The good news of Christ
© 2019 J. Randal Matheny
O God, transform my mind,
Give power to leave behind
All worldly ways and timid days,
Be to your will aligned.
Create your life in me,
The Spirit’s full degree
With joy untamed and hope ordained —
Of earthly suffering free.
Perfection my desire,
Your holiness my fire —
The Savior’s zeal my close ideal
To move me higher and higher.
Our Father who abides in and reigns from heaven,
These things we ask and pledge in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Lord, thank you for relief
From suffering, pain, and grief,
From mental anguish, harm,
And sharp emotion’s alarm.
Thank you, God, for rest
From labor and cares; for blest
Eternal hope — I give
All praise to you, to live
And move and deeply breathe —
O Father, I believe!
Father, bless your people with material prosperity when their goal is like Gaius’s, to support the progress of the Good News of Christ.
Thank you for generous congregations and individual saints who give for the gospel rather than squirreling away their monies for savings and investments or spending lavishly upon themselves.
Help us to make proper use of our funds in our personal accounts and in our spending of funds for the use of reaching others to save them for eternal life.
Keep us from the idolatry of greed, from the love of money, from the devotion to work and earning salaries that prevent us from full devotion to your Son as Lord and Savior.
Put in our hearts your love and kindness that will overflow in good works and giving to supply needs.
For the children of your saints we pray,
That in all things, O Lord, they might obey,
Not ever swerving to the right or left,
And never of your righteous grace bereft;
O Father, may they humbly teach their own,
Pass on the one true gospel faithfully,
Both while they’re young and even when they’re grown,
Fulfilling all their duties joyfully.
Heavenly Father, show me your love and power
Your child am I — created in your image
You know my needs, my every fear and pain
I trust in you — on you I wait in silence
Still my troubled heart and restless mind
Sustain me with your every promise kept
By day I search for you till setting sun
Your name upon my lips in dark of night
Thanks I give for what I have been given,
For what I’ll still receive — Whatever my want
I’ll not complain, but think of Jesus Christ,
Who walked the lonely road to Calvary’s tree.
John 15.15
Father of lights, thank you for friends, for friends who are brothers and sisters, who have the same goals, the same desire of heaven, the same need for your fellowship.
You created us for love, and in your family we can lower our guard, trust our friends to be accepted, provide that safe space that so many are searching for.
At the same time, what a blessing to be among friends who don’t let us stray from the truth, who are willing to confront us to our face so that we will be honest with ourselves about our rights and wrongs.
Help us to put high value on our friends in Christ. Keep the friendship with the world far away.
Help me to be a true friend and brother to all your children.
In the name of him who showed what it means to be a friend — Amen.
Jesus the man, of calloused hands,
Of muscled arms, of work and wood;
The God of sweat and tears and blood,
At the Father’s side, you sit and rein:
Now in heaven, in power and might,
Break open our hard and painful shell
Of sin and self-reliant hell —
Put all our lonely fears to flight.
Pierce the silence — heal the pain —
O Christ who knows sharp solitude,
Whose prayers showed every human mood —
Lord save me from the curse of Cain.
You felt no lack, in perfect want;
With him who sent you, thought as one —
Surrendered glory — God’s will was done —
Raise me to your transfigured Mount.
Lord God of us all,
Let no cheap imitation of faith or zeal deceive us.
Warm our hearts in the fire of the Cross.
Be glorified in your people who love as you do.
Remind us of our need for your grace.
Forgive us daily of our many stumblings.
Inject us with the joy of eternal hope.
Increase our faith, for greater service in your kingdom.
Because Jesus is Lord. Amen.
This poem was inspired by this comment
For our transgression we lament,
O God, whose eyes see naught of sin;
With broken pride, our strength is spent,
Against the world we cannot win.
Your heavy hand upon us weighs,
How long to rest, O Lord, how long?
Why must we wait? Why such delays?
Why must we sing this tearful song?
Reveal your power, your upraised hand,
Come heal our sad and broken soul;
Break now your silence, give command —
To bring relief and make us whole.