Prayers from Sunday, December 18th

The following prayers were written and led by Valerie Andersen for Sunday, December 18th

Creator God, you reign in strength.  The earth demonstrates your glory and mighty power.  We praise and thank you for the world you have given us.  We take hope and courage, O God of creation, in your steadfast love for the world. It is your living creation and we are its stewards.  Help us to use the natural resources your hands have provided in ways that respect and glorify you.  May we live in ways that love your world.  We are grateful for the recent rain and ask for more.

 

As your children we pray:

Come, Lord Jesus.

Redeemer God, you gave yourself, in the form of the Son, as a sacrifice.  Thank you for saving and redeeming the world the same way you created it - through goodness, blessing, and love.  You became flesh and lived among us, near and immediate, participating in the human struggle for light and salvation.  You know our weaknesses.  Help us to walk in our darkness.  Help us to discover hope in the midst of difficult times.  We pray for those struggling - financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually.  You are with them.  Lighten their path.

As your children we pray:

Come, Lord Jesus.

Merciful God, your Holy Spirit lives in our every act of compassion and justice.  Thank you for the blessing of being your hands and feet.  It is an awesome responsibility.  The world is filled with enmity and divisiveness, the work of the evil one.  May your Holy Spirit shine so brightly in and through us, dispersing the shadows of violence and hatred.  Help us share your peace and salvation; keep us alert and ready to sing your story in and through our words and actions with love and justice. 

As your children we pray:

Come, Lord Jesus.

Shepherd God, you protect us.  We thank and praise you for your ceaseless care.  Remind us to stop… To be still…  To linger… To reflect…on the world, ourselves - all God's creation; to reflect on Jesus - human and divine, our Immanuel:  God with us.  The rest in music, the silence between notes, is as much a part of the music as the notes themselves.  That's when musicians breathe.  May we all take time to breathe. To see the Baby.  To be renewed.  To rejoice.

As your children we pray:

Come, Lord Jesus.

"Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night, though dark the winter and cheerless.  The rising sun shall crown you with light.  Be strong and loving and fearless.

Love be our song and love our prayer and love our endless story.

May God fill every day we share and bring us at last into glory.”

As your children we pray:

Come, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Prayers from Sunday, September 25th

Written and led by Bruce Kleinert

Dear Father, grant that all we do each minute of each day may show our gratitude for You great love as shown in the life and sacrifice of Your dear son, Jesus.

 Lord in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Jesus, there’s a lot of people in our culture telling us what to believe and what to trust in. You’re the One we believe, trust, and place our hope in. Give us the perseverance to remain steadfast in our faith.

 Lord in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, our daily life gets hectic and busy with so many activities. We often don’t spend enough time with You. We ask that we may set aside our priorities and place You first in everything we do.

Lord in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Holy Spirit, the world would have us question Your Word and the stories You have shared there.  We ask that the truth of Your Word and the witness of those believers who are persecuted for their love for You remained faithful until death. May we always remember and believe that we are saved by Christ’s sacrifice.

Lord in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty and merciful Father, we pray for those who are sick and in need of healing. We ask you to be with Terry Heald, Linda Davis, Connie Rill, Gloria Kleinert, and Aurella Swanson. Lord, we also bring other special friends, family, and neighbors to you at this time… Remove their hurt, pain, worry, doubt, fear, and anxiety and replace it with strength for their bodies, joy in their spirits, and trust in Your promises. Help them to feel Your loving embrace. 

Lord in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, there are many of our friends who don’t know you. Use us to share our personal story about our love of You with them so that Your Holy Spirit can work in their hearts to help them grow in their love and trust in You.

Lord in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

For these prayers and those on our hearts, we lift up and give blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might to out God forever and ever! Amen.

