Matthew 13
Pastor Lawrence

Prayer for Devotion: O Christ, you are the great treasure hidden in the field, you are the pearl of great price. What is there in heaven or on earth that can compare with you. You are more precious than silver, more beautiful than diamonds, more costly than gold and nothing we desire can compare with you.

Prayer of Thanksgiving: Our Father, we give you thanks that it has been given unto us to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven and the source of all life and happiness in the king. We give you thanks for giving us a great measure of grace in these matters along with the promise that to him who has, even more will be given that we might have an abundance of your goodness and grace.

Prayer of Confession: O Holy Spirit, our hearts have grown dull to the wonders of your gospel and the greatness of your glory. We have forgotten how blessed it is to be the recipients of your Holy Word, and how many of the saints in the past longed to see and to hear what we now have the benefit of hearing on a daily basis. Because we have been distracted by lesser things, at times, Satan has stolen from us any value we would have received from your Word. At other times the Word that was sown in our hearts has been choked because we were in love with the world or it has been scorched because the fear of man overcame the fear and love of the Lord in our hearts. Even now there are many weeds sown into our hearts by the devil that are mingled in with the good grain of Your Word. Lord, help us to identify those weeds, to hate them and to mourn over them as we plead and long for their removal.

Prayer for Scripture Reading: As we read your Holy Word this day, give us ears that we might hear and cherish the words of life, not only seeing the words on the printed page but perceiving the eternal truths contained within them, not merely comprehending them, but rejoicing in them and appropriating them in every aspect of our lives.

Prayer for Faith: Lord, you have given us the mustard seed of faith. It started so small in the beginning and has grown in part throughout our lives. But Lord, give us more faith that we might see this seed become the strong and fruitful tree that you intended growing many branches and sprouting many leaves, for your name’s sake, we pray.