Sustaining Savior

Christ the King Sunday

Lord, sustain me as you promised, that I may live! Do not let my hope be crushed. ~ Psalm 119:116 (NLT)

Now, may the God of peace himself cause you to be completely dedicated to him; and may your spirit, soul, and body be kept intact and blameless at our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (CEB)

KEY IDEA:

Christ Jesus sustains his people through trying times -- keeping our hope alive.

PRAYER:

Prince of Peace, thank you for holding me together when everything around me is pulling me apart. I need to trust you more in the midst of the chaos. Sometimes I feel that all the hope in me has been crushed. I feel anger and rage because of the direction that the world has turned. Fill me with your peace so that I can continue to trust you through even the most trying of times. I'm going to live a life completely dedicated to serving you. Amen.

Guidance

Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? ~ Isaiah 8:19 (NLT)

But anyone who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit with him. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:17 (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

Since our connection is with the Lord, he is the only guide we need or should have.

PRAYER:

Lord,

THANKS: Thank you for leading me. I do not know where I would be without you.

REGRETS: Unfortunately I do not pay as close enough attention to you as I should. Sometimes I even ask the wrong people for guidance. That never turns out right.

INTERCESSION: Please continue to direct my life so that I end up where YOU want me and with who YOU want me to be near.

PURPOSE: I'm trusting in your guidance.

Amen.

Help!

I am in trouble, Lord. Help me! ~ Isaiah 38:14b (NLT)

In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don’t know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words. ~ Romans 8:26 (CEV)

KEY IDEA:

The Lord responds to our trouble -- even when we're unable to express our need.

PRAYER:

Lord, I am so grateful for your intervention. I don't know how you do it. Even when I'm beyond words you jump in and hear the cries of my broken heart. All I can say is thank you. I'm going to relax because I know that you are watching out for me. Amen.

Creation reveals

Look around you: Everything you see is God’s—the heavens above and beyond, the Earth, and everything on it. ~ Deuteronomy 10:14 (MSG)

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. ~ Romans 1:20(NLT)

KEY IDEA:

The creation reveals a lot about God and what is important to him.

PRAYER:

It is an honor to know you and serve you, Lord. Thank you for making yourself known, first through creation and then through Christ the creator. I confess, though that I take a lot about the creation for granted. I don't work very hard to preserve beauty or find alternatives to pollution. Help me to grow more sensitive to the needs of the planet -- and through my observations to grow deeper in my understanding of you. I'm going to live as a Christian environmentalist. Amen.