21 Days of Prayer – Day 7

21 Days of Prayer - Day 7

Heavenly Father,

O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?

 

 

I confess that I have sinned against You and against my neighbor. At times I have mistreated my neighbors and those in my community. I have not always shown Your love to others.

 

(take a moment to reflect on the past day and confess your sins.)

I am sorry for my sins and pray for Your great mercy. For the sake of Jesus Christ, please forgive me of all my sins.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 
Give us this day our daily bread;
And 
forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.

Amen

Prayer of the Day:

Heavenly Father,

You are Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – In Your Triune nature You have perfect community. You are the Father of all community. You joined Adam and Eve and blessed them with children to form families. You brought the descendants of Abraham together into the nation of Israel. You have formed Your church from the men and women of all nations, tongues, and races.

Today, Lord, we pray for our community. We ask that You would be at work in Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Zephyrhills, New Tampa, and all the surrounding areas that You would strengthen families, create bonds among neighbors, and bring people together in the unity of the church.

Use Faith Lutheran Church to bring a sense of true community to this area. Help us to form real and deep relationships with those around us and foster those relationships between others in the community. Heal the divisions in our community. Help those who feel lonely to know love and what it means to be truly known.

Help us to connect with those in our community that they may come to know the source of true love, the deepest relationship we have in life, our relationship with You.  

Amen.

The Psalms:

The Psalms have long been considered the prayer book of the Bible and have been used as prayers by countless Christians over the centuries. So, we join them in this practice and pray a Psalm.

Psalm 113

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, you his servants;
    praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised,
    both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.

The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
    his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
    the One who sits enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look
    on the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
He settles the childless woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

 

(Take a few moments to lift up any other things that may be on your heart today.)

 

Conclude your time of prayer with either Luther’s morning or evening prayer, depending on what time of day it is.

Luther’s Morning Prayer:

I thank you, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Luther’s Evening Prayer:

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray You to forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me. Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt