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

This past Thursday, on July 4th, we celebrated our 243rd Independence Day. I want to take this opportunity to help us fulfill a Scriptural command to pray for those in authority.

Let’s pray.

Our loving Heavenly Father,

We praise you almighty God for you are omniscient and omnipresent. We praise you the true history-maker. Thank you for your unbounded mercies showered upon our country, the United States of America. According to your sovereign will, you have allowed this great land to be found by the discoverers, be populated over the generations by great men and women and be formed as a union as it is today, 243 years later. We thank you for allowing us to enjoy your goodness in this land before you.

We pray for our President, Donald Trump. Thank you that you have sovereignly ordained that he would be our 45th President. We pray for wisdom from above. Guide him and guard him from above. We pray for his soul. Please bring him into the fold. May the true believing lawmakers in the public square be of godly influence upon Him.

We pray for our Vice President, Mike Pence. Please strengthen him and his family to endure till the end in Christ Jesus and use them to further your name for your glory.

I pray for all cabinet members who advise the President on various matters. We pray that their counsel would be in accordance with your sovereign will.

I pray for the legislative and judicial branches as well. Please help them to fear God, uphold and do what is right in the sight of God.

I pray for the rising tension in the gulf region with Iran. Please diffuse the war clouds and let cool heads prevail according to your sovereign will.

I pray for the men and women in uniform deployed in the gulf and all over the world. Please provide them safety and help them to seek you our ever-present refuge. I pray also that their minds and hearts would be at rest in Christ Jesus as they return back to civilian life.

I pray for every country on the face of the earth. Please bless them with peace, prosperity and stability in leadership. Please protect and provide for them according to your providence. Above all, please bless all the mission work going on in many countries. Please use your servants to bring many into the body of Christ. Please give our world leaders wisdom, counsel and strength as they think through economy, migration, terrorism and host of other things.

I pray for our Missouri Governor Mike Parson and his cabinet. I also lift up our Lee’s Summit City Mayor Bill Baird and all of the council members from various wards.

May all the decisions that they make be in the best interest of our city, state and country. Please use those over us to ensure that we may continue to lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

As we continue our worship, please help us to do so wholeheartedly.

I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.