My Redeemer Lives!

June 30

Daily Bible Reading: Job 19 – 20

Verse of the Day: Job 19:25 – “But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth: And after my skin, even this body, is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God;”

This is one of the grandest statements in the Scriptures. Spoken by a man who has been under Satanic attack – loss of family, wealth, and health – and yet he declares his faith and trust in God.

Job totally understood that the only way that a person can pass through the fires of this material life is to trust and rely upon the Redeemer. We know from the New Testament that this Redeemer is God the Son – Jesus. We see that promise that He is coming again, and when He does, He will deliver us and this planet from the trials and devastations around us. I, for one, join Job in this proclamation. How about you?

Prayer: Jesus, I know that You live and will restore all things as God has designed. Amen.

Where, O where is my hope?

June 29

Daily Bible Reading: Job 16 – 18

Verse of the Day: Job 17:15 – “Where then is my hope? And as for my hope, who shall see it?”

Have you ever felt this way? Remember the old song on “Hee-Haw” – “Doom, despair, and agony on me. If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” As I have read through the Book of Job many times, I often turn there when I find my days like this.

When the days around us steal our joy, our confidence, and our assurance – we need to turn our attention away from the trials and to God who holds all things in His hand. As you read His Word, notice how that none of His promises ever failed. Notice that He loves us unconditionally, and that He promises to bring us home to Him.

He will restore our hope. How? It is because He is our hope.

Prayer: Precious God, I believe, help my unbelief. Restore my confidence in Your precious hand of help and hope. Amen.

Hanging on to God

June 28

Daily Bible Reading: Job 13 – 15

Verse of the Day: Job 11:1 – “Man, that is born of a woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.”

Job has been through the first round of “comfort” from his friends. He has declared them as worthless physicians – they are not healing or helping.

In our verse above, Job is agreeing with Eliphaz’s assessment that people are born for trouble. Neither are being pessimistic, they are referring to what they can see all around them. We see that truth around us today. When faced with struggles we often say – “That’s life.” The acceptance of the fact that life in this world is the result of sin, and that the material things around us decay and bring sorrow as well as pleasure.

It is often the natural order of things that bring the trials. If that is your case, hang on to God and He will see you through.

Prayer: Father, hold me through this today. Amen.

Dogmatically moral

June 27

Daily Bible Reading: Job 10 – 12

Verse of the Day: Job 11:4 – 5 – “For thou sayest, My doctrine is pure, And I am clean in thine eyes. But oh that God would speak, And open his lips against thee,”

Enter friend number three (we will discuss the fourth at a later point in this account). Meet Zophar the Naamaithite. His name translates as “rough” or “chipper.” As we can see from this discussion that he is rude and blunt in his approach. He represents the moralist, one who is very dogmatic in their views. He is the voice of Orthodoxy and bases his conclusions upon assumptions. He sees God as unbending, merciless, and without grace.

His response to Job is simply – “You are sinning.” And warns him that sinners live short lives. Again, we see truths in what each of these men have said, but their conclusions are all based upon faulty logic. As we proceed through this book we will see how this plays out.

Prayer: Father of all Wisdom, help me to not jump to conclusions, but trust You. Amen.

Tradition is not always right

June 26

Daily Bible Reading: Job 7 – 9

Verse of the Day: Job 4:8 – “For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out:”

In our readings today, we encounter the second of the four friends of Job. Bildad, whose name means “Son of Contention,” is called a Shuhite or the descendant of Shuah (a son of Abraham and Keturah). He is the historian or legalist of the group. He is argumentative and bases his observations upon tradition. He speaks as the voice of history as he approaches Job. He believes that Job must be sinning because he is suffering. From his depth of history he sees that the wicked always suffer. 

Bildad’s view of God is that he is an immovable lawgiver and thus Job’s judge. If Job had not committed sin, God would not judge him, and he would not suffer because of his wickedness. Again, in Job’s case we know that this is not the case.

Prayer: Judge of all mankind, keep me from judging my fellow man today. Amen.

Only the wicked suffer - WRONG!

June 25

Daily Bible Reading: Job 4 – 6

Verse of the Day: Job 4:8 – “According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, And sow trouble, reap the same.”

We meet the first of the four friends in this chapter. Eliphaz. His name means – “God dispenses (judgment).” He comes from Teman, a region east of Idumea. He is the theologian of the group. He relies upon observation and experience for understanding all things. He is considerate, but still approaches Job with a strong philosophical approach. His basic argument is that if you sin – then you suffer.

