Please find below the notes from the Elder's Prayer this past Sunday.

Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you that you are Sovereign over life and death, over prosperity and poverty, over sickness and in health, over success and failure. We praise you that you cause all things to work together for good to those who love you and are called according to your purpose (Romans 8:28).

We thank you Father of lights, that every good thing given to us and perfect gift has been from your very presence (James 1:17).

We do not deserve any of that, gracious and generous Father. Thank you very much for your steadfast and everlasting love for us in Christ Jesus.

Father we are the clay, and you are the Potter. We are the subjects, and you are the King of Kings. We are the character in your writings, and you are the Author. And yet Lord, we have arrogantly wanted and attempted in vain to change the narrative of our stories many times in our lives. We were clearly in the wrong and did not know it.

Please protect us from kicking against the goads (Acts 26:14).

Please forgive us for the times we tried act as if we are the sovereign. We are not but you absolutely are. We thank you that you did not cater to our fantasies or complaints. Thank you for not answering our wrong prayers.

We acknowledge our dependence on you and our need of you. Spirit of the Living God, please help us to overcome the dullness of heart toward you and your word. We present our bodies as slaves to righteousness unto sanctification (Romans 6:19).

Please help us to consistently work out our salvation with fear and trembling even as you work in us for your good pleasure. (Philippians 3:12-13).

Please help us to focus on Christ and not on circumstances and be fearful over it - instead please help us to meditate on the character of God revealed in the Scriptures that we might learn to fear you and worship you in spirit and in truth.

Gracious Father, our hearts bleed for our brother in Christ, Pastor James Coates, at Grace Life Church, Canada - a faithful shepherd who is currently in custody for the work of the gospel.

Please help his family, Grace Life Church leadership and congregation to remain strong and faithful to the words of Christ.

We thank you that our bond is centered on the gospel of Christ Jesus rather than our practices or preferences or feelings. We pray that the unadulterated gospel would spread as a result of this in all of North America and beyond.

I pray this for the corporate body of Christ - the local churches across the globe. Please help the congregations to grow deeper and wider in the word and grace forgetting what lies behind.

Please give us all grace to gather, to sing, to serve and to fulfill the one-another’s commandments of the Scripture.

We thank you for the grace to obey your commandments in Christ Jesus, in whose name we pray, Amen.