Good morning, Lord

Matthew 20:25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Good morning, Lord, please help us serve as we should, please help us follow your example, please help us to offer our lives, we can’t do it on our own, please help us. Thank you for laying down your life for us, please help us do the same for the lost all around us, for your honor and glory.

Lord, we pray for the persecuted church in Sri Lanka (where “many Sri Lankans perceive Christianity as a foreign religion and a colonial imposition.”). We pray the eyes of many Sri Lankans would be opened so they can see the truth of your glorious gospel, that they will see that faith in Christ is not some colonial imposition, that true faith in Christ is not even manmade, but a gift from you. We pray your church in Sri Lanka would stand strong in the face of persecution, we pray for many on this island nation to come to know you, the only true God, and see the beauty of salvation in Jesus Christ alone.

We pray for the unreached people of the day, the Bederia of Sudan, 810,000 people who “are virtually all Muslim. Eight of the groups are Sunnis, while the others belong to the Malikite sect. All of them faithfully observe the "five pillars of Islam." Many of the men and some of the women are able to make pilgrimages to Mecca…(they) hold various religious celebrations and also place importance on many life stage transitions.” Lord, we pray for the Bederia, we pray that the New Testament available in their language would soon be followed by a completion of the Old Testament, we pray they would see you, high and lifted up, that they would know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ who you have sent.

We pray for Bloodwater Mission, thank you for this organization, thank you for the water they bring in to the lives of many around the world, please help them continue to touch lives, please bless them with generous supporters, please help them show others how important it is to bring safe water to a community that has none.

(Prayer List)

Barbara Barger: Praise – my brother Edwin is doing much better – please pray for the 2 Bible Colleges he is establishing in the Philippines and the church buildings they are going to be constructing in the next 9 months. Lord, we pray for Edwin to heal completely and to be able to continue in the work you have called him to. We pray these churches and colleges would be cities on hills, and that your light and your love would shine forth from these places.

Cyndi Beals: Still looking for a job; unemployment has ended – please pray! Lord, we pray you would help Cyndi end this unemployment season, please help her see and know you are working in her situation.

Tim Belford: Increased difficulty breathing – in need of lung transplant. Lord, we pray for the Belford’s, please help their doctors find healing for Tim, we pray for new therapies, we pray for a new lung, we pray you would use some miraculous means to bring breath to Tim.

Cody & Trish Blair: Healthy pregnancy and baby, due April 21st. Thank you for the Blair’s and this baby, thank you for their faithful example to us, please help them have an uneventful pregnancy. We pray for Sheala and her missions trip to Alaska this summer, please help her see how you might be calling her into something wonderful, possibly a life of serving on the mission field.

Irene Burgett: Continued prayer for strength and peace. Lord, we pray for the Burgett’s, please help them cope with aging issues, please help them see how you can still use any of us, no matter how old we get, you can still use us to touch the lives of others.

John & Nancy Burgett: Nancy’s son, David Ray. Lord, we pray for David, please help him find you, please help him see how you are leading in his life, how you are pointing him towards better choices, how you are working to draw him close to you.

Miles & Mary Call: Please pray for Adam & Tracy Lyle (our nephew and his wife) as they are going through a high-risk pregnancy; a friend, Sherri Best Buirrea, has leukemia, liver failure, and needs heart surgery. We pray for Adam, Tracy, and Sherri to know you are sovereign, to know you are in control, to know you will never leave them or forsake them.

Bob & Lois Carpenter: Jobs for Granddaughter and friend; God’s guidance for grandson, Walter, and his family. Lord, thank you for Bob and Lois and their faith, please help them do what is best for Walter and his family, please help them see how they can help in healthy ways.

Alice Chapman: Deeanna Ammel (my brother’s wife) undergoing treatment for last stage melanoma. We pray for Deeanna, we pray each day is special, a unique blessing to Deeanna and her family, we pray win or lose, that you will get the glory in their lives. We pray the peace that passes understanding would keep them together.

We pray all these things in your name, Jesus, Amen.