Amber Congregational Church
Loving relationships that are committed to God, accountable to each other, involved in Christ’s transforming work in our world.
Praying the Psalms for One Another
Using the pamphlet "Praying the Psalms Daily" and combining it with our "2022 Amber Church Prayer Reminder" which lists all the members of the church family, we encourage you to pray for each other every day. Below is the list of daily Psalms and the office or mission and the individual for each day. Perhaps after praying for the person of the day you could call, text or email them and let them know you prayed for them.
March
1 Psalm 60:1-12 Minister – Jack and Janet Seymour
2 Psalm 61:1-8 Elders – Mel Simmons - Jenn Lawton
3 Psalm 62:1-12 Trustees – David and Roxann Bailer
4 Psalm 63:1-11 Clerk – Scott Trendowski, Butch Schmidt
5 Psalm 64:1-10 Treasurer – Andy and Linda Henderson – Alex Henderson
6 Psalm 65:1-13 Financial Secretary – Duane Wright – Jason Wright
7 Psalm 66:1-20 Ministerial Relations Chair – Jenny Wright, Alex Wright
8 Psalm 67:1-7 Worship Director – Jim Seymour – Andrew Henderson
9 Psalm 68:1-35 Worship Services – David Angelo – Dawn Grace Simmons
10 Psalm 69:1-36 Sunday School – Chuck and Sue Ellen Harris
11 Psalm 70:1-5 Bible Studies – Teal Trendowski – Karen Swierk
12 Psalm 71:1-24 Youth Group – Mike and Cheryl Curtis
13 Psalm 72:1-20 Christian Education Director – Kim Vile
14 Psalm 73:1-28 Men’s Club – Mark and Brenda Henderson
15 Psalm 74:1-23 Women’s Fellowship – Rick and Lois Chaffee
16 Psalm 75:1-10 Church Growth – Garrett Crysler, Dan and Alex Southard
17 Psalm 76:1-12 Outreach Director – Rich and Lisa McVicar
18 Psalm 77:1-20 CCCC – Viola Darling
19 Psalm 78:1-16 CNY Congregational Churches – Adele Reagan
20 Psalm 78:17-55 Neighboring Churches – Barbara D’Aiutolo
21 Psalm 78:56-72 WMHR (Wayne Taylor) – Tom and Cheryl Fetterman
22 Psalm 79:1-13 RBC Ministries – Jim and Gail Frary
23 Psalm 80:1-19 His Mansion – Matthew Henderson
24 Psalm 81:1-16 Teams 4 Medical Missions (John Heater) – Marilyn Fish
25 Psalm 82:1-8 New Hope (Kathy Jerman) – Dave and Kristin Heath
26 Psalm 83:1-18 Men’s and Women’s Conferences – Emma Crysler
27 Psalm 84:1-12 Word of Life Brazil (Meredith Arnold) – Nancy Barber
28 Psalm 85:1-13 Schools for Haiti (Carla Flesch) – Faith Stopyro
29 Psalm 86:1-17 Adult & Teen Challenge (Dave Pilch) – Carole Ianuzi
30 Psalm 87:1-7 The ShoreLight – Mike Wheeler
31 Psalm 88:1-18 Samaritan Committee – Sherry Persad
Prayers for the Day – March 31, 2023
Psalm 88:1-18
This is the only psalm that has no positive note expressed in it. The rest of the psalms may speak of trial and difficulty but there is at least some indication in them of hope or commitment. Psalm 88 is one negative expression after another. It also reads like so many situations when we are told that things will get worse before they get better. “My soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave” (88:3), “You have taken from me my closest friends…I am confined and cannot escape” (88:8), “You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend” (88:18).
All the way through this prayer God is the one who is held responsible. “You have…” is repeated several times with regard to the things that have occurred. These are described as “your rejection” (88:14), “your terrors” (88:15), “your wrath” (88:16). This is the kind of tragedy that our insurance industry calls “an act of God.”
And yet the superscription describes this as “a song…for the director of music.” How can this be sung by good Christian people? The redeeming aspect to this depressing cry is that in the midst of despair and disaster we still have someone to pray to. “O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you. May my prayer come before you; turn you ear to my cry” (88:1-2). The all capitalized “LORD” is that personal name for God. So even when we don’t understand and when we find ourselves in such an unexplainable and seemingly unending struggle we still pray. And because we can pray we can also have hope.
