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
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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.
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October
1 Psalm 89:38-52 Minister – Tom Fetterman and Cheryl Schulte
2 Psalm 90:1-17 Elders – Joelle Howlett – Danielle Mudge
3 Psalm 91:1-16 Trustees – Deb Eibert, Cameron and Alex King
4 Psalm 92:1-15 Clerk – Nancy Simmons – Cathy Smith
5 Psalm 93:1-5 Treasurer – Eric and Christine Robinson
6 Psalm 94:1-23 Financial Secretary – Margaret Isensee
7 Psalm 95:1-11 Ministerial Relations Chair
8 Psalm 96:1-13 Worship Director – Tom and Noreen Schmidt
9 Psalm 97:1-12 Worship Services – Dorothy Herold
10 Psalm 98:1-9 Sunday School – Mike and Kristin Wetherell
11 Psalm 99:1-9 Bible Studies – Donna Sundwall – Kris Volles
12 Psalm 100:1-5 Youth Group – Gary Sanford
13 Psalm 101:1-8 Christian Education Director – Dawn McDonough
14 Psalm 102:1-28 Men’s Club – Roxanne Pikarsky
15 Psalm 103:1-22 Women’s Fellowship – Nancy Frost
16 Psalm 104:1-35 Supper Club – Deb O’Brien – Alyse Bradley
17 Psalm 105:1-11 Outreach Director – Barbara Webster
18 Psalm 105:12-36 CCCC – Linda White
19 Psalm 105:37-45 CNY Congregational Churches – Connie Amidon
20 Psalm 106:1-12 Neighboring Churches – Angela Trendowski
21 Psalm 106:13-33 WMHR (Wayne Taylor) – Caitlin Sarantis
22 Psalm 106:34-48 RBC Ministries – Laurie Just-Torrance
23 Psalm 107:1-9 His Mansion – Jodi Green
24 Psalm 107:10-22 Teams 4 Medical Missions (John Heater) – Cindy Casler
25 Psalm 107:23-43 New Hope (Kathy Jerman) – Doug and Lynn LaFrance
26 Psalm 108:1-13 Men’s and Women’s Conferences – Jenn Schultz
27 Psalm 109:1-31 Search Committee – Connie Carlton
28 Psalm 110:1-7 Schools for Haiti (Carla Flesch) – Melanie Shelley
29 Psalm 111:1-10 Adult & Teen Challenge (Dave Pilch) – Peter Barnes
30 Psalm 112:1-10 The ShoreLight – Larry Wheeler
31 Psalm 113:1-9 Samaritan Committee – Jared Locke
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Prayers for the Day – October 22, 2024
Psalm 106:34-48
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This last section of our prayer-psalm describes the kind of people who are so determined to live contrary to God that one would think there would be no escape for them, and no compassion for them when things go bad. Yet the opposite is true.
The first thing noted about their disobedience is that “they did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them” (106:34). How like us. How many times have we heard or said that God was wrong to tell the Israelites to destroy the people of Canaan when they came into that land? God is so unjust, so unloving, so judgmental. And we, of course, are full of humanitarian compassion. Actually the story reveals the opposite. The Israelites didn’t do as God told them and instead “they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs” (106:35). Those customs consisted of “sacrificing their sons and their daughters to the demons” (106:38) in the human-sacrificial religions of the Canaanites. The Israelites were so intent upon doing things their way, having the freedom to make their selfish choices, that they didn’t even consider the effect of all of this on their own children.
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Do we? How often have we played with things that we know are wrong, thinking that we know best and we will escape unharmed. No, those who play with fire do get burned, and so do their children.
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Seeing this kind of self-righteous rejection of God in others often produces a self-righteous judgment of them in ourselves. We say, “They deserve what they get.” We have no pity on them at all. And yet God does. “He took note of their distress when he heard their cry…he remembered his covenant and out of his great love he relented. He caused them to be pitied by all who held them captive” (106:44-46). Has God softened our hearts as we look at the state of those who have defiantly wandered? Are we the wanderer who finally is crying out for mercy and salvation?
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It is interesting that the beginning of this pair of Psalms was sung at the celebration of the Ark being brought to Jerusalem (Psalm 105:1-15 and 1 Chronicles 16:9-22). And so is its ending (Psalm 106:47-48 and 1 Chronicles 16:34-36). The story of Israel’s history told twice, once from the viewpoint of the God of grace (Psalm 105), once from the viewpoint of our sin and rebellion (Psalm 106), is both brought together in worship as we learn to sing “Praise be to the LORD…from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Praise the LORD” (106:48).
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We pray today for RBC Ministries and for Laurie Just-Torrance.
