Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Fresno, California
Sierra Pacific Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

PRAYERS of the PEOPLE
 Sunday, July 13, 2008 

 Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.

Lord, thank You for the power of Your word, living and active and planted in the hearts of people.  You have a purpose for every word that comes from Your mouth. The word will accomplish that for which it is intended and succeed in the thing for which is it sent. Lord, make us willing sowers of Your word, reaping an abundant harvest for Your kingdom.  Lord in your mercy…

We pray for the church of Jesus Christ around the world. We lift up those who suffer persecution because they are steadfastly sharing the truth of the gospel. Give us courage, wherever we are, to stand firm in the knowledge and understanding of Your word. May the Church choose Your truth above the temptation to compromise with today’s cultural relativism.  Lord in your mercy…

Remember our nation, state and city; our president, governor and mayor. History tells us that nations that have upheld the truths of the Judeo-Christian heritage have been sought after as places of refuge by suffering people. You command us to love one another. Let us not lose sight of Your promise of blessing to all who follow Your commandments. Look with favor on our leaders. Protect our servicemen and women; bring them home soon. Lord in your mercy…

Use this Body of Christ we call Good Shepherd as an oasis of living water in our community. May new life and fellowship in Jesus Christ be offered to all who come here… We pray for those who have requested prayer, who need a special touch from You for healing and comfort.  Renew each one by the power of the Holy Spirit. (pause) And for what else do the people of God pray or praise?  Lord in your mercy…

When the seed sown bears fruit, all of creation praises you, O King of Kings!  The Old Testament lesson says “For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”  The psalmist further proclaims, “You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.”   With all creation, we rejoice in the fruit of harvest because of the victory of Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.                                                                                                                                                                                                      

CAROLYN LINN 

GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH

PRAYER CONCERNS
July 2008

Pray for God's Loving Presence in the lives of:

Members:

Family & Friends:

Ongoing Concerns:  Jo and Ruben Bitter, Louise Boyden, Sue Brisendine, Kathy Bush, Helen Crane, Gladys East, Penny Fey, Bob Gerster, Karen Kubar, William Kuester, Ian Maltos, Ben and Bernice Matthew, Emily McCabe, Anna Miller, Jocelyn Miller, Winnie Miller, Vince Robbins Jr., Les Schmidt, Carol Smithey, Otis Strong, Zella Summers
 

Armed Forces:  Andrew Ritterbush, deployed to Iraq, (father, Keith Ritterbush), Major Scott Rowley, Army, home from Afghanistan (husband of Sharon Rowley); Major John Lemay, Army, home from Iraq (brother-in-law of Kelly Fake Lemay); Tim Dueker, Marine Corps (grandson of Chris & Don Dueker); Specialist Jonathan Elsasser, US Army Ranger (son of Kim & James Majors); Matt Follansbee, Marine Corps (son of Kevin and Sabrina Follansbee and grandson of Erika Showers); Amanda Gookins, Air Force (daughter of Paul and Jean Gookins); Theresa Rojas, Army (granddaughter of Don and Chris Dueker); Steve Rowley, Army National Guard (son of Scott and Sharon Rowley);  Alex Arnold, Army, home from Iraq (relative of Arlynne Turnquist and Carolyn Linn)

Please contact the church office or fill out the Prayer Request Card in the back of the pews and place in our offering plate if you wish names added or taken off the

 prayer list.   Please re-submit after three weeks to keep your loved ones in our church prayers.  Call 225-2092 (church office) or 439-4237 (Diane Fake, prayer

 chain).

Vivian Shepherd

October 31, 1918 - July 12, 2008

Pray for Andrew Ritterbush deployed to Iraq.

Prayers:
 

Prayer Requests

Meditation

Prayer for healing

Prayer resources

Devotions

Can be found at:

http://www.elca.org/prayer/

Free Daily e-mail Bible Readings from the ELCA:

http://listserv.elca.org/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=bible-readings&A=1

Pastor Prakash with his congregation in Karnataka, India.

Pray for our protection

Pray for God's guidance

Pray for financial support

Pray for fellowship growth

Pray to win more souls for Christ

Luther’s Small Catechism

with Explanations

197. What should be the content of our prayers?

  In our prayers we should ask for everything that tends to the glory of God and to our own and our neighbor’s welfare, both spiritual and bodily blessings. We should also praise and thank God for who He is and what He has done.

 693    Phil. 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

 693    Ps. 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.

The Jabez Prayer

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,

"Oh, that You would bless me indeed,

and enlarge my territory,

that Your hand would be with me,

and that You would keep me from evil,

that I may not cause pain!"

So God granted him what he requested.

1 Chronicles 4:10 (NKJV)

Francis was born in Assisi in late 1181 or 1182. His father was a successful merchant. Francis grew up in a comfortable home, had many friends and good times. He was a born leader. As a teen he dreamed of being a knight and achieving great victories.

When scarcely 20 he joined the army of Assisi in war against the city state of Perugia. He was captured and spent a year in prison. He was ransomed by his father, and took another year to recover from the illness contracted in prison. During that time his conversion began. In 1205, he heard the crucifix in the dilapidated church of San Damiano tell him to build Christ’s Church. He began to repair church buildings and to care for the poor. He began his preaching of simple Christianity in 1208. By the following year, he wrote a rule for his followers which was approved by Pope Innocent III, the beginning of the Franciscan order.

In 1212 Francis received St. Clare, 12 years his junior, as the foundress of the women Franciscans. In time he became interested in the Muslims who had retaken most of Palestine from the crusaders in 1197. He went there and actually preached to the Sultan. After his return to Italy he sent missionaries to North Africa, some of whom were martyred. That, in turn, triggered St. Anthony of Padua to become a Franciscan.

Francis continued preaching throughout Italy. He set up the first Christmas crib at Greccio for Midnight Mass in 1223. The following year on Sept. 14, the feast of the Solemnity of the Cross, Francis received the stigmata, the wounds of Jesus in his own body. He was able to continue preaching for about another year. By the Spring of 1225, his health began serious deterioration until he finally died Oct. 3, 1226. His feast is observed the following day, the day of his burial. He was canonized in 1228. His body was transferred to the present basilica May 25, 1230.

Francis is best known for his love of all God’s creation. He composed a beautiful hymn to express that. He saw God’s creatures as his brothers and sisters, leading him toward his heavenly home, hence the title of the famous movie of his life, “Brother Sun, Sister Moon”.

A Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi:

Lord make me an instrument
    of Your peace.
Where there is hatred,
    let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope:
Where there is darkness, light and
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may
    not so much seek to be
    consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to
    understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are
    pardoned.
And it is in dying that we are born
    to eternal life.

                    In Jesus' name, Amen

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith

  People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered,

LOVE THEM ANYWAY

  If you do good, people will accuse you of