CALL TO WORSHIP                 
                                                                           Psalm 96:1-13
 
1. Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.
3. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all             
        peoples.
 
4. For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above         all gods.
5. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
6. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his 
        sanctuary.
 
7. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and 
      strength.
8. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come 
        into his courts.
9. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all 
        the earth.
 
10. Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly
          established, it cannot be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.
11. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all 
        that is in it;
12. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of 
         the forest will sing for joy;
 
13. They will sing before the LORD, for He comes, He comes to judge the 
         earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His     
        truth.
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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
                                                                 
                                                     WHEN PRAYING IS DIFFICULT
                                                                          Oswald Elbert

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.                     Romans 8:26b (NIV)
 
How often you and I know that we can’t pray satisfactorily. Thoughts and memories crowd into our minds when we would pray. They seem to stop us in our tracks. The very line of communication seems to be cut off. We rise from prayer as if nothing took place, or, even worse, as if we were moving further from God.
 
For such situations, this verse comes as comfort. There is one who pleads for us. He takes our unexpressed thoughts and words, our sighs and groanings, and brings them before God’s throne. The Holy Spirit is God’s gracious gift to the troubled soul. This Spirit is a helper and strengthener in our prayer life. God does not ever let us walk alone. The Holy Spirit is constantly with us. Let this truth strengthen you.
 
Even when we don’t seem able to pray ourselves, there is one who knows us, and takes the deep longings of our hearts and presents them for us in prayer.
 
Grant to your servants, O Lord, the power to pray. But even more, O Lord, when prayer does not come easily, grant your servants the knowledge that your Holy Spirit is praying for us. Amen
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The worship service for today is live streamed. It can be heard later on YouTube and the Church website (www.bellevuebaptistchurchchicago.org) To listen to the service go to Church website and select the media tab for the sermon

Music by: Deacon Garlan Garner
Video and Audio by: Mr. Michael Harris

The Pastor’s weekly sermon can be heard on the church website (www.bellevuebaptistchurchchicago.org) To listen to the service go to church website and select the media tab for the sermon.
 
PRAYER FOCUS PRAYING ALWAYS
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and request. Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)
 
Dr. Frank Laubach gives many ideas for experiments in prayer:
Pray for whoever comes to memory.
Pray when you can’t sleep at night.
 
Pray while taking a walk.
Pray, using a prayer list of missionaries, pastors, of the sick and sorrowing, neighbors, and coworkers.
Pray while reading a newspaper – pause and pray for accident victims, for world leaders.
 
Pray for the Lord to give you open doors to witness.
Paul, recognizing the kind of world in which he lived, with Satan’s powers so intense, tells his friends to pray at all times in the Spirit. And Paul also reminds the Ephesians to pray for all Christians, “and also me.”
 
Why not follow Paul’s example and ask many of our friends and fellow church members to pray for us. And then, let us “give ourselves wholly to prayer…and pray on every occasion in the power of the Spirit.” By Conrad M. Thompson