We come to You in the name of Jesus Christ. We confess that He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is our Advocate with Thee. He is the Mediator between us and Thee. Through Him we come boldly to Your throne of grace.

Lord, we pray for the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray for His presence with us as we come to Thy Word today. For we confess that it is not through perishable seed that we have been born again, but through the living and enduring Word of God. Lord, grant that the Holy Spirit will use Thy Word here this morning to confront our minds and change our hearts that we might love both You and Your Son Jesus Christ with more fervency and zeal.

Father God, we earnestly seek You. Our souls thirst for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water. We live in a wasteland of sin in our culture.

Most women have no modesty. Indecency has become admirable. Propriety has become prudish. Carnality has become canonized. Lust has become entertainment. There is no shame anymore.

Men have forfeited their masculinity. Strength has been replaced with softness. The durable has been replaced with the delicate. Authority has been replaced with smoothness. Proclamation has been replaced by storytelling. Principle has given way to pragmatism. Sentimentality has become the religion of the modern man. Meaningless rhetoric has become the language of leaders. Dying unto sin has been replaced by living in a relationship. Righteous indignation has given way to complacency. Emotions have become the standard of right and wrong. Rather than engaging the mind, we perform for the mindless. Rather than call men to repentance, we call men to amusement and entertainment.

Lord, where is the wise man? Where is the sober man? Where is the man who can discern the times? Grant to us leaders in our families, our churches, and our nation who we can follow with confidence. Give us men who are wise beyond their years who can discern truth from error. Give us leaders who know danger, who can separate themselves from the pack, who can find their way through the darkness, and who can hold to the foundation while the wind blows in every direction.

Lord, every generation has had a plight of troubles. We have ours. They seem overwhelming. The future looks dim. Your people are the salt of the earth. If we lose our savor, what shall happen to the world? Revive Thy people. Give us obedience. Make us salt and light. Help us to trust and obey. May our children not rise up and curse us some day because we fell asleep or because we were at the party when we should have been on the battle lines. For the decisions we make today shall affect generations to come, in our families, in our churches, and in our nation. We live and die for future generations. Lord, give us wisdom in these things.

Lord, we pray for the afflicted, for those who are sick. We pray for those who deal with pain everyday. We pray for those who have lost hope. We pray that they may be healed. We pray for those burdened down in their minds with weights too heavy to bear. Lord, guard our minds. Give hope to those who are discouraged. Give light to those who are depressed.

Lord, help us to understand that even though You transcend us, yet You are in our midst accomplishing Your purposes. You are in the midst of the fire. You are in the midst of the earthquake. You are in the midst of our trials. You are not far away. Where others see only evil, we see purpose. Where others see only hurt and sorrow, we see Jesus. Lord, it is only by faith that we can do this. Give us more faith.

Lord, we give thanks that You are patient with us. We are sometimes slow to understand. We can be hard headed and stubborn. We can be stiff-necked. Sometimes, we can only learn by being broken. Sometimes, we must walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Sometimes, the world must become dark, before we can see the light. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Only when some men are brought to the brink of destruction can they be converted. Lord, convert the proud and stubborn. Bring them low, that they might learn to depend on You and praise Your Name. Crush the rebellions and break them into pieces. Then may the Gospel put them back together again and may they become willing servants of the Master.