Prayers from Sunday, September 18th

Below are our prayers from this past Sunday for both worship services:


Written and led by Sandy Thompson at 8:15am

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for another day of life on Earth, another beautiful sunrise to enjoy, the wonderful sounds of nature, and the gift of another morning to spend with beloved Christian friends and family. Father, we thank you for our families, for our children and we pray for their safety; and for the guidance of Your steadfast love. We know that You love us, You created us in Your image. Father, we need the strength of Your love to keep us strong in the world today. Help us Father, with the struggles that we face today, help us as we go through them, and carry us if we are too weak to move. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father in Heaven, as we focus on Luke, and the unjust manager that cheated his master, being dishonest, his only goal was the joy and security of this life, but the goal of Christians is the joy and security or eternal life. As Christians, we long for the welcoming arms of the only God of our salvation.  Thank you Father for our many blessings, help us to be mindful of those who need help, and to use everything which You have given us to help those in need. Father, we know that as Christians, the earthly things that we have and are seeking can help us focus our attention on eternal life. By sharing, living wisely and faithfully, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, and to be forgiven is our only hope of Heaven. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, in this time of prayer we are so grateful for Your love and the knowledge that we can plant seeds that may grow and mature. We pray for opportunities to show how much You mean to us. Give us the right words and discretion to know what to say and how to say it.  Gracious Heavenly Father, we ask that You keep Your hand on the men and women defending our Country in whatever capacity they serve. Be with all of them as they go on their assignments. Thank you for their courage, thank you for their skills that they need in every moment, so they can come back safely to their families. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, we ask for Your forgiveness; for the many ways in which we sin, for our hypocrisy, intolerance, unforgiveness, ungratefulness, disbelief, disobedience, and so many more. Lord, we ask Your forgiveness for all our sins with Your most precious blood. We are human and are at Your mercy. Help us to forgive others so we may be set free. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, we pray for Your spirit to guide our leaders, in the churches, in our States, in our Nation. Give them the tools they need to lead and govern with strong integrity and character. Help them with Your loving kindness and wisdom, we appreciate all they do for us and for their dedication of their untiring service. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, thank you for those that go on Missions; for their giving spirit of their time and sharing the joy of Your salvation. We thank them and know they need help and Your armor as they spread the word of god so unselfishly. We honor them and love them. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, we prayerfully ask for Your healing of people in this church, friends and family here that we know and love. Many different illnesses and challenges, Father but we know that by Your almighty and merciful power, You can move mountains. Thy will be done, Lord, these are Your servants and we ask for Your mercy to restore strength and healing to their bodies with renewed health and joy to their spirit so they may continue to serve You now and forevermore. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of Love, we ask that you watch over young people starting school, from kindergarten up to high school and college. Keep the strong in Your word and help them to be strong against the barrage of temptations that can harm and tear at their souls. Be with them in their struggles that they may face with wisdom and the knowledge that you are their stronghold. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, we thank you for our lives, our jobs, our retirement, our children, and their families. All we have is what You have provided for us and for all of it, we are grateful, help us to use it wisely, to the glory of Your Holy Name. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Written and led by Karl Winter at 10:45am

Please join me in prayer. 
Heavenly Father,

We join you today in thanksgiving and prayer with gratitude in our hearts. We thank you for another day to spread your love and give up our lives to you. Due to your mercy, we have many blessings that have brought us together today. First, O Loving God, we thank you for the community here at St. Andrew’s that supports each other in harmony and unity. Your work is unmistakable in the leaders and teachers here who pledge themselves to the progress and inspiration of this church. Your courtesy has led us to become a people of repentance and almsgiving. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Creator, we thank you for restoring our hands and giving our lives meaning. Through your benevolence, our faith betters our world and our world betters our faith. Our energy is devoted to you because you have blessed us with a desire for your love and the ability to spread it on Earth. Your love regenerates, resuscitates, and revive us physically and spiritually. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Great Deliverer, we thank you for making us your disciples. By sending us to forgive and bless others, you give us the gift of the Holy Spirit as well as a purpose in our lives. We thank you for our many blessings: friends and family, city and country, material and metaphysical, strength and weakness, success and challenge... You are the source of everything good in our lives. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Gracious Leader, we offer you our many petitions with trust and humility. We pray first for the many ministers and leaders of this church and this nation, each with their unique goals and purposes. We pray that you, the Perfect Instructor, will counsel and embolden the leaders of this church to carry out their duties with dignity, drawing the congregation into one association of dedicated believers. We ask that you bless the upcoming election, allowing each candidate and voter to

