Author Archives: odes4hg

Lord, thank You for blessing us with another day.  You gave us this life so help us to live it fully.  Open our eyes to see things that we do not see because it’s so easy to see but not recognize.  It’s so easy to listen but not hear.  It’s so easy to say the right words and not follow through.    It’s unfortunate for those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.  But You Lord, see not as we see: we look on the outward appearance, but You see inside our hearts.  So change our hearts so that we can recognize how we can serve You and serve our neighbor.  We may not know each and every need of those in our lives but we can be to them as You are to us: A friend.   So as we turn to You in our times of joy or sorrow let us to also be there for others who turn to us.  Stop us from choosing not to see how we can help others because the way that we treat each other is the same way that we treat You.  If we want to be in full relationship with God then we need to be in full relationship with His people.    So as we pray for our needs today let’s also pray for the needs of others.  It’s never too late to pray.  You, Lord, will always hear beyond our words and provide grace, mercy and love.   Help us to do the same.

Lord God, thank You for the gift of another day and another opportunity to live this life to our fullest potential.  Help us to be grateful for the blessings that we have been given.   The problem is that we always want more.  We want better.  And we want it now.  Stop us from being selfish with our money, our time, our possessions and even with our faith.  For all that is in the world, is not of God but is of the world.  And the world is passing away.  But You, Lord, are forever and You give us the gift of choice and free will.  So that even in our finest hour or our weakest moment we all can choose how this story called life will read.  So let’s redefine the legacy that we leave in this life by investing into the Kingdom of God and all of God’s people.  Help us, Lord, to let go of the successes and the failures of the past so that we can hold on to the truth that is Jesus Christ who allows us to not be the rich fool but instead gifts us the opportunity of being rich in God.  In the end, how can we measure our worth? Not in what we had but in how we lived this life.  Almighty God give us sufficient grace to follow You all the days of our life in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Lord God, we thank You for Your Word.  Your Word that tells again and again that we don’t need to be scared of this life because You will not forsake us and that Your promises will not return void.   We are all here today because someone, that was inspired and empowered by Your Holy Spirit, took the time to plant the seed of faith in our hearts.   Grow us in our faith to You each day.  Grow our faith beyond ourselves, and our worldly understanding.  Grow our faith beyond the confines of this building so that we can plant the seeds of faith in people that we’re never going to meet.  Seasons and people may come and go but You, Lord, are constant.  So as You died our old selves also died.  And as You were resurrected, we are all made new and have the promise of everlasting life.  And because You live on today, we can face anything and live our lives boldly knowing that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

Father God, You spoil us with Your love. You spoil us with the gift of free will and choices. But it’s never enough for us because we think that the world can give us something worth more than the love of our Creator. We want passion, we want to see all that the world has to offer, we want more, we want so many things that we forget You. We forget to be grateful for the ability to live. We let these other things get into our heads but they are empty and they will vanish just as fast as they came. Is it too late? Do you still have a place for us? Is there grace? You have answered us by sending Your only Son Jesus to meet us with arms wide open on that cross so that we could know that the answer is always “Yes.” So don’t let us stop ourselves from coming back to You. Don’t let fear, shame or pride prevent us from taking that step closer to You. We live prodigally by fulfilling our wants, desires and sinful ways but You, Lord, are prodigal in love, mercy and compassion even when we’ve messed so bad. We pray to be prodigal in our humility because You are God, You are good, You are love, You are forgiveness, You are mercy and You are grace. You are all that You say You are and we thank you for never forsaking us.

Loving God, You have given every man and woman a father that gave them life. No matter our situation, You have made it clear that we must honor our parents. We can honor them by loving them as You, our Heavenly Father, love us. We can lift them up instead of bringing them down. We can be thankful for their contribution to our lives instead of forgetting them. We can also forgive them as we have been forgiven. As the Body of Christ, here on earth, each of us have the opportunity to reflect God’s love to all people. So let’s love those that gave us life and give thanks to those who have nurtured, cared for, and taught us even if we were not their children.  And let’s watch over all of those who have just recently became fathers. Let us, as a community of believers, help strengthen their faith and the faith of those around them in the truth of Jesus Christ. And for the fatherless child, the child that yearns for a father that is not there, we pray that the church will rise up for those that cannot help themselves. And for those who grieve for a father that has left this world, we ask that You keep the memories of love, family and honor ever etched into the minds of their children so that the love of God, that dwells in all of us, will also connect us and bind us together from generation to generation until the end of time. Thank You, Lord, for the gift of life and for the gift of those who raised us. As we honor them, we honor You. To God be the glory.

