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

I received a great text from my son out of the blue on Wednesday.

His text started out “I think you might have heard this song but if you haven’t you need to. We sang it in chapel and something just grabbed me about it today…”

So what’s a Dad to do but stop what I was doing and listen to this song that had grabbed my son’s attention. The name of the song was Worthy of your Name. I listened to the song. It was terrific. I immediately understood why it grabbed him.

The song is based off Philippians 2:5-11 and essentially rehearses the worthiness of Christ and His Name. I was helped this week as I paused to consider the name of Christ and implications of His name. I will lead us in a prayer that further considers His name.

(Prayer)

Father God, your word informs us of Christ’s exalted position and name. Philippians 2:5-11 tells us "5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10mso that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 

Father God, you have exalted the name of your son Jesus above every name. Help us to willfully and eagerly bow before His name as we actively confess Him as both savior and Lord of our lives.

Humble our hearts and minds as we consider our need for Christ every day. Help us see our helpless state, mired in sinful rebellion until He acts befitting his name, “the Lord saves” “because he will save his people from their SINS”. This saving is even more remarkable considering our treasonous acts against King Jesus. Our sins are not simply against a man but against the King of Kings. We are traitors against his reign, yet believers are treated as his treasures. Help us see this reality more clearly and live gratefully because of it.

In light of our sinfulness, the Name of Jesus is our saving grace. Jesus is our maker and beginner of creation, the author and finisher of our faith, our bread of life, our ransom, our sacrifice, our substitution, our Savior, our ruler, our rock and our refuge, our chief cornerstone, our righteousness, our provider, both our chief shepherd and our good shepherd, our counselor, our deliverer, our hiding place, our surety, our helper, our great high priest and mediator, our peace, our healer, our blessed redeemer, our hope, our strength in battle, anchor in times of trial, our true light, our truth.

Overwhelm us with all that the name of Jesus denotes. Father make us mindful of the worthiness of Jesus’ name as we go forth this week and even as we sing our next song together. Help us marvel at the Redeemer’s love, it’s sufficiency, strength, depth, height, width, how it leads and how it grows - All for the glory of God the Father.