Prayer & Praise: 09/05/2021
COLLECT
O Lord God, grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
ISAIAH 35:4-7a
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
PSALM 146
Praise the Lord, O my soul; while I live I will praise the Lord. Indeed, as long as I have my being, I will sing praises unto my God. Put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man, for there is no help in them. For when one breathes his last, he shall return again to the earth; and in that day all his thoughts perish. Blessed is the one who has the God of Jacob for his help and whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is therein; who keeps his promise for ever; Who does right to those who suffer wrong; and who feeds the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free; the Lord gives sight to the blind. The Lord helps those who have fallen; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord cares for the strangers in the land; he defends the fatherless and widow; but the way of the ungodly he makes crooked. The Lord shall be King for evermore, even your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. Praise the Lord.
JAMES 2:1-10, 14-17
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
MARK 7:24-37
And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
The friend I asked prayers for a few weeks back, who was on a ventilator with Covid and not expected to live, she is recovering! Glory to God for all things and thanks for your prayers, PhxPeeps.
Seriously, we all thought she was going to die and people were making plans for a funeral. Then a few days ago she “liked” something I posted on FB and I was dumbfounded! So I texted her and she’s going to live. Glory to God and we shouldn’t be surprised when God answers our prayers!
That is wonderful news, Xenia. Rejoicing with you!
Xenia,
That is amazing news…glory to God, indeed!
please remember in prayer…..
BrianD – I lost my sister, and now a friend of the family (my mom)Sherrie has died of cancer. Please pray
Captain Kevin – Appreciate prayer. I’ve been in a Fibro/fatigue/depressed funk all week.
Also, I’m teaching piano and voice at a local studio, and need many more students to make things work.
Brian – My sister died unexpectedly early last Thursday morning. We’re having a memorial service tomorrow. I talked about her a little bit on the Open Blogging thread. I’m rethinking a lot of things now. Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers, especially my brother and my mom — no parent should ever outlive their kids.
Em – I pray for the neighbor (all their yard is gone), but as i pray i have to ask God’s forgiveness as there is a little “serves you right” in the back of my mind
Praying for them, better than i do, would be appreciated. They are church goers, but need a firmer grip on the Faith – IMV.
S. Barnard – healing for my sister as she recovers from open heart surgery
Everstudy – Please keep my son in your prayers as he prepares to head out of state to college (we move him in August). Also, keep my wife in your prayers as she prepares to let our son head out of state for college.
Michael – Prayers appreciated as I navigate this weeks happenings here…major stories take a lot of energy and stamina and I have little of either.
Pray for all concerned that we will act in truth and righteousness…
ERunner – I will also be seeing an endocronologist to have my parathyroid checked as my body is producing way too much calcium. Would you pray this works out and that I will trust God through the process? Thank you. Allan
j2theperson- My friend’s 6 month old grandson had surgery june 17, to unfuse the plates in his skull. If you could keep him in your prayers we’d all appreciate it.
Michael – I could use some prayer
Linnea – Would you pray for Greg? He and my husband play tennis. He was treated for an aggressive brain cancer and thought he was clear, but it has roared back. Please pray for healing and that he and his wife come to know the Lord. Thank you!
Xenia-+Pray for the churches of Sri Lanka
Paige – Asking for prayer for a family issue… God knows…. and the silencing of a lying gossip who is spreading slander about me to family members and others. It’s an on going issue that is quite perplexing, and apparently demonic. Twisted, delusional and strange.
I spoke to a trusted friend about the issue and was told “Satan has given XYZ power to turn people against you” and “XYZ has been used by Satan to destroy your former marriage and harm the church and now to divide your family”.
This XYZ happens to also be cyber stalking me here on the Phoenix preacher.
May God enlighten all souls to see and know Truth and walk in it by His Spirit.
Jerod- find a good internship.
j2theperson- my church has been dealing with crazy church stuff.
cash – depression , PTSD
David H – I could use a prayer. I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy . Right side of my face is paralyzed. Prednisone and an antiviral.
Vicki McClellan – I’ve been struggling since my husband passed. But I have been angry at God for not answering my prayers and healing him. After all, the kids and grandkids and I still need him here. Help me understand.
Michael – heart aneurysm and a bad valve, bad back and neck issues.
Captain Kevin – Please pray for my oldest daughter. She is separated from her husband. This is probably the 3rd time in the 3 years they’ve been married. I’m not sure who is more at fault or if there is any abuse, so I just pray for God’s will. They are believers, I think.
JD – Marshal whose mother told him that she doesn’t love him
JoelG – filing for custody of my 2 younger teenagers. I found hundreds of explicit photos of my youngest daughter that I’m sure have been shared.
-My ex, daughter and I met to talk, discipline and love on our daughter. We’re all in the same page moving forward and she will be getting counseling.
Linnea – Jon and Sarah. Please pray that they would know God’s love and would follow Him out of horrible lifestyles to freedom.
the new Victor – pray for God’s protection and mercy upon my children, who’ve been through a lot, including witnessing domestic violence in the other home, and that I am strong and engaged enough to lead them so they don’t turn out like the sons of Eli.
Bob Sweat – we are asking God to open a door to a small church somewhere in the US who want a pastor to love them and faithfully teach the Word.
Michael, Rick, Joel, Dan, capt. Kevin, Owen – wand to hear from God in their prayer life
JTK- ongoing back issue.
David H – Aunt Ramona has Adenocarcinoma primary lung cancer.
Victor- chronic back pain
Lurkie Loo – dear friend with inoperable Stage 4 glioblastoma (brain cancer). She is 44.
Linnea- sister salvation
Paige- 4 boys to be pleasing to God
Reading your prayer list – prayerfully – dear dusty, thank you
Psalm 31:9, 14-15
“Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.” “But I trust in You, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hands.”
Psalm 6:2-4
“Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long? Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of Your unfailing love.”
Please, Jesus, pray for us. Father hear us out for mercy. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit that we may stay close by Your side. You see our fragile state. Our bodies our week and sick. Our minds our weary from the fight. Our spirit is in peril. Father be our Strength, our Healing ointment, our Strong Tower. God deliver Your children. we are in great need.