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Let’s pray together.
O Lord, how we have wandered. How we have justified our decisions and tried to make your ways seem unreasonable and even cruel. How our rebellion has brought us such pain, how it has hurt our children and those we love. Draw us back to yourself. Lord, have pity upon us, forgive us because of your covenant, because of Jesus.
We pray today for the ministry of RBC and their publication of Our kDaily Bread and other devotional literature. May they continue to be used to bring aid to those seeking to grow in their understanding of the Scriptures. We pray also that you would be with Laurie and the concerns of her life. May she know your guidance and truth as she seeks to follow you. Keep us all from wandering and may we be attentive to your word in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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Prayers for the Day – October 21, 2024
Psalm 106:13-33
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In this section of our prayer-psalm things go from bad to worse. The beginning sins of our fathers seemed somehow excusable, driven by fear as they stood with the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian army behind them (106:7). Would not any of us have had second thoughts about following God in such a situation. But then that sinful lack of faith grew and “they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel” (106:13). Instead the list of sins includes “giving in to their cravings…putting God to the test…growing envious of Moses and Aaron…worshiping an idol” (106:14-20). And despite what God did both in corrective punishments and in gracious provisions “they forgot the God who saved them…they despised the pleasant land…they did not believe his promise…they grumbled and did not obey” (106:21-27). “They yoked themselves to lifeless gods…and rebelled against the Spirit of God” (106:28-33).
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There were key individuals whom God used to try and bring them back, Moses, Aaron, and Phinehas, but their repentance was short-lived and they soon fell away again. This is the history of Israel. It is the history of the church. It is our history. We are the children of sinners and we bear a striking resemblance to our parents.
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The focus of our prayer today is obviously on repentance. We must own our sinful choices and admit to our repeated wanderings. Sin hasn’t snuck up on us and deceived us, we have chosen it on purpose. But God calls us to repentance.
In our Prayer Reminder today we are directed to pray for WMHR (Wayne Taylor), and for Caitlin Sarantis.
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Let’s pray together.
We acknowledge before you, dear Lord, that we are sinful people. We have chosen to do what is wrong and refused to do what is right. This has been the pattern of our lives in big and small ways. Please, Father, forgive us and help us to change.
We pray for the ministry of WMHR. We thank you for the Christian programing that they provide to those looking for spiritual help and encouragement. Continue to supply their needs so that this ministry can aid more in their pursuit of you. We pray also for Caitlin. Bless her and strengthen her as she seeks to follow you. Surround her and us all with helpful examples and the presence of your Spirit that we may learn to walk humbly with our God. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
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Prayers for the Day – October 20, 2024
Psalm 106:1-12
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Psalm 105 and 106 are a pair, they go together each beginning and ending with the phrase “Praise the LORD,” which is as our footnote reveals the word “Hallelu-Yah.” So the prayers that we have prayed and sung for the last three days (Psalm 105) are now to be joined with the ones we will pray and sing for the next three days (Psalm 106). They both tell the same story, the story of salvation, but from two different perspectives. Psalm 105 gave the history of Israel from the viewpoint of God’s grace and provision. Psalm 106 will focus instead on the waywardness and sin of God’s people.
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Of course we must still begin and end the same. “Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (106:1). Even when we are about to discuss our own failures we start with God. He is the only one, after all, who can deal with them effectively. “Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people” (106:4).
The sinful tale begins at verse 6, “We have sinned, even as our fathers did, we have done wrong and acted wickedly.” That first rebellion by the Red Sea that distained the miracles of God’s protection in the plagues and resisted his word and leadership in the exodus is the first sin noted. It was “our fathers…who gave no thought to your miracles” (106:7), but we have sinned in similar ways. God “saved them for his name’s sake” (106:8) and he will do the same for us. When God brings such deliverance, they and we “believe his promises and sing his praise” (106:12). That is our prayer and song today. We know what it is like to refuse God’s direction and we also know what it is like to receive his deliverance. So we sing his praise.
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Our Prayer Reminder has us praying today for our neighboring churches, and for Angela Trendowski.
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Let’s pray together.
Lord, we have much to learn from the path our mothers and fathers took before us. We have been given some very positive examples of how life is to be lived in relationship with you. But we have also been given the tragic examples of proud and selfish wanderers who refused your ways and suffered the consequences. We must admit that we are like our parents and unless we choose to be different from them, we will make the same sinful choices they did. Yet we thank you also for the grace of forgiveness and the opportunity to learn and to be restored.