His view of God is that He is righteous. In turn He punishes the wicked and blesses the good. So, as he talks with Job notice the underlying view that only the wicked suffer – and in turn since Job is suffering, He must be wicked. While Eliphaz may have some of the facts right, he has come to a false conclusion about Job.

Prayer: God help me see Your truth alone. Amen.

Why do we suffer?

June 24

Daily Bible Reading: Job 1 – 3

Verse of the Day: Job 1:1 – “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil.”

It seems to be an ageless investigation – “Why do the righteous suffer?” We find ourselves asking this same question today. The Book of Job explores all the ancient Middle Eastern concepts of why this happens.

We can understand why someone suffers for their own wrong-doing – it is when it appears that one has done what is right and still suffers ---

In this Hebrew poetical drama (although it is a real incident), we see behind the scenes and get a view of Satan and his devices. Job faces four friends who instead of bringing comfort bring more pain. Let us consider how God allows this to take place for our benefit centuries later.

Prayer: God, open our eyes to Your Sovereignty in our lives. Amen.

Superstition, tradition, or God's Word?

June 23

Daily Bible Reading: Esther 7 – 10

Verse of the Day: Esther 9:26a – “Wherefore they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur.” 

Pur, derived from the Assyrian word puru, means “lot.” The method of lot casting (very similar to our rolling the dice) was a common way to make a random selection or discern the will of a god.

Believing that his god was in control of the pur, Haman cast them to determine the right day to destroy the Jews. What he didn’t realize was that God was providentially in control, and instead of choosing their day of destruction; he chose the day of their deliverance.

Are we guilty of using superstition or tradition to determine our fate? Our way of determining His design is by His Word and prayer. Read your Bible and Pray every day.

Prayer: Providential God, all things are in Your control, may we seek only You for decisions and directions. Guide our hearts, hands, and minds, O God. Amen.

For such a time----

June 22

Daily Bible Reading: Esther 4 – 6

Verse of the Day: Esther 4:14 – “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish: and who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

For such a time as this. A challenge for Esther to remember that the Providence of God is not arbitrary. Esther was exactly where she needed to be to accomplish exactly what needed to be accomplished, in the precise way that God designed.

We need to take this lesson to heart as Christian Believers. We are here at this time because of the providential hand of God. We are not an accident; we are a part of His glorious plan of the Ages. What has He deemed for you?

Prayer: Master Designer, show me the purpose You hold for me in this time and place. Amen.

Twists and Turns with God

June 21

Daily Bible Reading: Esther 1 – 3

Verse of the Day: Esther 3:6 – “But he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone…wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.”

We move now into the last of the 12 books of History in the Old Testament. Esther. One of two books that carry the name of a woman. This book carries all the elements that make up a good novel – yet it is the twists and turns of this storyline that we see the invisible hand of God moving (His name is not mentioned once in this book).

Through the first four chapters we will see the grave danger before the Jews, and in the last six we witness the great deliverance.

Satan has sought to destroy the Jews to keep Jesus from coming. But over and over – he fails.

Prayer: Give us insight into your plans, O God of History. Amen.

Remember me, O God...

June 20

Daily Bible Reading: Nehemiah 12 – 13

Verse of the Day: Nehemiah 13:31b – “…Remember me, O my God, for good.”

These final words in the Book of Nehemiah would serve well as any believer’s last testimony.

What a fitting climax to this book of history, this treatise on leadership, this reminder of the promises of God. We meet Nehemiah as a captive slave cupbearer. We end with him as the Governor of Jerusalem. And in between, we see God challenge him, strengthen him, embolden him, develop him, use him, and provide for him. Nehemiah, the prayer-leader, the seeker of God, the confessor of sins, the obedient follower of God – and because of this, God used him in a mighty way then – and today as he continues to speak to us.

Prayer: Magnificent God, I pray today that I might live my life as Nehemiah did. May I totally trust You, stay in communication with You, and follow You – so that I too may say, “Remember me, O my God, for good.” Amen.

Stand up and Bless God

June 19

Daily Bible Reading: Nehemiah 9 – 11

Verse of the Day: Nehemiah 9:5b – “…Stand up and bless Jehovah your God from everlasting to everlasting; and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.”

