'm praying with and
yet the fact that you can lead
them to a place of praise is
such a blessing maybe it's with
your businessman's lunch or with
a road to recovery group or
with a WFM or maybe it's a
same grace before you eat your
dinner but in all of these
contexts there's an opportunity
to praise God and to bring
others into that praise
perhaps it's a funeral perhaps
perhaps it's when you go to visit
people who are grieving
perhaps it's when you're going to
hospital to see someone who's
battling an incurable cancer
there is no context where the
praise of God is not relevant
there's no context where it's not
needed it's not necessary it is a
right place for us to bring people
into the awe of God and so we we begin
with praise secondly there's also
admission I see the time is very much
tramping on again it's a big topic I'm
sorry there's a place of an admission
of sin a recognition of sin that the
disciples when they pray in Acts 4 they
talk about the death of Jesus and they
recognize that there is a sense in
which it has happened under the
planning and the foreknowledge and the
predestination of God but they don't
say the Gentiles did it they don't
point the finger at Herod and
Pontius Pilate although they
recognize Herod and Pontius Pilate
and the Gentiles had a role to play
it was a Roman execution detail that
killed Jesus but they also say also
the peoples of Israel and they
include themselves in that if you're
familiar with the opening chapters of
the book of Acts they see themselves
themselves as Israel and so they put
themselves into the heart of that
confession that's why I highlighted
Daniel 9 as a great example of this
Daniel is acknowledging the sins of his
people of his nation and he includes
himself in that we have sinned we have
done wrong we are responsible for the
exile that has now come to us we are
responsible for the fact that we are
separated from the place of the temple
where we can worship our God we did
this and one of the great practical
applications of this is that when we
come to confession of sin when we're
praying with others we need to own it
we need to own it and very often when
we come to confession of sin we're we're
really thinking about confession of sins
of our community of our nation a good
example would be abortion the steadily
worsening abortion laws that our
country is enacting and a situation
that seems to be just slipping away
into worse and worse outcomes all the
time and it's almost as if we might
want to point the finger
and yet it's us
we're not admitting the sins of others
we are confessing our sin our nation's
sin our need of God's grace our nation's
need of God's grace
it's a place to confess
not a place to complain
it's not a place to complain about the
things we don't like in the church
I'd say this when you're gathering with
your brothers and sisters in Christ
your private opinions stay at the door
if you don't like the church's church
planting policy the gathering of the
saints is not a place to just rant about
that it's a place to pray it's a place
to intercede it's a place to seek God's
blessing
and so remember prayer together it's a
place for confession
not a place for just generally complaining
about what's going on
and so we come and confess
it's a place as well for calling out to
God so we have praise we have
acknowledgement of our sin it's a place
for calling to God for requesting his
help and his blessing second chronicles
chapter 20 Jehoshaphat calls for God's
help on behalf of the people
we don't know what to do in this
situation he says
but our eyes are on you
that's one of the great privileges of
praying together as a church as
individuals gathered together as
people who want to pray to God in
all of these different contexts that
I've already mentioned one of the
great privileges that we have is of
expressing our dependence on a
covenantal God
do you not think that God who did not
spare his only son
will he not now bless you
abundantly more than you can ask or
think
that means we pray big
and with this I am nearly done
it means we pray with boldness
we pray with boldness and confidence
in a God who holds the entire cosmos in
his hands
and that's one of the things that I fear
when the church prays together
I always fear that we we forget how
great our God is and how bold we can be in
coming to him in prayer the great
things that we can ask for the wonderful
things that we can request the marvel of
his grace we can ask for those who are dead in
their sins to come to life
you see it in the way the disciples do it
here when they pray they pray about the
persecution they're facing they pray about the
the affliction that they are under the
threats that they have received
but they're not rushing to pray for
something small
what they're rushing to pray for is the
mercy of God
not judgment over all those who are
opposing them
