St. Matthew CME Wichita, Ks

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Come join us Saturday at 11 am if you have a performance prepared come Tryout all are welcome 🥰🥰🥰

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Psalm 40:1 (WEB)
I waited patiently for Yahweh.
He turned to me, and heard my cry.

It was King David who wrote this psalm. He was a man who knew a lot about learning to be patient in the midst of extreme hardship. As a teenage boy, he was anointed king of Israel by the prophet Samuel, only to then wait many years to see it come to pass. In between the promise and the fulfillment there was much heartache and suffering.

Not long after the promise, things were looking good for David. He slayed a giant named Goliath, married the king's daughter and was a national hero in Israel. Then for reasons outside of David's control, his father-in-law, King Saul, became jealous and decided to hunt David down to kill him.

For many years, David was on the run, hiding in caves and hanging out with some of the most disreputable men of the day. But then a series of events happened that made him king of all Israel. After much heartache and disappointment, David finally saw the fulfillment of God's promise that he would one day become king.

So when David says, I waited patiently for the Lord and He heard my cry, he knew what he was talking about. No matter what trials you are facing today, God is faithful. As we continue to look to Him to fulfill all the promises He has made to us, may we find strength and encouragement in today's promise... Wait patiently for Me and I will hear your cry.

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Psalm 150 (NKJV)

Praise the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Prayer to Witness Boldly

O Holy One, I call to you and name you as eternal, ever-present, almighty, and boundless in love. Yet there are times, O God, when I fail to recognize you in the everyday routine of my life. There are times timidity clenches my heart and I hide my faith from the world and even from myself. Sometimes fear makes me so small that I miss a chance to express my belief. Doubts and insecurity suppress the wonderful wisdom I have learned, from your holy word, from listening to your teachers, and from the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father, in the daily round from sunrise to sunset and to sunrise again, remind me again and again of your holy presence hovering near me and in me. Free me from shame and self-doubt in expressing my faith. Help me to see you in the fleeting moments of possibility and be filled with your courage and your word. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen

Proverbs 10:28 (KJV)

The hope of the righteous shall be gladness:
but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

Promise #113:
I will give you power to know the vastness of My immeasurable love.

Ephesians 3:17-19 (WEB)
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you,
being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints
what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know Christ’s love
which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Today's promise is part of the amazing prayer that the Apostle Paul prays for the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 3:14-21. In this prayer, Paul makes his requests known to the Father from whom His family in heaven and earth is named after (verses 14 & 15) that He might strengthen our inner man by the power of His Holy Spirit.

The whole point of this prayer is that the Holy Spirit would root us deeply in the love of God so that we would have power to be able to know (grasp, understand) the vastness of His immeasurable love that has been given to us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

The love that God has for us cannot be comprehended any other way. It is far too great for us to be able to grasp in our human understanding. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to make God's love a reality to us. In Romans 5:5, Paul says that God has poured out His love into our hearts by His Spirit.

My prayer today is that each and every one of us would have a love encounter with God through the personal working of His Holy Spirit. I pray that the Spirit of God would give us power to grasp how deep, how wide, how long and how high His love is for us and that we would be filled to the full measure of God's fullness with His everlasting, unending love!

Prayer for Good Friday

Christ Jesus, you hung upon a cross and died for me so that I might live for you; Your body was broken and your blood shed so that I might be healed and made whole. You were faithful unto death so that I might be faithful unto life.

Your last command was that we might love one another, one family together from every tribe and nation; a new creation united through your sacrifice, redeemed by your blood, healed by your love, united by your covenant of peace.

Grant that, in your death I may find life, and in your suffering I may find peace, today and forever. Amen.

John 19:28-30 (KJV)
Jesus Dies

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Promise #109:
My gentleness will enlarge your life.

2 Samuel 22:36 (WEB)
You have also given me the shield of your salvation.
Your gentleness has made me great.

In today's Scripture verse, King David is making a declaration that God's gentleness has made him great. The Hebrew word for 'great' is pronounced 'rabah' and means to increase, excel, abundance, enlarge, etc. David acknowledged that it was the kindness and gentleness of God that was the reason for the expansion in his life which led to his greatness.

It is God's love for us that makes us great. Not our own ability to manage life. A friend of mine says that we can never be worthy enough for love, but it is love that makes us worthy. David knew that this was the secret to his own success. It wasn't his own ability that made him great, but the kindness of a God who loved to show him mercy.

The gentleness of our God makes us great too. Jesus told us that we would do greater things than He did because He was going to the Father (John 14:12). My prayer today is that faith would rise up in our hearts because of the kindness of our God and Father. It is the love that He has for us that will make us great.

Prayer for Maundy Thursday

Gracious God, I strive to follow Jesus in my living and to trust your power in my dying; I bow my head today to reflect upon the life that ended on a cross. I recognize in myself the strengths and weaknesses of Jesus’ disciples: although they loved him, they disappointed and failed him. And yet, gathering with these imperfect friends at this last meal, Jesus washed their feet in service, and then extended the bread and cup to each.

Jesus called them to love one another, and invited them to share in his very life and in his acceptance of the road ahead. I am humbled, honored and inspired by the deep love Christ extended to the world, and I hear with open ears the calling to be a member of the body of Christ. Forgive me when I disappoint and fail you, and guide me back to a place of trust and faithful living. Grant me the vision to see the world as you see it, with love and compassion for each creature and all of your creation.