This ninth chapter of Nehemiah is a beautiful and powerfully moving rehearsal of the marvelous acts of God. It takes place on a day that was not a regular Feast in Israel. The people had gathered after hearing God’s Word in sackcloth and ashes (outward signs of inward mourning). They came to confess, worship, and seek renewal. The Psalm recorded here looks at the glory of God’s name, reminder of His faithfulness through the ages, and acknowledge His righteousness. In doing this, the Psalm ends with confession of their sins.

True understanding of God’s mercy and grace always leads to confession, worship, and renewal.

Prayer: We worship You, O God. We confess our sins and seek Your renewal. Amen.

Reading the Word at the Water Gate

June 18

Daily Bible Reading: Nehemiah 7 – 8

Verse of the Day: Nehemiah 8:1 – 3 – “And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate….And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all that could hear with understanding….And he read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.”

Oh, that God’s people would return to a deep heartfelt desire for the Word of God. This message has the answers to all of life’s deepest and most important questions.

Prayer: Precious Word of Life, touch our hearts, minds, and souls with the richness and fullness of Your Word. May we seek daily both the written and the Living Word – Jesus. Rekindle our desire to hear from You. Amen.

Antidote for Discouragement

June 17

Daily Bible Reading: Nehemiah 4 – 6

Verse of the Day: Nehemiah 4:10 – 11 – “And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.”

In today’s reading, we find the four major causes of discouragement. These are: (1) Fatigue, (2) Frustration, (3) Failure, and (4) Fear.

When we are faced with any one of these (and often they come in packs), we begin to suffer from one of Satan’s greatest weapons – discouragement. And, if we stop reading here, we will find ourselves trapped by this monster. But, praise God, in verses 14 and 15 we can find the antidote – (1) Reorganize (verse 13), (2) Remember (verse 14) and (3) Resist (also verse 14).

Prayer: God of all comfort, strengthen my desire to reorganize, remember and resist. Amen.

A True KBL

June 16

Daily Bible Reading: Nehemiah 1 – 3

Verse of the Day: Nehemiah 1:4 – “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven”

Nehemiah had a wall to build. Coming to Jerusalem, Nehemiah expected opposition so he came prepared for it. He was a prayer-filled leader, and can teach us many truths.

From this book, one can learn four important lessons (and many others also) about leadership. These are vital to be a Kingdom Building Leader for God in this world today.

A KBL must expect opposition to the work of the Kingdom. He must secondly, keep a positive perspective of what God is going to do, thirdly, be prepared to fight the battles in the prayer-closet, and finally, stay close to other Christians.

Prayer: Lord Sabaoth, direct me in the path of being Your KBL today – grant me the power to battle in prayer for You. Amen.

Remnant Covenant

June 15

Daily Bible Reading: Ezra 9 – 10

Verse of the Day: Ezra 9:8 – “And now for a little moment grace hath been showed from Jehovah our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.”

A remnant. This word (sha’ar in the Hebrew) means to remain, or to be left over. Basically it is one who survives a catastrophe. Ezra uses this word, many of the prophets use this word, and the concept is central in the Bok of Isaiah.

The concept of the remnant is a powerful Old Testament theme of faithfulness and salvation. It is a theme that shows God sparing His people to maintain His promises and covenant.

Today, rejoice in that knowing Him personally places us in the remnant that claim His promise.

Prayer: Covenant Father, Thank You that Your covenant is firm. Amen.

Life-long Learning

June 14

Daily Bible Reading: Ezra 6 – 8

Verse of the Day: Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of Jehovah, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances.”

I am a life-long learner. My children (and other relatives) often ask as I complete one course of study – “What’s next?” we should never stop learning, reading, or researching matters until we die. Never believe something just because someone says it. Check it out.

This goes for God’s Word also. It is our authority, our final answer, the final resting place for our cares, worries, surprises and sorrows. Studying and digging into God’s Word will provide what nothing else can – ultimate true knowledge and assurance.

Prayer: God of all Wisdom, help me to make Your Word my first place to look when I need wisdom and understanding. Help me to make Your Word my first reading of the day, and the final answer of my problems. May I place total trust in Your Word. Amen.

Discouraged?

June 13

Daily Bible Reading: Ezra 3 – 5

Verse of the Day: Ezra 4:4 – “Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.”