Our prayers today are specifically for our Samaritan Committee and for Sherry Persad.
Let’s pray together.
LORD, our Maker and Redeemer, our Provider and our Friend, we need you. We call out to you in our fear and our sorrow. We pray for ourselves and we pray for our neighbors. We pray for those who struggle with financial need and for those who have lost everything in the war in Ukraine and the storms that have destroyed so much in our country from west to east. We pray that you will see us and them through to the end. Oh Lord, hear our prayer and deliver us.
We pray for Sherry and her health, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Protect her and use her to give hope to others who are anxious and afraid. Lord Jesus we offer ourselves and this prayer to you. Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 30, 2023
Psalm 87:1-7
The superscription of this prayer-psalm tells us it is a song. This is a nice reminder that the worship of God is often put to music so that we can remember the messages. Tunes have a way of sticking in our minds and staying with us. How much better to have a psalm-song playing in our heads that some silly advertising jingle.
Psalm 87 is relatively short, and although we don't know what the tune was its message is simple. It is a birthday song. "This one was born in Zion...this one and that one were born in her...this one was born in Zion" (87:4,5,6). Whose birthday is it? Who is being born in Zion? It is the whole world, everyone from Egypt to Babylon, from Philistia, Tyre and Ethiopia. It is not a physical birth that is being celebrated but a spiritual one. It is the birth that Jesus spoke of when he told the religious man Nicodemus "you must be born again...for unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). Zion and the kingdom of God refer to the same thing.
So what does this have to do with us? The song we sing is one that announces to the world the opportunity for everyone to join in the singing and become members with those who believe. The church was never intended to be a closed community, but rather one that proclaims the message of forgiveness and welcome to all people. This is the basic gospel that we have been given to share with all those around us. In this day of anxiety our songs should be clear and loud.
Our Prayer Reminder tells us we pray today for our church newsletter and for Larry Wheeler.
Let’s pray together.
Father, this is a good prayer to remind ourselves of your status as our Father. You are not only our Creator but by virtue of the new birth through Jesus we have been born again and can rightly call you Father. St Paul wrote that if is now our privilege to call you “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15), and Jesus taught us to prayer, “Our Father, who art in heaven.” Thank you for this relational connection. Help us to not only cherish this relationship but also clearly tell others of its reality and the opportunity for them to share in it as well.
We pray that this message will be clearly presented in our church newsletter and that those who read it will be encouraged in their faith. We pray too for Larry that you would give him a full sense of joy, the joy that surpasses fleeting happiness. Remind him of your continued love and fill his heart with the music of this joyful life. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 29, 2023
Psalm 86:1-17
Our prayer-psalm today is a realistic cry in the midst of confusing and often difficult life experiences. It is a deliberate and intentional decision to praise God in the midst of those troubles. It starts with a cry for God to hear us in our need. Answer us, save us, have mercy on us for we are experiencing “the day of trouble.” That is the prayer of the first 7 verses. And then there is a change. Verses 8-13 give voice to the realization of who God is. “There is none like him…no deeds compare with his.” Because of this we ask him to “teach us your ways…and give us an undivided heart.” We determine to praise him. I say that this is a deliberate intentional decision because as the psalm ends it returns to the reality that life is still tough. We are still in need of his mercy and compassion. In other words, our situation does not change because we prayed, but wecan change and with his help we can live victoriously even in times of great difficulty.
We pray today for Syracuse Teen Challenge and for Carole Ianuzi.
Let’s Pray Together.
Lord, we cry out to you in our times of confusion. There are so many things that divide us in this country in a host of social, political, economic issues. We are tired of the all the fighting and are wearied with even trying to determine who is telling the truth. And the large glaring issues that make the news every day with a continually bombardment are followed in each of our lives by the closer to home personal concerns that may be different with each family. All of these things are causes for us to cry out to you in prayer.
At the same time, we are pausing today to praise you. And indeed we have much to be grateful for, much that we have received that we did nothing to earn. We acknowledge your character, your love, your glory, that no one is like you. “You alone are God.” Give to each of us a renewed awareness of your power and presence with us. “Give us undivided hearts” that focus our lives on you as our first priority.