I ask this in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray to you for all things,

Amen.

Matthew 26:36-46 (ESV)
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.

Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

I'll Never Let Go His Hand Provided to YouTube by Malaco Records I'll Never Let Go His Hand · Donald Vails My Soul Loves Jesus ℗ 1996 Savoy Records, Inc. Released on: 1996-04-23 Contri...

Morning Prayer of Submission

Dear Lord, I give you my hands to do your work; I give you my feet to go your way; I give you my eyes to see as you see; I give you my tongue to speak your words; I give you my mind that you may think in me; I give you my spirit that you may pray in me. Above all, I give you my heart that you may love in me. I give you my whole self, Lord, that you may grow in me, so that it is you who lives, works and prays in me.
Amen.

Matthew 26:30-35 (ESV)
Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ [Zechariah 13:7] But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

Promise #107:
Come close to Me and I will come close to you.

James 4:8 (WEB)
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners;
and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

I love this promise from God in today's Scripture verse. God is waiting for you and I to come close to Him. Through the finished work of Jesus on the cross, He has made the first move and has come as close to us as possible. All we have to do is simply acknowledge His willingness to come close to us and take a step towards Him.

Just like the father in the Prodigal Son story in Luke 15, God is waiting and watching for us to turn to Him in order that He might take us up in His arms and embrace us for the rest of our lives. He is not expecting us to jump through all kinds of hoops to get to Him, He just wants us to turn our hearts toward Him today.

My prayer is that we will all realize the truth that God is waiting for us to come close. May each one of us have the courage just to take one baby step toward our Heavenly Dad and watch how He responds. When we come close to our Father, He is ready, willing and able to come close to us.

Promise #106:
I will cover you all day long as you rest between My shoulders.

Deuteronomy 33:12 (WEB)
Of Benjamin he said, “The beloved of Yahweh shall dwell in safety by him.
He covers him all the day long. He dwells between his shoulders.”

Today's Scripture verse comes from Deuteronomy 33 where Moses is pronouncing a blessing on all of the tribes of Israel before he dies. The New International Version Bible says Deuteronomy 33:12 this way... About Benjamin he said: “Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”

What an amazing picture of intimacy is painted between God and Benjamin. Moses calls Benjamin the beloved of the LORD who will enjoy the Lord's covering all day long as he rests between God's shoulders. I believe that every promise that God has made to the beloved of the LORD is a promise that we too can claim as our own because we too are God's loved ones.

Our God and Father invites us to rest between His shoulders today and live in a place of complete safety in Him. He is our covering and truly a place where we can 'let down our hair' and relax. My prayer today is that this promise would become real to each one of us so that we might truly be able to rest in the arms of our Heavenly Father.

Prayer for Humility

Heavenly Father, who sent your Son to ride on an ass and to work as a simple carpenter: if you so humbled yourself to save me, how can I puff myself up with pride above others? Let me follow Christ’s example, never to inflate myself with pride of status, of opinion, or of any of the gifts you have bestowed upon me.

Give me the grace to realize my ignorance, admit my mistakes, recognize my needs. Let me welcome good advice and sound rebuke, without defensiveness. Grant me always to praise rather than criticize, sympathize rather than discourage, build rather than destroy, and when I am angry at the ignorance of another, to recall my own ignorance and remember that we are all your beloved children. Let my hope and glory be ever in you, and not in my own vanity. This I ask in Christ’s sake, Amen.

Matthew 26:26-29 (ESV)
Institution of the Lord's Supper

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”

Prayer for the Morning

Oh God the King eternal, who divides the day from the darkness, and has turned the shadow of death into the light of morning; I pray that this day you will incline my heart to keep your commandments, driving temptation from my mind.

Guide my feet into the way of peace; that having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, I may, when the night comes, rejoice in giving you thanks for a day lived in your presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Matthew 26:14-25 (ESV)

The Passover with the Disciples
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”

He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

Promise #105:
If you delight in My Word, you will be fruitful and prosperous.

Psalm 1:1-3 (WEB)
1 Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.

Today's promise contains the first three verses of the first chapter in the book of Psalms. What a way to start this wonderful book. These precious verses tell us that we will live a blessed life when we choose not to take counsel from the world system but to delight in the Word of the living God.

We are told that if we delight in the Lord and in His Word, we will be like a tree planted by rivers of water, always bearing fruit in the appropriate season, all the while living a prosperous life. I don't know about you, but when I read Psalm 1:1-3, my heart cries out, I want to be that man! I want to live a life that is pleasing to my God and to delight, meditate and be a manifestation of His Word to every one around me.

Simply put, God loves us and He wants to bless us in every way. When we listen to Him, when we delight in what He delights in, we have His promise of being fruitful. My prayer today is that we would all say yes and amen to this promise and claim it as our very own. May each one of us love what our Father loves, and choose to live a life of delighting in His ways.

Prayer for the Morning

Heavenly Lord, you have brought me to the beginning of a new day. As the world is renewed fresh and clean, so I ask you to renew my heart with your strength and purpose. Forgive me the errors of yesterday and bless me to walk closer in your way today.

This is the day I begin my life anew; shine through me so that every person I meet may feel your presence in my soul. Take my hand, precious Lord, for I cannot make it by myself. Through Christ I pray and live, Amen.