Some translations say that the people of the land sought to discourage the people in their labor. Discouragement is one of Satan’s grandest tools for slowing and stopping God’s work. He understands that we have the propensity of discouragement, and when we are discouraged we either slow down or stop what we are doing.

Satan is happy to get us to slow down in our work for the Lord. He does not want to see the kingdom of God expand, and so he will throw anything in our path that will hinder or stop the work.

Today, pray for the strength to withstand Satan’s attempts at discouraging you in your walk with the Lord.

Prayer: God of Encouragement, strengthen me today in my work for You. Amen.

Beginning of the Return

June 12

Daily Bible Reading: Ezra 1 – 2

Verse of the Day: Ezra 1:3 – “Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.”

The first six chapters of Ezra deal with the rebuilding of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, the last four chapters deal in the area of the restoration of His people. So, you can see Ezra covering the restoration and revival of the nation.

Ezra continues the account of 2 Chronicles in that it shows us the fulfillment of God’s promise of restoring the people to their land. In the Hebrew Bible, Ezra and Nehemiah is one book. The combined narrative presents the story of the exiles return in two phases.

Prayer: Majesty in Heaven, as we study these accounts, may we be strengthened and encouraged to follow You and trust You in all of Your promises. Amen.

Revive us again, O Lord

June 11

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 34 – 36

Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 34:31 – “And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.”

Hilkiah discovered the Word of God in the Temple, brought it to young Josiah, and he in turn read and committed himself and his nation to follow the truths of the Book of the Law. God had oversaw its preservation during the nation’s apostasy, and orchestrated its return to the focal point of the nation.

He is doing the same thing with His Word today. He has preserved it, and will bring it to the front to create a great revival in our land. 

Prayer: Today Heavenly Father, Preserver, Sustainer, open our eyes to the truths of Your Word and lead us into obedience to You. Revive, restore Your Word in our hearts. Amen.

Restored in full

June 10

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 32 – 33

Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 33:12 – 13 - “And when he was in distress, he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And he prayed unto him; and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah he was God.”

Manasseh was as evil as Hezekiah was good. Hezekiah’s son perpetrated many evils in Judah. So, God brought judgment upon him and the land. Here we see that when this happened, Manasseh realized that God is God, and that he needed to bow humbly and seek repentance and restoration. In our verse today, we see that when Manasseh sought God, God heard him and forgave, redeemed, and restored him.

God does the same for us today. If we come humbly, seek Him, and turn from our sin, He will forgive and restore us also. 

Prayer: Great Judge of all the Earth, I humbly seek You and Your forgiveness. Amen. 

Grab today with gusto

June 9

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 29 – 31

Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 31:21 – “And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.”

Hezekiah was all in. He didn’t seek God, serve God, or surrender to God part way. As our verse tells us, “he did it with all his heart.” As we ponder our lives, do we reluctantly live each day, or do we live it with gusto? Do we face the day with fear, or do we boldly move headlong into the day? How we handle each day is truly a choice that God has given us. Do we wake up and say, “Good lord, it’s morning,” or do we open our eyes and say “It’s morning good Lord!”

Our earthly life is short, today focus on making it the best day of your life – and then work on making tomorrow even better.

Prayer: Great and marvelous God, I am looking forward to our adventures together today. Amen.

What's your "PQ"?

June 8

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 26 – 28

Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 26:16 – “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against Jehovah his God; for he went into the temple of Jehovah to burn incense upon the altar of incense.”

The fall of Lucifer (the Devil) came about because of his pride. Someone has said that the middle of the word pride is I. Satan uses this item that defeated him before God as a vicious weapon in his arsenal of attacks. We are all vulnerable to this sin. Sometimes it hides itself as a “humble” approach. Uzziah allowed it to destroy him.

Today, check your “PQ” (pride quotient) by seeing how many times you talk about yourself. Count how many times you say “I” and take the cue that the problem could grow.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, fill me with Yourself so that I no longer see myself. Remove the Devil’s tool and let me serve You in my entirety. Amen 

Flattery can be devastating

June 7

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 23 – 25

Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 24:17 – “Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.”

Joash starts his reign at the age of 7 under the tutelage of Jehoiada. The first half of this chapter finds Joash prospering and rebuilding the Temple of God. As long as Jehoiada was alive the Temple was the center of religious worship. But, here in the middle of the chapter, Jehoiada dies. Joash begins to be flattered by the leaders around him, and the second half of the chapter finds him turning away from God and doing evil.