We thank you that many of these lessons are written down for us in the Bible. We give you thanks for the all those who attend the churches around us. Help them to grow in their knowledge of you and their application of it to daily life. We also ask that you stay near to Angie and draw her closer to you. Give her the awareness of your forgiveness and love. Keep us all focused and growing in our faith. This is our prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Prayers for the Day – October 19, 2024
Psalm 105:37-45
This third section completes our prayer-psalm with verses 37-45. The story that began with God making a covenant with Abraham and led the people from Canaan to Egypt, now leads them back through the wilderness to Canaan again. This is a very God-centered look at history, what theology calls “salvation history.” It is the story that demonstrates how God leads people to relationship with himself. And their story is our story. Just as God had plans for Abraham and his descendants, so we are his children and the plan and the promises of God are for us. As we used to sing in Sunday School, “Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them and so are you, so let’s just praise the LORD.”
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Psalm 105 is the positive telling of our story and this is particularly evidenced in this last section. So verse 37 says, “He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.” That seems like a bit overstated since we have a record of the people faltering and complaining even before they crossed the Red Sea, which was the first major event in their exodus (Exodus 14:10-12). And in verse 40 we read, “They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.” Again “asked” seems an interesting word to use to describe what the book of Exodus called “grumbling” (Exodus 16:2-3). This is the account of our history that focuses not on our past sins but on the grace and provision of God. The next Psalm will tell the other side of this story but here we are to remember and pray and sing about how God “brought out his people with rejoicing…he gave them the lands of the nations…that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws” (105:43-45). That is the goal for all of us, so we end with an appropriate “Praise the LORD” (105:45).
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We are to pray today for the Central New York Congregational Churches, and for Connie Amidon.
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Let’s pray together.
Our Father, we have so much to be grateful for, so much that we have received from your hand. Thank you for leading us through our life journeys with all of its twists and turns. Thank you for your grace as we progressed. Make us now so conscious of your hand in our past that we are committed to “keep your precepts and observe your laws.”
For the churches of our Conference in Central New York we pray. Thank you for their love for you and help them share this love with those in their communities. We are also giving thanks today for Connie. Please supply her needs and give her guidance for the days ahead. And help us all to live and tell our stories as reflections of your story, that the world might come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. We pray all this with grateful hearts in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Prayers for the Day – October 18, 2024
Psalm 105:12-36
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The second section of our prayer-psalm, verses 12-36, is the story of Israel’s salvation. The exodus story in the Old Testament is like the cross and resurrection story of the New Testament. It is about being in bondage and being liberated from that by God’s power.
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Verses 12-25 tell of how the family of Abraham “wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another” (105:13). God was with them in this just as he is with us wherever we find ourselves. They ended up in Egypt as a result of a famine. But even before they arrived there God had preceded the way by “sending a man before them – Joseph” (105:17). Now we know the story of Joseph from the book of Genesis and his arrival in Egypt appeared to be anything but an act of God. He was beaten and sold by his brothers and arrived in Egypt as a slave. Yet his story ends with him saying to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of lives” (Genesis 50:20).
God also used Moses and Aaron, who show up in our psalm-prayer in verse 26. It is through their leadership that the plagues began which ultimately brought the release of the Israelites from Egypt. Yet their story too was one that seemed far from ideal.
So here we are, praying this prayer of salvation from the midst of our situations, personal, national, physical and spiritual. We are far from ideal people and yet God is involved in our lives, perhaps in ways that seem contrary to what we desire or expect. And we may be sure that God is always attentive and active as he seeks to draw us to himself using every means possible.
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Our prayers today are for our Conference, the CCCC and for Linda White.
Let’s pray together.
Lord, we often cannot see you in the midst of our life situations. We wonder where you are, why you aren’t doing more to rescue us in the ways that we desire to be rescued. Help us to see your hand in the dark. Help us to follow your word even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. And help us to be an encouragement to others to also follow you.
We pray this too for the churches of our Conference. We pray for the working of your Spirit in all of these churches so that the story of salvation is made clear to all. We pray for Linda as well and ask that you walk with her and draw her steps closer to you. Keep her heart and mind strong. We give you thanks for all of your works in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Prayers for the Day – October 17, 2024
Psalm 105:1-11
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Psalm 105 is a lengthy prayer and I have divided it into three sections. We are only reading the first eleven verses today. This is a very positive prayer. It is a good reminder to us that when things are not going well God’s word and his promises to us are still true. He made a covenant with us, and he always keeps his word. So “Give thanks to the LORD…sing to him, sing praise to him…glory in his holy name” (105:1-3). We are awakening this morning to a faithful God.