observe the values and morals of Jesus Christ as they make positive decisions for our nation. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Forgiving Healer, you do not distance yourself from the pain of your people but in Jesus you bear that pain with all who suffer from sickness, loneliness, oppression, and injustice. With your cleansing love bring healing and strength to those physically and mentally ill, especially those close to our congregation who need soothing and comforting. Look with compassion and revival upon the addicted, homeless, and any who have strayed from your path. Lift them up in body, mind, and spirit, so they may rejoice once again. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty Lord, we pray that you project us from the evil forces in our world today. Please restore the hearts and minds of the corrupt ones that seek to destroy your influence in the world. Please be with the people of nations across the world who deal with an increasing terror threat. Help us to be strong, honest, and just in order to promote peace amongst all of humanity. We are sinful and shameful, and you are righteous and pure, and we need your blessing to lead a daily life that reflects your love. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Heavenly Father, help us to be pure and temperate in all enjoyment, gracious and courteous towards all, and honest and true in all of our dealings, so that the mind of Jesus Christ may be formed in us and all may know that we are his disciples. You have sent us to bless others as your disciples, so help us to be forgiving in our daily vocations. Lord, we humbly trust in your great power, faithfully believing that you will observe our requests and petitions. Into your hands we present all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
And all God’s people agreed and said, Amen. 

Prayers for Sunday, Sept. 4th

Prayers written by Valerie Andersen; Led by Terry Clark and Valerie Andersen

God of Light, the first and most important decision of discipleship was Your’s:  You came as body and as Word.  We praise your for your Son, our Savior.  We praise you for the Holy Spirit, who intercedes and who comforts us.  Thank you for your goodness.

In the midst of our lives, when chaos threatens to overwhelm and conquer us, Word of the Lord come to us.  In the midst of our questions, doubts, and fears, Word of the Lord come to us.

Take away the obstacles that prevent us from placing ourselves entirely in Your hands.  May our ears hear and our hearts listen to your words of challenge, comfort, and discipline.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of Creation, You have given us free will; yet our worldly thoughts and desires bring evil and destruction.  May we choose to surrender to You, consciously giving ourselves over to your will for us.

Open our eyes to see ourselves as clay.  Form our hearts.  Transform our minds.  Conform our will to yours.   We are in your hands.  May our lives evidence your handiwork.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of Truth, move in our lives so that our faith in you will make us bold to speak and to act in love for those with little or no voice - the unborn; children - old and young; the emotionally, mentally, and physically ill; those left out, left behind, and left alone.  May we advocate in your name and intercede in both prayer and practice.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of Grace, we pray especially for:

Special Intercessions

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

God of Salvation, Your journey took you to the cross.  Placing our needs before yours, you endured worldly Death for our sakes, counting our salvation as worth the cost.  The cost of discipleship with us was your life.  Help us to pay the cost of our discipleship with you by the sacrifice of our own worldly lives.

Open our eyes to those things we hold more dear than You.  What idols do we hold close to our hearts that keep us from seeking you and your will first?

Give us courage.  Give us strength.  Give us faith to pay the cost of following you.  Discipleship is not an afterthought.  It is a way of life.  In the face of competing loyalties, help us to make you our primary allegiance.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

May we count the cost of following you and accept it.  Loosen our grip on that which will not satisfy.  Then we may receive our compensation - a life led by, beside and wrapped in You.

And all God’s people said,

AMEN.

Prayers from Sunday, August 21st

Prayers written and lead by Rachelle Moreno

Let's bow our heads and come to our Lord in prayer.