We thank you for the ministry of Teen Challenge and for all those that they have helped and are still helping to overcome life’s addictions. Continue to provide their spiritual and material needs so that more needy people are restored to relationship with you. And for Carole we also pray that she may know the assurance of relationship with you. Keep her from uncertainty with regard to the future. What we pray for her we pray for ourselves. May we walk with you with undivided hearts in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 28, 2023
Psalm 85:1-13
The repeated element in this prayer-song is the thought of God blessing the land. “You showed favor to your land, O LORD” (85:1). “Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land” (85:9). “The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest” (85:12). Land is a significant concept in the covenants that God made with his people. He promised Abraham a land (Genesis 12:1), and he repeated this promise to his descendants. And yet, it is clear from the outset that ownership of the land is not what God intended but rather that his people would be given stewardship over his land. Indeed, we are told that Abraham understood this when it is written about him that he never owned the land he lived in but believed that as an “alien and stranger…he was longing for a better country – a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:13-16).
So our psalm today prays that God would “restore us…and revive us” (85:4,6) so that we are able to have our sins forgiven and learn to live in the peace that God provides. It is then that “faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven” (85:11).
We are to pray today for Schools for Haiti and for Faith Stopyro.
Let’s pray together.
Covenant God, the one who gives to us far more than we can deserve and who never breaks his promises to us, we thank you for your grace. We appreciate the gifts of home and land and all the essentials of life, for food and clothing, for health and education. Make us more aware of these gifts and more grateful for them.
We are reminded today of the ministry of Schools for Haiti and the children that they seek to serve. Do provide for their needs and protect the children from the very unstable situation in their country. Bless these efforts in Jesus’ name. We pray too for Faith. May she know your presence and provision as she seeks to walk with you in all areas of her life. We commit all of these folk along with ourselves to you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 27, 2023
Psalm 84:1-12
What a pleasant prayer-song this is. It starts “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty.” It is the picture of contentment and safety as one finds God to be his/her sanctuary. I often think of this psalm when I look at the outside of our church building and see the bird nests on top of the parking lot lights located along the roof line on either side. “Even the sparrow has found a home…where she may have her young – a place near your altar” (84:3). This is a picture not simply of birds but of the raising of our children in the teachings of the church. What better place to bring them? Who else but the community of faith can provide them with such loving examples and proxy-parents and grandparents?
It is the church and what we have learned here that enables us to withstand the times of difficulty when we “pass through the Valley of Baca,” or the place of weeping (84:6). Troubles do come to us all and the support and compassion shared among God’s people sustains us in the truth of Jesus. We learn here that there is no comparison between the lifestyle of God’s people and the empty pursuit of the ways of the wicked.
For all of these reasons we are glad that we can meet together for our regular Sunday morning public worship. “My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the LORD” (84:2). As the church in Amber we have certainly been blessed.
Our prayers today are for Meredith Arnold with Word of Life Brazil, and for Nancy Barber.
Let’s pray together.
O Lord, we are so grateful for all the wonderful experiences we have had in your house and with your people. This has been truly family for us, a community that loves one another because of Jesus. Thank you for making your home our home.
We thank you for Nancy who has been a member of the Amber Church now for a good number of years. Be with her in these days and surround her with your love. We also pray for Meredith and the ministry she is involved with in Brazil. Provide for her this loving church environment there so that she can aid others in coming into fellowship with you as well.
Thank you for your presence with us and remind us that it is “better to be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of the wicked” (84:10). Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 26, 2023
Psalm 83:1-18
This psalm is another one that is identified as “a song” in the superscription. It is certainly not a joyful song. It sings in the midst of trouble with no evidence of deliverance. The enemy is all around and is seeking to destroy God’s people. In that day the enemies were the armies of the surrounding nations.
The enemies of God are united in their opposition, a motley group who gang up on God’s people. The psalm lists those from Edom, Moab, Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia, Tyre and Assyria. These nations surrounded Israel and were never all that friendly or interested in any kind of respectful religious pluralism. It is interesting how often those spouting tolerance are not tolerant of those who disagree with them.
