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Day of the dead

Help us evangelize

This day, when flowers upon a grave are laid,
When honoring lights are lit, and prayers are said,
When tears are spilt, the living remember the dead,
I think of souls whose Judgment looms ahead.

No fate can change by suffering beyond the grave,
But only the Cross of Christ—the life he gave—
Redeems the lost who obey this side of death,
Who follow the Blessed Name while still there’s breath.

So while I breathe, while blood flows in the veins,
While the mind is sound, and bodily strength remains,
Let every thought and movement be given to save
The moribund dead before they enter the grave.

—JRMatheny

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Loose my tongue

God of the living word, I wait for your power in order to speak effectively. Loose my tongue, give me speech, let the words of my mouth gain respect among the people, for the words are yours.

Cause new growth to spring forth from among your people.

Let us work together to complete our service in the Word. Let Scripture have its powerful effect upon open hearts.

Let opposition not intimidate us nor keep us from our task. We ask, as did the first-century church, for boldness.

 

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Not peace upon the earth

Not peace upon the earth, but a sword,
The gospel cannot be ignored;
The Son of Man will bear his cross,
And calls his kin to wear this loss
Of friend and brother, lands and gain,
To preach in Athens, Rome, and Spain.
May I be faithful now and hence,
With God my strength, my recompense.

—JRMatheny

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Forbid that Satan bind this soul

Sovereign Lord, the seed is sown,
The heart is touched with holy grace;
Forbid that Satan bind this soul
Desiring to love and serve the Master.

Keep cares from choking wisdom’s choices,
Let faith bring forth its full effect;
Let rise from dust to resurrection
The death of self, for the door of life.

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The grandest project of all time

Thank you, sovereign God, for making me a part of your plan, for putting your word in my mouth, for allowing me to participate in the grandest project of all time, the rescue and transformation of souls.

To think that through your plan of salvation we touch eternity and extend the reach of your reign into more and more lives is nothing short of amazing.

Help us to be worthy of your calling, dependent on your strength, faithful to your truth, deposited in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

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We see the world through screens, Lord

We see the world through screens, be it a television, a computer monitor, or a porch screen door. And other screens, too, Lord, you see in our hearts, of color of skin, of prejudices toward men, of warped truths and lies that wear makeup and evening dresses. Help me to see as you see, to look at each person as a precious soul, to perceive the depravity that rules this world, the corruption that lies beneath the surface of every thought and activity on earth. Make me pure and whole, like Jesus, and make me an agent for human rescue from this world and santification to prepare for your presence.

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O God, our Rescuer, let my satisfaction with being holy be surpassed

O God, our Rescuer, let my satisfaction with being holy like you be surpassed only by my joy over one sinner who repents, because it echoes the joy in heaven among your angels. Use me as your agent for that one sinner to hear the good news that repentance is a real option and that salvation is near.

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You, Lord, don’t want me to walk in circles, like Israel in the desert, until I drop

Sovereign God, Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years to die there. This was your judgment on them for disobedience. But you don’t want me to walk in circles until I drop. Give me focus, the objective of glorifying you by actions and words. Let my goals be clear, my specific tasks well defined, my activity that of Jesus: to bring others to you. Because he is Lord! Amen.