Heavenly Father, first and foremost, we give you thanks for loving us unconditionally.  We give thanks for the grace you give us that we can extend to those in our lives.  We thank you that you forgive us even though we do not obey and trust you with our whole heart.  We thank you for those hearts who hear your calling to support those who have lost their homes in the Louisiana floods - give them courage to restart and the means to do so.Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, please help repair what we have broken in our relationships when we just completely mess up and do not live out your word in our lives.  Teach us and help us to undo the damage we cause due to our sins and because of our disobedience to you.  We thank you especially for the Holy Spirit that lives in our hearts to help guide and lead us to opportunities to share your love with others - that they may see.  Let us give glory to you by strengthening us to act immediately and work diligently, seeing ALL people as if we were looking through your eyes Father, and seeing the pain that lingers in each and every person.  Let your power wok in their lives.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who point us in the right direction in our lives; those such as our pastors, teachers, and leaders who tirelessly teach the many ministries here at St. Andrews that help us all grow in faith.  Thank you for those who serve our community.  We pray for our veterans, firefighters, and offers - those who serve to protect us and keep us safe.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for our rulers, those who govern our country.  We pray that our candidates that are put in office are ones that have Christian values and morals to help bring a much needed change to our world.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, we continue to pray for the hour between services that allows us to be in your word more through study time.  We pray for our Good Shepherd ministry, New Life Ministry, H2H and High School Youth.  We pray for our mission teams training this winter to go spread the good news in Ghana, Thailand and Hong Kong.  We pray for Tao and Tia as they minister to the Hmong Community.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who have life-threatening health battles, and those affected by violence in our community.  We pray for the homeless, those battling addictions, those in violent relationships, and those suffering Mental Health issues.  Protect them all.  We pray that we may be a light in this dark world and extend love and mercy to them even when they may be out of our comfort zone.  We pray for members of our congregation - especially those on our hearts at this time.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, we know there is power in prayer so we thank you for allowing us to bring all these prayers and petitions before you today.  We ask diligently that you go to battle for us against the forces of evil that attack our hearts and minds.  We humbly ask in your Son's precious name, and all God's people said, Amen.

Prayers for Sunday, August 28th

Written and led by Bruce Kleinert

Heavenly Father, 
Good morning.  We give you thanks for Your unconditional love that nourish, supports, and feeds us each day.  We praise you for the gift of You son, who died for our sins.  We thank You for the presence of the Holy Spirit, who guides, leads, comforts and motivates us; for Your Church throughout the world and those who are persecuted and willing to die for it.  We thank you for the means of grace in baptism and communion, for the lives of all your faithful children everywhere, and for the assurance in the life to come.  Help us to live each day in the promises of your Word.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Thank you Jesus that you care for us.  Lord, there are many people in need.  Bless the work of those who bring water to the thirsty, and relief to those who are hurting.  We ask for you to provide for the needs of those hit by fire, wind, rain, and floods.  We ask for you to be with those who have other concerns and problems in their lives.  We ask that you give wisdom and strength to our doctors and nurses who bring healing.  Give comfort and peace to family members of those who are ill.  Lord we bring before you those whom we name in our hearts.  Give them the assurance of your presence, the comfort form all fears, and the hope in the life to come.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father, help us to remember that you put us here on earth at this time and in this place for the purpose of loving you and loving others.  When we feel overwhelmed, tired or discouraged, give us the perseverance to be faithful and true to you.  Help us to reflect your love and your forgiveness to each person we meet.  Give us the strength to be genuine and to detest what is evil.  Help us to love and serve like your Son who loved and served us.  Help us to build up one another, always caring, always encouraging, and always helping each other to be the unique person you created them to be.  Help us to rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep and live in harmony with one another.  Give us the humility of your Son Jesus Christ as we serve and love others.  
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

The power of prayer lies in the Savior who promises to hear our prayers and to work in every circumstance for the good of those who belong to him. T o him we pray and give the glory in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayers for Sunday, July 31st

Prayers written by Holly Andersen, using the Lord's Prayer

Good, gracious, steadfast and faithful God - 

Hallowed be Thy name...
Father in heaven, we lift up your name.  We praise you for you are gracious, loving, just and righteous.  You are holy.  May the words of our mouths be words of truth, words that glorify, build up and encourage so that through our praise those who do not know you would come to know your glory.  Hallowed be Thy name, we pray,
Alleluia.