In this psalm the prayer remembers the stories of the past even as it asks God to do today what he did then. A host of names are mentioned, Midian, Sisera and Jabin, Oreb and Zeeb, Zebah and Zalmunna. These names seem foreign to us, but their stories are told in the Bible in Judges 4-8. In other words, if we are to learn to pray correctly, we will need to have awareness of how God works, and this information has been revealed to us in the pages of the Bible.
The desired result is “that men will seek your name, O LORD…Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD – that you alone are the Most High over all the earth” (83:16,18).
We are to pray today for Men’s and Women’s Conferences and for Laura Isgar.
Let's pray together.
“O God do not keep silent…be not still” (83:1). We come to you today asking that you act on behalf of your people. Save us, protect us, keep us from both disease and wickedness. We pray in the words Jesus taught us, “give us this day our daily bread… and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” You are our only true source of comfort and strength. Give us a hunger, an interest in learning the lessons of the Bible so that we might know you better.
Today we pray for the men and women of our church who attend the conferences that are available to them. For the upcoming LYFE Conference and its attenders we pray a real inspiration and spiritual growth. May you assist them all in their faith. We pray too for Laura and ask your presence with her in all the situations of her life. Let her know of your constant love. Give us all the knowledge that “you alone are the Most High over all the earth” (83:18). Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 25, 2023
Psalm 82:1-8
This is a psalm of social justice. It sounds like a legal proceeding with God the presiding judge. Those that come in before him must give an account for why they have acted in the way they have. He calls them "gods," and although they certainly are no equal to the Lord God Almighty, they do have authority over others and are not using that leadership in a protective way for those under their control. The real issue is the treatment of the poor.
"How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked" (82:2)? That is the charge. It is a familiar one that plays out in every government in the world in all times and places. Do people with power use it only to enrich themselves or do they concern themselves with the most vulnerable in society? In our present situation today this is the discussion with regard to issues such as the provision of health care to those who need it most, the poor and the unemployed. These are not easy questions for government officials to determine but if the discussion is not raised then history tells us that the poor will get poorer while the rich get richer. This is what our Psalm warns is "walking in darkness" and being "mere men" (82:5 & 7). To all of this we as God's people are to pray, "Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance" (82:8).
We are to pray today for New Hope Family Services and Dave and Kristin Heath.
Let's pray together.
Lord God, we come to you with fear and anger and even a sense of helplessness with regard to the confusing scenario of political questions from racism to poverty along with the continuing war in the Ukraine. Many folks in that country have died while the world still seems reluctant to get involved. We are glad that we do not have to make these decisions but we do pray for those who do. We do pray that in all of this the poor and weak, the fatherless and the needy, the aged and sick, the alien and the disenfranchised are not overlooked or seen as somehow expendable. We pray for wisdom and compassion for our leaders and over them all we pray “your kingdom come.”
We thank you for the ministry of New Hope. We are particularly grateful for aiding them in winning their lawsuit so that they can continue providing infants for adoption. Please supply whatever else they need in order to help women in crisis pregnancies. We pray too for Dave and Kristin. Thank you for their faith in you and we pray that it will grow day by day as they follow your message of truth. We commit these along with ourselves to you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 24, 2023
Psalm 81:1-16
This prayer-song was written for a public assembly, probably one of the Hebrew feast days (note verse 3, “on the day of our Feast”). There were three major holidays in the Jewish year, much like the two major Christian holidays, Christmas and Easter. These are the times when everyone turns out for public worship. The familiar stories are told, ones that everyone knows but it is good to recount them again. In this psalm the story was told of the nation being liberated, “when he went out against Egypt” (81:5). This is their salvation story. Our salvation story is the story of Jesus, his death and resurrection.
When Israel came out of Egypt their first stop was at Mt. Sinai where God gave them the 10 Commandments, the first two of which are referred to here in verse 9, “You shall have no foreign god…you shall not bow down to an alien god” (see Exodus 20:3-5). God always makes the basics of faith clear. Any thoughtful and concerned person can easily find God’s truth. I realize that the Bible is a big book but the simple message of what is involved in following God is revealed and celebrated in our major holidays.
But here is the tragedy, “my people would not listen to me” (81:11). As a result, the Lord gives them over “to their own stubborn hearts” (81:12). When we choose to turn away from God’s truth our own pursuits punish us.
