---

Dear Father in heaven, we humbly come before you this morning to honor you, glorify you and thank you for this day - and for all our days, for we know that each of them, and the blessings they contain, come from you and your love for us.

Father, we thank you for your son, Jesus Christ, who was born of this world to walk among man, to teach us your ways, and to be sacrificed on the cross at Mt. Calvary so that we could have the hope of eternal salvation.  We pray that each of us may live our life in such a way that it will honor and glorify you and be worthy of Christ’s pain, suffering and sacrifice on our behalf.

We pray for those charged with the oversight of this congregation; that through their faith and trust in you they will have the knowledge, strength of conviction, and courage necessary to instruct us, guide us, and teach us to do those things that will enable us to become better Christians.

We pray for the young members of this church who are exposed to so many negative influences, that through their faith they will have the strength and character to make the right decisions and do the right things.We pray for our brothers and sisters who are shut in, or ill, or about to undergo medical procedures and ask that you be with them to comfort them during their time of need so that through their faith in you they can endure their loneliness or pain, and will eventually be restored to good health so that they can return to worship with us.

Father, we pray for others who are not in attendance with us this morning.  For those who are traveling on vacation or business and for our young people who are in the military.  We especially pray for those who have wandered from the path of righteousness and hope that, through our prayers, their faith will be healed and that they will once again become faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.

Now as we go forward, we ask that you be with Brother Bell as he instructs us in your Holy word.  Help him to present his lesson in such a way that we can clearly understand those things that we need to know to be better Christians; to be caring and sensitive to the needs of others, and to be more aware of the potential we have to be positive influences upon those who are not familiar with you and your ways.

These things we pray for in the name of your blessed and holy Son – Jesus Christ.  Amen