and over the preaching of the word and
for all of the countless hundreds and
thousands of people
who are still there to hear the gospel in
Jerusalem
let us be bold in how we pray
let us also be indicative
let us be deliberate about what we pray
for
you know when we're praying with one
another we can pray specifically for
the matters at hand
we don't need to be vague
our God is big enough to hear our
specific prayers
in fact that's part of God's condescending
he comes down to the level at which we
are at
and he hears the specific things that
we're praying for
and the things that we're interceding for
and we can be such a blessing to one
another with specific prayer
and to encourage one another along
that way is
a covenanted community praying to God
and the other thing about being praying
big is also not just to be bold and
indicative in what we pray for but to
be God glorifying
you know there's often a feeling
perhaps that
God will not be glorified if we pray
for things that we want
but actually if we want God's glory
we will be satisfied with the things
that glorify God
and that is what we'll pray for
and so let us have that kind of boldness
that John Piper speaks of
that God is most glorified in us
when we are most satisfied
in him
that's what it means to pray with
hearts alight
for God
burning with a passion for the glory of God
and the things that we are asking for
and the intercessions that we are raising
acknowledging God's great mercy
and the blessing that he will give
the final thing just is thanksgiving
praise
acknowledgement of sin
calling out for God's blessing
and doing so with thanksgiving
Ezra's
public confession
and the renewal of
the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem
there in Nehemiah as well
actually you can read in both passages
but
but Ezra is heavy
his prayer is heavy with confession
but
but he also acknowledges God's mercy
and his preservation
and he goes through the whole history of the nation
and all of the things that God has done
to preserve Israel
and he just pours out thanks
that's what we do
that's how we're going to conclude our worship just now
praising God
for the certainty of his mercies
and the enduring grace that he shows
and how firm and sure that is
to all eternity
that is our God
that is a God that we can come to
with praise and thanksgiving
and so let us bow in prayer to him just now
for just a moment
heavenly father
we want to come before you this evening
and seek your blessing upon us
lord
we thank you for the privilege
of being able to come before you in prayer
as a church
as a gathering tonight
and we pray father that as we do so
we would be reminded of just how glorious a God you are
you are worthy of our praise
because you have loved us
and you have sent a salvation for us
and you have glorified your name
and redeeming us
through the blood of Jesus
and I pray tonight father
that that would be
what we make most of
what we rejoice in
where we find our hope
and our confidence
and why we remember
that we have every reason
to be bold
in coming to you in prayer
because you have done so much
in working out our salvation
for us
we thank you that you are a God who hears
we thank you that all of us tonight
can perhaps speak of times
where we have cried out to you
and you have answered
and so we pray father
that you would continue to show yourself
as a God who is faithful and merciful
abundant in mercy in fact
and may that overflow
in our lives
and be seen in how we glorify
and exalt you continually
help us Lord
to bless one another then
as we would seek to pray together
multiply Lord
the opportunities that we have
to pray together
as a congregation
as individuals
with in our families
help us to cultivate good patterns
and practices
and how we do that
help us not to be ashamed
or afraid of praying together either
but to have boldness
in how we come to our God
and to see the fruit
of that prayer
to see the answers to prayer
to the praise of your glorious name
and we ask these things
for Jesus' sake
Amen
we're going to sing in conclusion
in the Scottish Psalter
Psalm 136
the second version of the Psalm
page 428
in the Blue Book
page 428
we're going to sing
verses 1-4
so just two stanzas
to the tune St. John
praise God
for he is kind
his mercy lasts foray
give thanks
with heart and mind
to God of God's always
for certainly
his mercy's durer
most firm and sure
eternally
let's stand and sing
two stanzas
please
God, while he is kind, his mercy lasts foray.
Give thanks with heart and mind to God of God's glory.
For certainly his mercy's due, most perman should eternally.
The Lord of Lords, praise ye, his mercy still endure.
Faith wanders only he, that work by his great hand.
For certainly his mercy's due, most perman should eternally.
Now the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit be with each one of you now and always. Amen.
Amen.