Yet God longs to give us all we need. “Open your mouth and I will fill it” (81:10), and “you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you” (81:16). There is no better satisfaction than that which relationship with God provides. It is the fulfillment of our whole being. Walking with him is what each of us was created to do.
Our Prayer Reminder lists TEAMS for Medical Missions and Marilyn Fish.
Let's pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the reminders that you place before us to enable us to walk simply with you. Thank you for the word of God, the Bible, and for the easily recognized and taught gospel revealed in our holiday stories. Thank you for those who have taught us as children the basics of faith, the 10 Commandments, the Golden Rule, the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed. Keep us, Dear Father, from wandering and when we do draw us back to yourself.
We thank you for the Heaters and for all who minister with TEAMS. Bless their work in Jamaica as they seek to aid especially the children who have so little. We also ask that you walk with Marilyn. Keep her healthy and remind her of your grace in her life and all the ways that you have been with her in the past. Draw her closer to yourself. This we pray for ourselves as well in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 23, 2022
Psalm 80:1-19
Our prayer-psalm begins by asking God to hear us, the God who cares for us enough to be our Shepherd and to lead us like a flock. He is the one whose presence among us is symbolized by the Ark of the Covenant which has the golden cherubim perched on the lid and was kept in the temple’s inner and most holy place. It is what in our sanctuary is represented by the big throne room chair up in the front. These visual reminders instruct us to recognize that God is always present with his people.
This prayer calls for this God, our God, to come and restore us. “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved” (80:3). This request is made three times in this psalm, and with each additional expression another name for God is given. At verse 3 it is the most common and general word for God, the word that all the religions of the world use to refer to their gods. The second time this request is made in verse 7 it is to “O God Almighty.” This adds the defining distinction that who we are praying to is the God who has power and authority over all other gods or angels or things worshiped. The Almighty God we are praying to is sovereign and in control of everything. What a reassurance in the face of today’s trouble that we have this God to hear our prayers. The third repetition of this plea is in verse 19 and it adds another name for God, LORD (in all capital letters). This Hebrew word for God in some Bibles is not translated and appears with the pronunciation as either “Jehovah” or “Yahweh.” It is the most personal of all the names used for God in the Bible as it is associated with the passage in Exodus 3:13-14 where God tells Moses to call him “LORD,” which means “I am who I am.” This is the God we pray to, the one who is above all other’s gods, who is almighty and in control, and who is personal and wants to be known and be on a first name basis with each of us.
The requests that fall between these three pleas for God to “restore us” describe how God has always been with his people from the time they were first born. We are the “vine” he brought out of Egypt and planted. He freed us and provided for us, even when we have been mistreated by others and endured difficulties of our own making. He has not abandoned us, nor will he ever. He is our Shepherd. We pray for another deliverance and promise that this time “we will not turn away…we will call on your name” (80:18).
Although this is a prayer for us all, we are focusing our corporate thoughts on the ministry of His Mansion and for Mathew Henderson.
Let’s pray together.
Lord, we are so glad to be able to call you our Shepherd. Lead us, Lord, we need you. We have wandered and we earnestly desire for you to “restore us.” Thank you also that you are not only our God, but you are God Almighty, and you are the God who relates to us personally. Thank you for pursuing us and for bringing us back home.
We pray this same prayer for all those who are trying to follow you and rebuild their lives at His Mansion. Surround them with your grace and provide all those there with all that they need. And for Matt we pray as well. Be his guide as you “shine your face upon him so that he may be saved.” Bless him as he blesses others. Thank you, dear Father, for your grace to us in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 22, 2023
Psalm 79:1-13
Our prayer-psalm for the day is a prayer which remembers the destruction of Jerusalem, the record of which is in 2 Kings 24-25. It looks back on that sad day and tells God all about it, as if he didn’t know already. It acknowledges that this loss was due to the sins of the fathers, but it pleads to not be held responsible for what others did in the past. It even asks for forgiveness for our own sins, something that we cannot provide for ourselves. The end of the prayer turns attention on the enemies who inflicted this loss on us and prays that we, “the sheep of your pasture,” will praise you from generation to generation.
