Prayers – December 22, 2024
Prayers
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
Thank you, Lord, for reminding us on this fourth Sunday of Advent that we light the candle of love. God showed His love: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9) and He tells us to show love to others: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. (John 13:34-35) We give thanks, Lord, for Jesus: Whoever believes in Him will never perish but have eternal life(John 3:16). Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)
Have your way in us, Lord, even as we fight to control each aspect of our lives, guide us to be more like Jesus….
● may we reflect on the conditions of the baby born in Bethlehem when there was only a manger for his head. Lord, guide us to open the door of our hearts to make room for Jesus who leads us to eternity with our Father
● lead us to put our trust only in God. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
● lead us to put God’s will first. Jesus came to do God’s will. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. (Hebrews 10:9, 10).
● help us to respond to the birth of Jesus like the angels and shepherds, glorifying and praising God, for He is worthy.
We pray for brothers and sisters not only at CCC but also outside our walls, asking that God’s good and perfect will be accomplished even though we might not understand the process or outcome….
● for physical healing and patience for those with pain and frailness in body and mind
● for the children in Guatemala, Sierra Leone and Columbia who will be receiving our Shoebox gifts. We pray for their physical and spiritual well-being
● for believers who don’t have a supportive environment or church in which to grow their faith – may God send good role models and other means to provide light in their darkness
● that dissatisfaction with the world results in positive action for change
● that we may share the reason we celebrate Christmas with someone this week
● that our children live in conditions where they feel safe and are nurtured in the love of God
For more prayer items for our world, our country, our community, our church, our family, and ourselves, please see our monthly prayer calendar on the website.
禱告事項
“又要以耶和華為樂，祂就將你心裡所求的賜給祢。” 詩篇37:4
感謝主 … 在將臨期的第四個主日提醒我們點燃「愛的蠟燭」。神彰顯了祂的愛：「祂差遣祂的獨生子到世上，讓我們藉著祂得生。」（約翰一書4:9）祂也吩咐我們彼此相愛：「我賜給你們一條新命令，乃是叫你們彼此相愛。我怎樣愛你們，你們也要怎樣相愛。你們若有彼此相愛的心，眾人因此就認出你們是我的門徒了。」（約翰福音13:34-35）主啊，我們為耶穌感謝祢：「凡一切信祂的，必不至滅亡，反得永生。」（約翰福音3:16）「感謝神那無法形容的恩賜！」（哥林多後書9:15）
主啊，儘管我們努力操縱生活的各個層面，求主幫助我們按祢的方式行事, 讓我們變得更像耶穌…
● 求主幫助我們思想伯利恆馬槽裡嬰孩的降生，當時只有馬槽為祂的頭提供安息。主啊，帶領我們敞開心門，為耶穌預備地方，祂將帶領我們與天父共度永恆。
● 求主帶領我們單單信靠祢：「你要專心仰賴耶和華，不可倚靠自己的聰明；在你一切所行的事上都要認定祂，祂必指引你的路。」（箴言3:5-6）
● 求主帶領我們以神的旨意為首要：「耶穌來是要成就神的旨意。因為神的旨意是要我們藉著耶穌基督一次永遠的獻上祂的身體，得以成聖。」（希伯來書10:9-10）
● 求主幫助我們像天使和牧羊人一樣，回應耶穌的降生，榮耀並讚美神，因為祂配得讚美。
我們不只為教會的弟兄姐妹禱告，也為在教會以外的弟兄姐妹禱告，即使我們完全不明白上帝的旨意為何，我們仍祈求祂完善的旨意成全。
● 為身心疼痛和虛弱的弟兄姐妹祈求身體的醫治和耐心等待的恩典。
● 為將收到我們「愛心鞋盒」禮物的瓜地馬拉、塞拉利昂和哥倫比亞的孩子們禱告，求主保守他們的身體健康與靈命成長。
● 為那些缺乏信仰支持環境的信徒祈求，求神賜下好的榜樣和其他方式，在他們的黑暗中帶來光明。
● 求主使我們對這個世界的不滿轉化為改變的積極行動。
● 求主帶領我們本週與人分享聖誕節的真正意義。
● 求主讓孩子們生活在安全的環境中，並在祢的愛裡得以滋養。
請參閱我們網站上的祈禱日曆，繼續為我們的世界、國家、社區、教會、家庭和自己恆切禱告。