As I ponder this chapter today, I ask myself, am I like Joash? Did I start out well only to listen to those who flatter me and turn away from God? No one is immune from flattery, and the disease can be devastating.

Prayer: Jesus, come into my life and vaccinate me against those who would lead me astray by flattering speech. Amen.

Battle ready....

June 6

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 20 – 22 

Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 20:15 – “and he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat: Thus saith Jehovah unto you, Fear not ye, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.” 

Is there a battle in your life that you are facing? Don’t run, stand still and refuse to retreat. Seek to look at the battle through the eyes of God and rely on His power to bolster you up. 

Tough? Yeah, but then again the Bible never said that the Christian life was an easy one. God does offer us His strength, His presence, His power to see us through the battle or any trouble that we may encounter.

Prayer: Almighty, Sustaining God of the Universe, today as I face the battle before me, let me draw upon Your power, Your provision, Your presence with me to see me through. Amen.

Am I listening?

June 5

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 17 – 19

Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 18:6 – “But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah besides, that we may inquire of him?

In the account that we read today, Jehoshaphat inquires of King Ahab whether there was a prophet of the One true God to seek counsel from instead of the false prophets that they were listening to. I always found Ahab’s response a little humorous – basically – “Yes there is, but he usually gives me bad news about my relationship with God.”

Are we guilty of not listening to God’s Word because it shows our sinful separation from God? Is it better not to hear, or to hear and get right with God? In our account, because Ahab rejected the message it cost him his life. What might we be missing by rejecting God’s warnings?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, today open my ears and my heart to hear and obey the message that God has for me. Help me to be responsive to His Words. Amen.

Totally in -

June 4

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 13 – 16

Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 16:9 – For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”

Today, we need to pause and ponder our own heart. Take a moment for an honest evaluation of where your heart is. Is it fully committed to God? Take just one area you are holding back and invite the Holy Spirit to come in and create something new in its place. 

Take time in your prayers today to be submissive, not defensive about the areas that God reveals to you. I promise you that God will strengthen you (by His promise above) to have the correct attitude toward Him in all areas of your life – as you surrender them to Him.

Prayer: Father, today as You have shown me the area of __________ in my life, I surrender it to You. Holy Spirit, take it, change it, and make me wholly Yours. Amen.

Regression

June 3

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 10 – 12

Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 12:14 – “ And he did that which was evil, because he set not his heart to seek Jehovah.”

As we see the various Kings recorded by the Chronicler, we need to ponder over the differences that we see in them.

Comparing David, Solomon, and Rehoboam notice that David was a man of God and died at a very old age with riches and honor attached to his name. Solomon died as a wise, rich and powerful King. He started strong and faltered in the end. Rehoboam did not seek to follow God at all.

We see a downward regression within the Kings. David strong, Solomon slow regression, and finally Rehoboam in complete denial of God.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray to You to stem the tide of regression in our lives and in our country’s life. Father, we seek to be like David and not like Rehoboam. Amen.

Palal

June 2

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 7 – 9

Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “ if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

A very well-known verse. The word for pray in the Hebrew (palal) can also mean to intervene or to judge. In chapter 6 verses 3 – 42, Solomon modeled intercessory prayer when he pleaded with God on behalf of the people – and continued to pray until God answered. In our verse today, God tells us that this is the type of praying that His people need to do to bring about revival and restoration of the land.

Are we willing to pray like this for our country? Or, do we just casually ask God to restore our land? Which do you think pleases God and will receive an answer?

Prayer: Gracious God, I come in humble intercession to You today – restore your people and Your honor in our land. Amen.

The Assembled

June 1

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 4 – 6

Verse of the Day: 2 Chronicles 6:3 – “And the king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assembly of Israel stood.”

The Hebrew word gahal used here in this verse means a gathering of people for any occasion. In the secular mode, it can mean a civic gathering, a war counsel, even a group of evildoers. In the religious sense, it means a group of people gathered to celebrate and worship such in the religious festivals in Israel.

The expression “assembly of the Lord” is found in the Old Testament in several places speaking of a gathering of God’s people for a particular purpose. It is used in one place to speak of the group of people who gathered to grumble about Moses.

In the New Testament, the Greek equivalent is often used in reference to the Church.

Prayer: Father, as we gather, may we assemble to worship and praise You. Amen.