If we look at this as a kind of pattern for how to pray in times of loss the steps are: complaint, question, request, and vow. Verses 1-4 state the complaint that they are now without a place of worship since the temple has been destroyed. What an awful situation. Verse 5 follows with a question, “How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever?” It sometimes seems that the time of trouble will never end. It isn’t wrong to ask God these kinds of questions. Verses 6-12 make requests, which are in fact follow-ups to the question with some possible suggestions for how God could act on our behalf. “Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you…come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.” These requests give way to the vow of verse 13, “We your people…will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.” This is a good prayer for us today and everyday as we try to take a bigger view of our own reality.
Our Prayer Reminder has us praying for RBC Ministries and Jim and Gail Frary.
Let’s Pray Together
O God our Savior, hear us as we pray. We are still trying to adjust to the changes in our world and how they affect the way we do public worship. Yet as we assemble freely we think of those in many countries around the world where war threatens any semblance of religious freedom. We do ask you to “pour out your wrath on the nations” and to correct the injustices in the world. And forgive us and change us that we might know that peaceable kingdom here in our land.
We are thankful for the ministry of RBC and for the devotional booklets that they provide to so many churches. Continue to meet their needs as they seek to aid others in their spiritual development. And we pray for Jim and Gail that you will not only be their strength and guide but enable them to also be an aid the rest of us. This we pray in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 21, 2023
Psalm 78:56-72
In this last section of this long prayer-psalm the waywardness of the people continues. “They rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statues. Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless” (78:56-57). So instead of the corrections of the past God finally became so angry with them that “he rejected Israel completely. He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among men” (78:59-60). When they finally arrived in the land of Canaan, Shiloh was the location where the tabernacle was set up. It was the permanent place for the nation to hold its public worship. Yet when they failed to do so, he allowed it to be destroyed and the articles of worship to be captured and displaced. What a tragic thing it is to be without a central place to worship.
This story is repeated over and over again in the history of the church. When churches fail to attend to the worship of God and replace him with a host of other things, attractions and alternative priorities, then God may turn his back on them and their places of worship become merely buildings, sold and used for other purposes. This is the warning present in the book of Revelation to the churches of that day. “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Revelation 2:5). It is a reminder to us in Amber to not forsake God least we face a similar consequence.
In our prayer-psalm the story turns to a new leader, an unexpected one. “He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens…to be the shepherd of his people… And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them” (78:70-72). I am not sure why David is singled out as an effective leader when the history told in this psalm included leaders like Moses, Joshua and Samuel. But it is nice to know that God is forgiving and is always willing to respond positively when his people return to him. I assume that the timing of this psalms writing was when David was becoming the new leader. A new day with a new potential had arrived. The lesson for us is to be sure to not wander, and when we do to promptly return.
Our prayers today are for the Mars Hill Network (WMHR) and for Tom and Cheryl Fetterman.
Let’s pray together.
Father, you are the God of history. You have walked with your people in every age. You have seen every form of betrayal and abandonment. You have been pushed to the limit of your patience more than once. We come today and offer to you our prayer of confession. Hear us as we seek to worship you as we should, “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).
We thank you for the ministry of Christian radio. Please supply the needs for our local station and all those who work there. May the programing encourage others to walk closer to you. We pray also for Tom and Cheryl. Help them to consistently follow you and be the faithful Christians that you have called and gifted them to be. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 20, 2023
Psalm 78:17-55
Our prayer-psalm continues from the story of salvation to the experiences of life lived in the presence of God. This is history too, our history. It starts by knowing the history of our fathers. They were redeemed from Egypt miraculously as verses 11-15 detailed. But they were not content with that, they wanted their cravings met. So “they continued to sin…rebelling…they willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved” (78:17-18). As we read the stories in the Book of Numbers we are astonished that the people turned away from God so quickly and over such trivial things as what they had to eat. Because of their diet they “spoke against God” (78:19).
In the grace and mercy of God he gave them what they asked for. He opened the doors of the heavens and rained down manna …and meat…. He had given them what they craved” (78:24-29). Yes, we often get what we ask for but we also get what we deserve, “God’s anger rose against them” (78:31). There is a cost to our disobedience and a number of them died and those who didn’t “ended their days in futility and their years in terror” (78:33). Life outside of God’s will is no picnic.
