Call to Worship
Read: Psalm 63:1–4
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
Download the lyric sheet for at-home worship here.
Sing: All Creatures of Our God and King
Pray
Read: Psalm 29
This psalm praises God for his sovereignty over all creation, especially the chaotic and powerful forces of nature — “the waters” (oceans, seas, and floods), violent storms, and mighty forests with towering trees.
- Pray, praising God for His power over creation. Praise Him for displaying His wisdom, creativity, and might through creation.
- Thank God for His consistent, sustaining care.
- Pray that you would draw closer to the Lord today – that He would help you worship Him today, even though we’re unable to gather as a church.
- Pray for those in your BFG and in our church at large.
- Pray for personal protection from the weather’s effects (power, warmth, etc). Pray the same for our community (and beyond).
- Pray for opportunities to serve others during this time.
- Pray for those you know who don’t trust Christ, that they would repent and find their hope in Him.
If you missed last week’s sermon, listen below:
Scripture – Revelation 8:1–5
1 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
This passage picks up where Revelation 6 left off. Jesus opens the seventh and final seal in verse 1 and God’s final judgment arrives in verse 5. In between is a depiction of the prayers of the church being presented to God as a fragrant offering. This shows us that God hears the church’s cries and will bring judgment upon the world in response.
Consider on your own and/or discuss with your family the following reflection questions:
- What does this passage tell us about Jesus?
- What does this passage tell us about God’s judgment? (See verses 1-2, 5)
- What does this passage tell us about the church? (“All the saints” is a reference to the church.)
- What does this passage tell us about prayer and why the church should pray?
- How does this passage give you hope for the future?
Spend some time praying in light of this Scripture.
Sing: Is He Worthy?
Pray
Thank God for His kindness in giving us Jesus.
Thank Him that He hears the prayers of His people.
Pray that He’ll use you today to make much of Him.