Prayer: Romans 16:25-27

Our Father in Heaven, this morning we would magnify You in our hearts and minds,
and also by the words of our mouth. We join together in your praises for you are
worthy of all the praises of men.

We have no strength of our own, but we stand only in the Gospel, which was preached
by Your Only Begotten Son, Jesus of Nazareth and confirmed by those who heard
Him. We thank you that you have revealed the mystery that was hidden from the
beginning of the world but revealed through the preaching of the apostles and the
scriptures of the holy prophets.

This only is the foundation of our faith, that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the One
promised from the creation of the world, promised to fulfill His divine office of the
prophet, priest, and king of our redemption. His words reveal You, O Father, for He is
Your precious Son, Light of Light, Truth of Truth, and Life of Life, begotten of You
before the world was, sent by You to teach us the right and good way, the way of faith.

He is our Priest, offering up Himself in the body of His flesh as a sacrifice for sins to
satisfy Your holy law and a demonstration of your love and grace. He is our King, who
rules over us in righteousness and defeats all our enemies, the world, the flesh, and the
devil.

He is God and man, we confess, O Father, One with You in Godhead, but also one
with us in humanity as a son of Adam and the Son of David to reign over your people
in righteousness and truth forever and ever.

We rejoice that we have been given the glorious privilege of being your heralds, to
spread this gospel to the world. We can proclaim forgiveness of sins and proclaim
liberty to the lost and dying, for you have commanded that this Gospel be preached to
the entire world until the end of the world, for the mystery hidden from the beginning
of the world is that salvation through faith is freely offered to all people.

You are the only wise God, for this glorious gospel was not the invention of men, nor
had it entered into the heart of any man, but God revealed it through Jesus Christ and
the prophets of both the Old and New Testaments. We magnify Your holy Name, O
Lord God Almighty, for Your ways and righteousness and truth, judgment and mercy,
forever and ever, through the blood of Christ. Amen.