They, and we, make a lame attempt at getting back in God’s graces. “Whenever God slew them, they would seek him…they remembered that God was their Rock… But then they would flatter him…lying to him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to him” (78:36-37). This part of our prayer ends with a retelling again of the miracle of redemption, the story of the exodus (78:42-55). And this is what we are asked to return to as well after our wandering. I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s word to the Corinthians, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith, test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
We pray today for our neighboring churches and for Barbara D’Aiutolo.
Let’s pray together.
O Lord, how often we wander from you. How often we want our own way, our own pleasures, our own cravings. Please keep us from pursuing them, and especially from demanding that you grant them. Teach us from the disasters of our fathers. Thank you for not giving up on us.
We pray this prayer too for all those who worship you in the churches around us. Remind them of your love and grace. And for Barbara too, keep her on track, pursuing you and not becoming sidetracked with other issues. May we all live in such a way that we are good examples to those who don’t know you. Inspire us to live our faith in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 19, 2023
Psalm 78:1-16
This is truly an educational prayer-psalm today. It is a long one and we have divided it into three sections. Today we are praying only the first sixteen verses. This gives us the introduction to our history lesson. If focuses on “things we have heard and known, things our father have told us” (78:3). These basic lessons of faith are passed down from one generation to another. Our part is to make sure that the next generation hears them accurately. “We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD” (78:4). To be sure, we cannot make our children believe. Faith is a personal decision. But we are responsible to tell them the stories and present them with the truths which they must accept or deny. The hope is that “then they would put their trust in God” (78:7).
The primary lesson shared is the story of salvation. Verses 8-16 tell of the exodus from Egypt, how God led his people out of bondage through a series of miracles. He led them through the Red Sea and across the wilderness guided by “the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night” (78:14). He gave them water from the rock in the desert dryness.
We have a story of salvation as well. It includes the exodus story in the days of Moses and the calvary story in the person of Jesus. But it is also a personal one, our own redemption story when we surrendered our lives to the gospel of Christ and became Christians in reality and not just in an inherited designation. That story must be shared with our children and grandchildren. The next generation must hear this and who else will tell them if we don’t?
We pray today for the Congregational churches in our region and for Adele Reagan.
Let’s pray together.
Lord God Almighty, the God who frees us and leads us through life, help us to take our history seriously. Help us to make time to read and understand the stories of our faith, the Bible stories from creation to consummation, from Genesis to Revelation. May these lessons be more than mere facts or incidents, may they be life to us, and may we share them with others.
We pray today for Adele that she too will not only know the story of Jesus for herself but also be eager to share it with others. And may all of us who attend church do so with the intent of following you and not merely as a religious ritual. Hold us close to yourself we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayers for the Day – March 19, 2023
Psalm 78:1-16
This is truly an educational prayer-psalm today. It is a long one and we have divided it into three sections. Today we are praying only the first sixteen verses. This gives us the introduction to our history lesson. If focuses on “things we have heard and known, things our father have told us” (78:3). These basic lessons of faith are passed down from one generation to another. Our part is to make sure that the next generation hears them accurately. “We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD” (78:4). To be sure, we cannot make our children believe. Faith is a personal decision. But we are responsible to tell them the stories and present them with the truths which they must accept or deny. The hope is that “then they would put their trust in God” (78:7).
The primary lesson shared is the story of salvation. Verses 8-16 tell of the exodus from Egypt, how God led his people out of bondage through a series of miracles. He led them through the Red Sea and across the wilderness guided by “the cloud by day and with light from the fire all night” (78:14). He gave them water from the rock in the desert dryness.
We have a story of salvation as well. It includes the exodus story in the days of Moses and the calvary story in the person of Jesus. But it is also a personal one, our own redemption story when we surrendered our lives to the gospel of Christ and became Christians in reality and not just in an inherited designation. That story must be shared with our children and grandchildren. The next generation must hear this and who else will tell them if we don’t?
We pray today for the Congregational churches in our region and for Adele Reagan.
Let’s pray together.
Lord God Almighty, the God who frees us and leads us through life, help us to take our history seriously. Help us to make time to read and understand the stories of our faith, the Bible stories from creation to consummation, from Genesis to Revelation. May these lessons be more than mere facts or incidents, may they be life to us, and may we share them with others.
We pray today for Adele that she too will not only know the story of Jesus for herself but also be eager to share it with others. And may all of us who attend church do so with the intent of following you and not merely as a religious ritual. Hold us close to yourself we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.