Description
Luke 11:1-13
It is through prayer, that we communicate with God – confessing our sins, stating our needs, asking for help, praising, thanking, and discerning God’s will for our lives. It is a two-way conversation that requires us to listen, think, ponder, and voice ourselves. We cannot do all the talking for we know that conversations also call for a listening ear. As with our conversations with one another, we grow the closest to those who we engage with. This is how relationships are built. This is how we get to know one another. There is no substitute. If we do not pray, we cannot grow in our relationship with God who invites us in this passage to ask, seek, and knock. God loves us so much and loves it when we talk and listen. The beauty and reality here is that this can happen anytime and anywhere. It is through prayer that we come closer to our Lord who seeks to give us an abundant life on earth and eternal life in heaven.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]
Time of Praise and Worship
You Are My Strength
Reuben Morgan © 2007 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Strong Enough
Matthew West © 2010 External Combustion Music / Songs For Delaney / Songs Of Southside Independent Music Publishing, LLC (Admin. by Wixen Music Publishing, LLC) (ASCAP)
God Is Able
Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan, ©2010 Hillsong Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
[Traditional Optionals]
Come, My Soul, With Every Care
LSB 779; LW 433
Eternal Spirit of the Living Christ
EH 698; ELW 402; LBW 441; LSB 769; LW 432; NCH 520; WAR 475
Our Father, Who From Heaven Above
ELW 746; LSB 776; LW 430/431
Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme
Pastor Here we are Lord, ready to share our expressions of honor, love, and praise to you! As we lift our voices in prayer, song, and listen to the Word, may you receive our passionate worship. Hear us Lord, and speak words of wisdom to us today!
ALL Amen!
Opening Prayer
Pastor Almighty God, we know that prayer is so vital to building a relationship with you. As we draw closer to you in prayer at this moment, we have various concerns and challenges mixed with joys and triumphs. It is such a comfort to know that you hear us and respond in your perfect time. It is our desire to know you in a deeper way and cultivate the relationship we have with you. Speak to us Lord and in your compassion, draw us into your merciful embrace. Help us to focus on you rather than all the distractions around us that keep us from meaningful and prayerful conversations. Open our hearts to your wisdom that we may grow strong and wise for the sake of this world, our church, our relationships, and within our families.
ALL In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Time of Greeting
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor Gracious and Merciful God, in our prayer life, You desire that we own up to our sins and areas of weakness and disobedience. You have the attributes of a loving father and compassionate mother who watch over us as your children and beckon us to follow the path of obedience. Hear us now as we make confession to you: (time for silent confession)
People We find ourselves caught in a web of conflicting choices and hear the clamor of many different voices competing for our attention. This causes us to get confused and we feel pulled into what the world would have us do and be. We seek our own way and wander off toward other gods such as success, popularity, and wealth. We find ourselves looking for immediate gratification, the quick fix, an immediate high, and temporary relief. All the while, we are neglecting our relationship with You and Your will for our lives. We are guilty of not putting our attention on You, our Creator, Lord, and Savior. Forgive us Lord for these sins and shortcomings.
Pastor Believe this truth! Your sins are forgiven and your relationship has been restored through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His saving work.
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Genesis 18: (17-19) 20-33
We see in this account that God does punish sin. We also see that God also is merciful.
17 Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” 26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.” 29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?” He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” 33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home