Your Kingdom come...Your will be done...
What does your Kingdom look like? We see so much in our world that is far from what you would have for your creation.  Images of violence; sounds of war. Lord, help us to seek your Kingdom, to be bold in our prayers, words, hearts, minds, and action.  Give us your courage and hope when we are overcome and overwhelmed by what we alone cannot fix.  Teach us how to follow you into places and relationships where we can bring the reality of your grace.  Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, we pray,
Alleluia.

Give us today our daily bread...
God you are the great provider.  You give us all that we need.  May we accept that blessing with open hearts and hands.  May we use those gifts and blessings to be rich toward you and as you would have us, be rich to this world around us.  May we know that our daily bread is provided by so many people in our city, state, nation and world and may we hold them up to you.  Give us our daily bread, we pray, 
Alleluia.

Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us...
Jesus Christ our Savior, you know the destructive power of sin and how it leads to death and separation from you.  You have taught us the power and promise of forgiveness through your life, your death and resurrection.  Help us to forgive, rid us of our apathy, show us the peace and hope that can come through reconciliation.  We pray for the people of our city who live daily in hate, for our nation that lives daily in deep seeded racism, for our world terrorized by men and women filled with hatred and fear.  Lead us to peace through forgiveness.  Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive, we pray,
Alleluia.

Lead us not into temptation...
Lord we are alike only in that we face temptation everyday.  You have created each of us as individuals and so we are all tempted in different ways.  We pray for freedom from temptation into anger, hatred, addiction, hopelessness, depression, despair, self-righteousness, doubt, worry, lust, self-love, greed and selfishness.  Give us courage, strength and your grace.  Lead us not into temptation, we pray,
Alleluia.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

Prayers for Sunday, July 31st

Prayers written by Holly Andersen, using the Lord's Prayer

Good, gracious, steadfast and faithful God - 

Hallowed be Thy name...
Father in heaven, we lift up your name.  We praise you for you are gracious, loving, just and righteous.  You are holy.  May the words of our mouths be words of truth, words that glorify, build up and encourage so that through our praise those who do not know you would come to know your glory.  Hallowed be Thy name, we pray,
Alleluia.

Your Kingdom come...Your will be done...
What does your Kingdom look like? We see so much in our world that is far from what you would have for your creation.  Images of violence; sounds of war. Lord, help us to seek your Kingdom, to be bold in our prayers, words, hearts, minds, and action.  Give us your courage and hope when we are overcome and overwhelmed by what we alone cannot fix.  Teach us how to follow you into places and relationships where we can bring the reality of your grace.  Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, we pray,
Alleluia.

Give us today our daily bread...
God you are the great provider.  You give us all that we need.  May we accept that blessing with open hearts and hands.  May we use those gifts and blessings to be rich toward you and as you would have us, be rich to this world around us.  May we know that our daily bread is provided by so many people in our city, state, nation and world and may we hold them up to you.  Give us our daily bread, we pray, 
Alleluia.

Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us...
Jesus Christ our Savior, you know the destructive power of sin and how it leads to death and separation from you.  You have taught us the power and promise of forgiveness through your life, your death and resurrection.  Help us to forgive, rid us of our apathy, show us the peace and hope that can come through reconciliation.  We pray for the people of our city who live daily in hate, for our nation that lives daily in deep seeded racism, for our world terrorized by men and women filled with hatred and fear.  Lead us to peace through forgiveness.  Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive, we pray,
Alleluia.

