Matthew 24
Pastor Lawrence

Prayer of Adoration: Our Father, you are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. You alone are God, and there is none like you, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done. Concerning the day and hour of judgment and the end of the age no one knows but you alone, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son of God. O Christ, you are the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. On that final day you will come riding on the clouds, and every eye will see you, even those who pierced you, and all tribes of the earth will wail on your account. Even so. Amen, come Lord Jesus. O Holy Spirit, you convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment to come, you are the one who opens our ears to hear the words of Christ spoken to the churches, and you are the one who causes us to long for Christ’s return. Father, Son and Spirit, we praise you for your righteous judgment upon the nations, and we give you thanks for revealing to us your plans in advance, preparing us for the day of Christ’s arrival.

Prayer of Confession: Father, we mourn over our sins now so that we will not need to mourn when Christ appears. And we pray that you would convict us this morning of any lawless spirit within us. Reveal to us any coldness of heart that we might repent of it and our hearts might be warmed once again by the hope of the gospel. Wake us up from any spiritual slumber causing us to be unprepared for Christ’s arrival, and remove from us any fear of condemnation so that we will not seek to hide our sins from you but confess them freely, knowing that you are faithful and just to forgive us of all our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Prayer of Sanctification: Father, this day belongs to you and this generation belongs to you. All of time is your hands, both our present and our future. And in these days of wars and rumors of wars, of famines and earthquakes, we look to you. In days of tribulation and persecution we look to you. Father, sustain our faith and cause us to persevere in the way that you have laid out for us that we might endure to the end. Give us wisdom that we might not be led astray. Keep us awake that we might always be praying and watching for your kingdom to come. Strengthen our hands to serve you with faithfulness and honor, and embolden us to proclaim your coming kingdom this day. Lord, make us ready at all times whether Christ comes tomorrow or whether he tarries many years. We are your servants and we stand at your beck and call, by your grace and for your glory.