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“Look to the LORD…seek his face…remember the wonders he has done, his miracles and judgments” (105:4-5). History for us is the tool of education but for God it is a part of his eternal present. He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. This is why his promises are always applicable in every age, his covenant with Abraham and Jacob also includes their descendants because “he remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded for a thousand generations” (105:8). They are all present for “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58).
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This psalm is also recorded in 1 Chronicles 16 as part of the prayer-song that was sung when the Ark of the Covenant was moved to Jerusalem. David had it brought up in preparation for the construction of the temple. It was the central item of worship furniture which represented the presence of God among his people. As we read this section today we need remember that our day should also begin by going up to the place of worship. And that place, although space and time have great meaning for us, is where God dwells. Place is his home where we find our home. And consequently “his wonders” should always be met with our worship, we should “seek his face always” (105:4-5).
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Our Prayer Reminder tells us that we are to pray today for our Outreach Director, Cathy Smith, and for Barbara Webster.
Let’s pray together.
Thank you, Lord God our Father, because you are a covenant making and a covenant keeping God. Your promises are true and you do not dessert the people you call your own. We ask that you give us good memories of our own history, the ways you have intervened in our past with your saving and supporting wonders. And in the remembrance of these things prompt us to praise you.
We pray this prayer for Cathy and Barbara as well. Fill their lives with the joy of seeking you. Give them songs to sing even during difficult days. Thank you for walking with them through the ups and downs of life’s journey. We thank you for them. Help them to not only worship you but also with all of us to reach out beyond ourselves to those around us to share the love you have for them. Hear us as we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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Prayers for the Day – October 16, 2024
Psalm 104:1-35
This is a rather long psalm. Usually when we have one that is 35 verses in length we divide it up to shorter sections, but this is such a positive statement of praise for the creation all around us that it is hard to find a place to pause anywhere. And with the last few psalms being more reflective of our own sinfulness and needs it just seemed as though I didn’t want this one to end. What a wonderful, almost carefree romp through nature walking hand in hand with God our Creator.
As I read this song of praise I imagine myself looking at the sky and wondering how vast is the universe. I look down from Oak Hill on Otisco Lake, and from Mt. Battie I see the beauty of the ocean overlooking Mid-Coast Maine. I take a walk in the woods and see the trees and wildflowers; I hear the birds and see squirrels and rabbits and deer. The farm shows me the livestock, but I have to remember my trips to the zoo to see lions and tigers and elephants. I have never been a fisherman, but I love to see the lobster boats pulling their traps when I have been out on the breakwater in Rockland, Maine.
All of these are a part of God’s majestic creation and he supplies each with its “food at the proper time” (104:27). And key among them all is mankind who “goes out to his work, to his labor until evening” (104:23). Yes, there is a satisfaction that comes from our own work whether it be employment or just mowing the lawn. This psalm awakens my mind and memory to the beauty of what God has made all around us. It is that beauty which is still a part of our world and God will again “send his Spirit…and renew the face of the earth” (104:30). So let’s “sing to the LORD all our lives…and praise him as long as we live…. Praise the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD” (104:33-35).
Our prayers today are for the Saturday Supper Club, and for Deb O’Brien and Alyse Bradley.
Let’s pray together.
Lord God Almighty, we praise you for all that you are and all that you have made. Thank you for this world, its creatures and its people, for nature and its beauty and mystery. Give us all a deeper appreciation for what is all around us, right under our noses, which we often overlook because of its familiarity. Thank you for life and love and you.
We thank you for the extended life of our church family and for the enjoyment we have in just being together. The Supper Club gathers us for no particular reason but to enjoy one another and you. We also pray for Deb and Alyse. May they know your presence in the routine of their daily lives. We ask you to provide them with the energy and strength needed both physically and emotionally to continue to be a spiritual encouragement to others. And we pray too for our church. Help us to be an illustration of your creative force in our world. Bless our efforts at serving you and reaching out to those outside in the name of Christ. Amen.
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Prayers for the Day – October 15, 2024
Psalm 103:1-22
Our prayer-psalm begins “Praise the LORD, O my soul…and forget not all his benefits” (103:1-2). Sometimes when we are feeling a little down, discouraged or perhaps even forgotten we wonder just what those benefits are. What are we supposed to praise God for doing? We don’t have to wonder long for the psalm answers us with five benefits in verses 3-5. “He forgives all my sins…heals all my diseases…redeems my life from the pit…crowns me with love and compassion…satisfies my desires with good things.” Now that is quite a list. Examples of them are given in the remainder of the psalm. They are not just general statements. God is very personal and involved in our lives if we open our eyes to see him.
