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

PRAYERS of the PEOPLE
 Sunday, August 29, 2010

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

When Jesus lived on earth, he was carefully watched by those who did not believe in him. They wanted to see how he acted, how he lived his life. Today’s believers are carefully watched by the world around them, too, sometimes to condemn believers, but sometimes to ask them, “What makes you different? I want to be like you.”  Lord, may our lives be a witness to faith in you. Lord in your mercy…

The writer to the Hebrews gives us admonition about those who have gone before us in the faith, to the Church of Jesus Christ. He says, ^“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Lord, open our eyes to the pioneers of faith who showed us how to walk in your ways. Lord in your mercy…

We pray for our nation, state and city; our president, governor and mayor. As a nation, we are young; our history doesn’t go back very far. Allow us to learn from those who have gone before us and not make the same mistakes that destroyed earlier civilizations. May we see that our blessings come from you and trust in your goodness and mercy to keep our country strong and faithful to you. Surround our servicemen and women with your loving arms of care and protection. Lord in your mercy…

Teach us your ways within this congregation; bless our pastor and people. Renew our spirits as we begin the programs of the fall in our efforts to share the love of Jesus. …Remember those who have asked for prayer with your healing, comfort and forgiveness. …And for what else do the people of God pray or praise?  Lord in your mercy…

May our lives reflect the love of God, showing his mercy and compassion to those with special need. As we humble ourselves in service to others, we are doing the work of Jesus.  Then our light will rise as the sun in the morning, giving glory to our Heavenly Father. As Jesus said, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."  Lord, give us the mind of Christ, following in his example. In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray. Amen.               

CAROLYN LINN

GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH

PRAYER CONCERNS
August 22, 2010

We pray the Holy Spirit would work among us at church and lead us forth in the tasks that God would have us do.

We rejoice in the Lord's answers to prayers and thank God for His goodness and the Good Shepherd Family for praying.

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

Members:

· Twila Pedersen passed through the gates of our Heavenly Father’s kingdom.

· Nanette Hartnell

· Dorothy Brechmann

Friends & Family:

· Katie Simmerly (friend of Ruth Richards)

· Celia Short (sister of Adolph Pierini)

· Wayne Westly (son of Ruth Richard's friend Joan)

· Nora Berklich (friend of Jill Anderson)

· Melanie (Marilyn Woodward’s daughter) passed through the gates of our Heavenly Father’s  kingdom

· Keith Pipes and family (friends of Julie Dixon)

· Barbara Lester (mother of Debbie Wilk)

· Joan Birch (friend of Vickie Farr) passed through the gates of our Heavenly Father's kingdom

· Tracy Riddle (niece of Marilyn Woodward)

· Ron Enger (father of Kristin Niemi)

Ongoing Concerns:  Alma Johnson, Jo and Ruben Bitter, Louise Boyden, Sue Brisendine, Barbara Clark, Penny Fey, Bob Gerster, Karen Kubar, William Kuester, Ian Maltos, Ben Matthew, Jocelyn Miller, Vince Robbins Jr., Otis Strong, Zella Summers

Armed Forces:  Major Scott Rowley, Army; Major John Lemay, Army; Specialist Jonathan Elsasser, Army; Amanda Gookins, Air Force; Theresa Rojas, Army; Steve Rowley, Army National Guard; Alex Arnold, Army

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)

.

Leida Kubar

Melanie Johnston

Twila Pedersen

April 26, 1936 - July 22, 2010

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

Update from Karnataka (October 7, 2009):

     Dear our Pastor Ted and Randy Nelson
Praise the Lord.Here in our state of Karnataka condition is very bad.Many people lost their house and so many people died,because of heavy rain (floods)Almost in our state more then
50 thousend houses felldown and people do not have food and shelter and cloth and many animals died,which is belong to our farmer,even water went inside the leper colony compound
and some of our leper colony believers houses damaged little bit.Please pray for our people,who lost houses and their relatives life.One person he went to work in the field,while he was i
n the field flood came and he clime the tree,3 knight and 3 days he was in the tree ofter 3 day rescue team came by helicopter and saved his life.

On Saturday 10th some of our pastors and some leaders of our city we all taking raice,oil,dal,sugar, and cloth and mediton and food for relief work.We are going as a team with 30 people
and I am also invailing in this relief work,through this we want to show them love of Christ and share the Gospel and pray for them.

Pastor Ted and Randy Nelson thanks for your prayers and financial support.Here all our leper colony home children doing well and leper church going well.We all continus praying for you
all.We love you all.May God bless you all.

Here you can see some of flood pictures.

Yours in His service
Pastor Prakash and Poonam 

India Floods: ELCA Disaster Response

Prayer Points

1) Pray for new believers spiritual growth in our church
2) Pray for Van for go village ministry, leper people hospital service
taking children to school
3) Pray for protection upon Gods people
4) Pray for more souls to be saved in our area
5) Pray for own church building

May God bless you all.

Yours in His service
Pastor Prakash and Poonam 

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 r
ansomed 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