Lead us not into temptation...
Lord we are alike only in that we face temptation everyday.  You have created each of us as individuals and so we are all tempted in different ways.  We pray for freedom from temptation into anger, hatred, addiction, hopelessness, depression, despair, self-righteousness, doubt, worry, lust, self-love, greed and selfishness.  Give us courage, strength and your grace.  Lead us not into temptation, we pray,
Alleluia.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

Prayers for Sunday, July 24th

Written by Holly Andersen

Let us pray,
Heavenly and gracious Father, we come before you today in worship through prayer.  We thank you for this day and that you have brought us - young and old, healthy and sick, full of joy and full of sorrow, saint and sinner - together into one body and community of faith.  Thank you that you supply our every need.  Continue to teach us to pray: to pray that your name would be glorified, your Kingdom come, daily bread provided, our sins forgiven as we forgive and temptation overcome.  
We pray, Lord have mercy.

Jesus Christ, Savior and Son, we thank you for the life we have through your death and resurrection.  We thank you for the grace, mercy, and forgiveness we know because we know you.  Continue to be our Shepherd as we ask, seek, and knock in our daily lives.  Give us open ears, minds, eyes, hearts and hands as we engage and live in this community.  May we trust in you, knowing that to follow your lead is what we are called to do as disciples.
We pray, Lord have mercy.

Holy Spirit, guide and sanctifier, we thank you that you are always working in and through our hearts.  As we read the words of Scripture you open our minds and hearts to understand our Heavenly Father's will.  We thank you for the strength you give us to follow, to speak, and to love.  May your healing power be upon those in pain: the sick, lonely, depressed, anxious, forgotten, hopeless, addicted and despairing.  We especially pray for those who are on our hearts and minds...  Hold, heal, and restore them.  Come into our world, bring peace and restoration through Christ, our Savior.
We pray, Lord have mercy.

Father, Son, and Spirit, in your name we pray.  Amen.

Prayers from Sunday, July 17th - Combined Worship

Thank you to Laura Moore who wrote and led our prayers for our 

combined Worship service this past Sunday.

Dearest Heavenly Father, we gather together today to praise you.  We are so thankful that you are our shepherd.  Help us to follow you each day, every day in all that we say and do.

The Lord is our shepherd - We shall not be in want.

We praise you Lord for gathering together the many children and volunteers for Vacation Bible School.  We ask you to bless and nurture the seeds of faith that were planted this past week.  We pray that each child who walked into this church will come to love you with all of their heart, mind, soul and strength.

The Lord is our shepherd - We shall not be in want.

We give you praise for the selfless dedications of the St. Andrews staff and the VBS volunteers.  Renew them; fill them with energy and love so that they can continue to serve others in your name.

The Lord is our shepherd - We shall not be in want.

Mighty God, please watch over Brianna Kleinert and the others serving with The Sending Place in Ecuador.  Empower them and your missionaries throughout the world to effectively evangelize and make disciples of Christ.

The Lord is our shepherd - We shall not be in want.

O Lord, help us to realize that time with You in quiet is priceless.  It’s where we can hear from You best, be the most honest before You, and enjoy he most blessings of Your presence.  Help us to find our identity and satisfaction in you God rather than in temporary things.

The Lord is our shepherd - We shall not be in want.

Each time we turn on the news Lord, we are inundated with the evil in this world.  There is violence in our streets.  We pray for the families who have lost loved ones this past week to violence in Dallas, in France and throughout the world.  Grant them peace and comfort them in their time of mourning. 

The Lord is our shepherd - We shall not be in want.

Bless and protect those who serve.  Help our politicians, our police officers and our military to lead with honor, respect, wisdom, compassion and godliness.

The Lord is our shepherd - We shall not be in want.

Help us to make choices based upon the fear of God, not the fear of man.  Help us to spread your love to this hurting world.  Give us grace and faith to trust You for great things.

The Lord is our shepherd - We shall not be in want.

Amen.

Prayer of Blessing for Pastor Dan

Prayer of Blessing for Pastor Dan before his Sabbatical.  Thanks to David and Sandy Thompson who write it together.