Grateful. One word, Lord, “grateful.” We are grateful for the gift of life, however long it may last. We are grateful for each breath and moment. We are grateful to the One who makes all things possible, who makes all things new, and who washes away all of the mistakes that we make in this life. We are grateful for grace, a gift from God, just like the gift of life that we never asked for or deserved. It is simply given to us. For as You said to Moses, that “You, Lord, will have mercy on whom You have mercy, and You will have compassion on whom You have compassion.’ It does not depend on our desire or effort, but rather on God’s mercy alone. So let’s celebrate in that truth instead of competing against each other for who got to God first, we should all be grateful that God first got to all of us through His Son, Jesus, as the ultimate testament of sacrificial love. We don’t need to be the judge or gatekeeper because we also stand in the same line with other sinners. And when we do meet You, at the end of this life, would we want Your mercy or Your judgment? The answer to that question is revealed in how we treat others in this life. Let’s come together as brothers and sisters for we are all sinful and have fallen short of the glory of God. And yet, we are also all forgiven and released from the shackles of sin and death because of the miracle that is Jesus Christ. However hard this life may be or whatever burden tries to pull us down, the Word of God releases us from the limitations of this reality on to His possibilities.

Lord God, take us away from our preoccupation on ourselves, and what we can or cannot do. Empty us of our pride and shame. Clear away the idea that we can somehow handle this life on our own or that we are too undeserving of Your help. Sometimes, we are our own worst obstacles in this life. We hold on to the baggage of our failures and our successes of the past. So then how can we hold on to the truth and grace of Christ if we’re holding onto other things that hold us back. 2000 years ago, You proved Your love for all mankind by sending the miracle of the Word made flesh, the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. 2000 years ago You were killed because You told us to love God and to love each other. Your love, that never fails, made history then and is still making history now by changing our lives into God’s possibilities. So let’s accept Your help and let’s accept Your mercy when the world turns cold and our friends are no where to be found. We have a friend that is always there beyond our expectations throughout every moment of joy or sorrow. We have Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of life and the gift of remembering where our lives comes from.  Today, we pay tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the preservation of our way of life.  A life where we are free to worship You without fear of persecution.  But freedom comes at a cost.  All of those who gave their lives for our sakes mirrored the sacrifice that You made on the cross.   Even as You were nailed to the cross, You embraced all of us and all of our sins so that we could understand how You love us and why you are jealous for us.   Today we confess, we confess that it is by Grace alone that we have been saved by the free and unmerited gift of Your favor.   It is through our faith in the only begotten Son of God that we have eternal life.   It is through the Word of God, the Word made flesh, that we know that even as we walk through darkest of valleys we are never alone because You, Lord, are always with us.  Your truth marches on in all of us Lord.   So let’s live this life fully in the cause of Christ because there is no more time to hold on to past regrets or afflictions that are simply eclipsed by God’s Glory.

Loving God, You have given every man and woman a mother that worked with You to give them life. No matter our situation, You have made it clear that we must honor our parents. We can honor them by loving them as You, our Heavenly Father, love us. We can lift them up instead of bringing them down. We can be thankful for their contribution to our lives instead of forgetting them. We can also forgive them as we have been forgiven. As the Body of Christ, here on earth, each of us has the opportunity to reflect God’s love to all people. So let’s love those that gave us life and give thanks to those who have nurtured, cared for, and taught us even if we were not their children. Let’s watch over every mother who is currently with child. And let us, as a community of believers, help strengthen their faith and the faith of those around them in the truth of Jesus Christ. And for the motherless child, the child that yearns for a mother that is not there, we pray that the church will rise up for those that cannot help themselves. And for those who grieve for a mother that has left this world, we ask that You keep the memories of love, family and honor ever etched into the memories of their children so that the love of God, that dwells in all of us, will also connect us and bind us together from generation to generation until the end of time. Thank You, Lord, for the gift of life and for the gift of those who raised us. As we honor them, we honor You. To God be the glory.

Lord, there is so much diversity in the body of Christ. We all come from various backgrounds and experiences but we all share the commonality of being children of God. We all share in the gift that was and is Jesus Christ. So awaken our souls to embrace this gift that we share: The gift of God’s truth, grace, mercy and love. So that we can live this life as the redeemed people that we are. If we say all the right words and do all the right things but don’t share the in the same love that we are given by God then we have missed the point. The point that we are all connected as one body through You, Lord, because You don’t see our mistakes of the past and instead sees us made new in Your glory and in Your grace. We are the light of the world. We are all sinners and we are all saints that can be the salt of the earth that spreads the truth of the Gospel that unites all of us in a bond with our Creator and each other until the end of the age.