Perhaps it would be good today to do a little historical inventory and make a list of the specific benefits we have received. What sins of yours has God forgiven? Write them down, well maybe not all of them but four or five that you are particularly grateful for. You need not share this with anyone. Then make a list of the ways God has healed you. Another list of the times he has rescued you from times of tragedy. What evidences can you list of his love for you, and finally what good things have you been given that you know are not the result of your own efforts. Having made these lists then read over this prayer-psalm again and sing the opening praise of verses 1-2 and the concluding one in verses 21-22.
We are to pray today for the women of the church and for Nancy Frost.
Let’s pray together.
So often, Father, we start right into our prayer with a list of our concerns, things that we want you to do for us. Sadly, sometimes this is all we think prayer is, a shopping list of desires and demands. But today we want to focus instead on praise and thanksgiving. We are the beneficiaries of so much from your hand, so much grace has been extended to us, things which we did not deserve, nor can we ever repay. We begin with a thanksgiving for the forgiveness of our sin. Are we not grateful because we do not know the depth of our sinfulness? Oh, give us understanding.
We also thank and praise you for our friends. We pray today for the women of our church and especially for Nancy. Thank you for blessing us with their presence in our Christian family. We pray you would give to them all an ever growing appreciation for the gifts and benefits that you have already bestowed on them as well as an increased understanding of all your positive desires for them in the future. Help all of us to praise you and not to forget all your gifts. We say this prayer of thanks in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Prayers for the Day – October 14, 2024
Psalm 102:1-28
As the superscription reads, this is “a prayer of an afflicted man when he is faint and pours out his lament before the LORD.” This may indeed be your prayer. You may be feeling this way for any number of reasons. On the other hand, as you read the first 11 verses with their depth of expressed misery, you may think that this is not you. “My bones burn…my heart is blighted…I forget to eat…I like awake…I mingle my drink with tears.” And since we hear regularly on the news the death and refugee numbers from Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, and now add two more families in the Syracuse area with the death of the two law officers yesterday, we acknowledge that there are many more people who are feeling this way right now.
At verse 12 the prayer changes from a personal lament to a corporate acknowledgement of God’s presence. We can pray this prayer for the families of those who have lost loved ones and those who are in the midst of the pain suffering. We pray with confidence that the LORD is “enthroned forever…and will arise and have compassion… he will rebuild…he will respond to the prayer of the destitute.” And he will do this “so the name of the LORD will be declared…praised…and worshiped.”
The prayer ends with a statement of faith in the midst of life’s difficulties. This is something to hang on to during times of crisis. “In the beginning you laid the foundations…and you remain the same and your years will never end….so the children of your servants will live in your presence.”
We pray today for the men of the church and for Roxanne Pikarsky.
Let’s pray together.
Lord, we are grateful that for most of us the devastations of life have not been severe. We have known the interruptions of our normal routines but most of us have not experienced the complete loss of property and homeland. We have experienced other losses, the death of loved ones, the pain of broken relationships, but thank you that you have not left us to wallow in desperation. You have been present yourself and you have surrounded us with the support of our church family. Help us now to be intentional aids to our brothers and sisters. Thank you for the men of our church who are ready to help others in Jesus' name.
We pray especially today for Roxanne and ask that you give her strength for whatever losses she may be called to endure. Protect her, provide for her, draw her close to you, and make her life a testimony to your grace as you use her to help others. All this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Prayers for the Day – October 13, 2024
Psalm 101:1-8
Our psalm today is a prayer of a determined choice. “I will sing…I will be careful to lead a blameless life…I will walk in my house with blameless heart” (101:2).
This is not easy to do as the psalm isn’t referring to a physical quarantine but about a spiritual choice. “I will set before my eyes no vile thing… I will have nothing to do with evil” (101:3-4). In order to live right we must deliberately choose to not do wrong. But the positive is also expressed. “My eyes will be on the faithful in the land…he whose walk is blameless” (101:6). There are two sides to living as we should.
And this is the attitude and the decision making that should be a part of our everyday experience. “Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land” (101:8). Obviously we are not able to silence others, but we can stop listening to them and thereby stop allowing them to influence us. Instead we must determine to listen and attend to those who walk with God, they are the ones who “will minister to me” (101:6).
Our prayers today are not just for ourselves but also for Dawn McDonough.
Let’s pray together.
We are determined to walk with you, Lord Jesus. We choose to sing your praise and to seek your face. Help us to follow through with this desire and not become distracted and forgetful. We need your Holy Spirit’s help.
What we pray for ourselves we pray for others in our church family. We pray this especially for Dawn. Keep her from troubles of both mind and body. Help her to be safe and protected, provide for her both physically and spiritually. Keep her growing in her faith and walking with you. We pray your comfort and peace on us all as we seek to follow you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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