Heavenly Father, 

Today we pray a simple prayer for Pastor Dan on this, his last service before his much needed Sabbatical.  Mark Buchanan, a spiritual writer and author said, "A bird flying, never nesting, is soon plummeting."  We pray that you will bless Pastor with peace, much needed rest, time to reconnect with his family, and a renewed heart. 

Father we know that sabbatical is an extended Sabbath.  We know that you rested on the seventh day, a period of rest and rejuvenation meant for us also as part of your creation.  We pray for safety in Pastor's time of rest whenever he travels - for his plans to fall into place, and for his mind to slow down.  We pray that Pastor is blessed with a time of spiritual peace and reflection sot ate he may again focus on all that is important to him.

Whatever he needs father, you're the one who can help him sort through act challenges and responsibilities he has taken and simplify these areas so that he may have more family time and more quiet time.  We pray for him to be surrounded by your infinite wisdom in choosing his direction in serving.  

A sabbatical is a time for reflection, a time to refocus, and a time to do nothing. It is a time of rest from labors and it means letting go of daily work and responsibilities so Pastor can stop and year you.

Father we pray for Pastor to have the time he needs to heal his soul with comfort, to not have to rush and to realize that all things do not have to depend on him.  Like all of us, he can only do so much.  His spirit needs time to focus on family, his home, his garden and in the stillness and quiet of his heart and mind, to know that you are God.

Father we pray for our church to remain faithful to one another in attendance, in giving, and serving; to remember that we are all followers of Christ.  We have so many people who are willing to step up and help with the Lord's work.  We pray for unity while Pastor is away and for the church to be healthy for his return.  All these things we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Prayers from Sunday, June 12th

Thank you to Bruce Kleinert, who regularly leads us in prayer on Sunday mornings, for sharing his prayers with us this past Sunday:

Good Morning Lord,

Today, we’re going out into our communities praying for our neighbors, schools, and the needs of this city.  You know the people who live here, you know what this city needs.  Walk with us, lead us, and guide our prayers by your Holy Spirit.  Your will be done.  Not by works,  But by faith.

Thank you for our congregational meeting today.  As your Christian community here in Stockton, we’ve got a lot of work to do to bring your message of reconciliation, forgiveness, and everlasting life to people of all ages.  You created us for good works . . . not in order to earn our salvation . . . but in order to bring your good news to people who haven’t heard it.  Continue to lead us in our ministry because we trust in you.  Not by works, But by faith.

This Summer, Lord, we’re sending teams to the Ukraine, Ecuador, and an Indian reservation in Idaho.  You’ve called us to reach out not only in our city but also wherever you lead.  Protect, guide, and work in the hearts of your people to bring your love and good news to everyone they meet.  Not by works, But by faith.

Lord, we pray for the Holy Spirit to bring people of the Hmong community into your kingdom.   We pray they will be open to hear the hope and healing that you can bring into their lives.  Lord, replace the darkness in their lives with the light of Christ.  Be with Tao and Tia and give them the strength, perseverance and joy of being your disciples to the Hmong community.  Not by works, But by faith.

We ask for you to be with those who need healing.  We bring before you  Connie Rill, Millie Fickenscher and those whom we name in our hearts.  Heal them Lord.  Not by works, But by faith.

We pray for our country and its leaders.  We pray that you will be worshipped and glorified by people of all cultures in this land.  We pray for your protection from terrorists, economic downturns, and the destruction of the family.  We pray for all our churches that we will share your hope and love to all people.  We believe all things are possible through you.  Not by works, But by faith.

All these prayers and those in our hearts we pray in the name of Jesus Christ.  And all God’s people say,  Amen.

Prayers from Sunday, May 29th

Thank you to Martha Bockari for writing our prayers for this past Sunday:

Our Father in heaven, Creator of Heaven and Earth, we come to you in prayer through your son, Jesus Christ our Savior. We  thank and praise you for your Love, your amazing Grace, and your Peace.   Lord in your mercy,  hear our prayer.

Today we go on a prayer walk here at St Andrews. Lord, we pray for our surrounding neighborhood. O God, you choose to work through your creation, by the guidance of your Holy Spirit, you use your people to bring knowledge of you to others. Help us to preach the good news of your son to our neighbors. Aid us in sharing our life with others. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord God, keep us in remembrance of all those who fought and died on behalf our country and its citizens.  We thank you for all who stand in defense of this nation. Guide and protect them as they go in harm's way. Protect their families and keep them from fear and strife. Bring all our soldiers home safely. Cause wars to cease and peace to reign. in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior- Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

In spiritual tribute, we honor those who have suffered for the sake of the Gospel, the saints who have gone before us and we pray for God' s comfort and strength for the saints now living in fear because of their faith. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty  and Loving Father,  we ask you to please bless the sick and hurting among us.  Provide,  Comfort, Strength, Healing Power, Joy, And Peace to Everyone according to their needs.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father God, grant us safe travels this summer. Guard and protect us from all harm, danger and evil. Be at our going out and coming in.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Draw Your Church Together, O GOD, into ONE GREAT COMPANY OF DICIPLES, TOGETHER following OUR TEACHER JESUS CHRIST into EVERY WALK OF LIFE, TOGETHER SERVING IN CHRIST'S MISSION TO THE WORLD, And  TOGETHER WITNESSING TO YOUR LOVE WHEREVER YOU WILL SEND US, FOR THE SAKE OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

INTO YOUR HANDS, GRACIOUS GOD, WE COMMEND  ALL THESE  OUR PRAYERS WITH THOSE WE HAVE IN OUR HEARTS, TRUSTING IN YOUR MERCY , THROUGH JESUS CHRIST , OUR LORD AND SAVIOR- - ALL THE PEOPLE SAY-AMEN.

Prayers from Sunday, May 1, 2016

Heavenly Father,
First and foremost, we come to you with open hearts.  We thank you for this beautiful morning and a wonderful choir that helps us to worship and praise your holy name.  We give you thinks for how you love us unconditionally.  You take what is broken inside our souls and you make it new in each and every one of us.  We thank you for your forgiveness when we disobey you and when we stubbornly do not keep your commandments.  Thank you Jesus for deeming us worthy of love by dying on the cross to pay for our sins.  We are not worthy, not even a little, but you willingly loved us so much that you paid loves ransom so that we may have an everlasting life together in your family.  We can't praise you enough.  We owe you all love and adoration as your name is worthy of our praise.  Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit that guides each of us daily to help us make choices that honor your will and give you glory.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Lord, we lift up prayers for those nearest to us, our family, our neighbors, our coworkers, that we may be encouragers and extend love and grace to them just as you extend to us even when that may be difficult to do.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who point us in the right direction in our lives: those such as teachers, our pastors and deacons, our mentors, our small group members and our veterans.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for our rulers, those who govern our country.  With your blessing Father, let America be a beacon of light and a bastion of hope for our world.  Impart into our nation's leaders the unquenchable thirst for virtue as we lift up the 2016 election.  We pray that truth will be brought into light as we near the voting process.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray especially, Father, for those who are without hope in their lives today.  We pray for those with health issues both physically and mentally; we pray for those in broken relationships, those battling addiction, all the homeless here in Stockton and around the world; all your people who hunger and thirst not only for food but for spiritual food and for those who have not heard of your everlasting love yet.  Use us, your people, to be beacons of light in a dark world and give us courage to set ourselves aside and use the gifts and talents you have blessed us with, so that we may be ready to do so when opportunities arise to share the gospel with those in need.  Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Finally Lord, be with our brothers and sisters around the world as they seek to share your hope, grace, and salvation with the many people groups. We especially lift up Ecuador as they suffer and recover from a major earthquake.  The needs will definitely be mighty for the mission team from the Sending Place going in June.  Thank you father that you are the Almighty and you hear every prayer both BIG and SMALL.  All these prayers and petitions we humbly ask, your will and not ours.  We pray in your Son's precious name, and all God's people said, Amen.