"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."   (James 5:16)

In Luther's Small Catechism, he writes concerning prayer:

"Our Father, Who is in Heaven.

Q. What does this mean?

A. In this introduction, God invites us to believe that He is our real Father and we are His real children, so that we will pray with trust and complete confidence, in the same way beloved children approach their beloved Father with their requests."

So, in a bold, heartfelt confidence we pray, knowing that God hears and bears our burdens. These are some of the issues we are currently praying for:

For students currently in confirmation and those who instruct them further about their faith.

For our students:  Travis Leslie, Morgana Heady, Zach Heady, Katie Huffman, Alex Huffman, Rachel Huffman, Kevin Lester, and Maria Lester, Rebecca Lester, and Anthony Lester that God would watch over them in their studies, guide them, and strengthen their faith.

For the war in Iraq, and for all serving in the military, that God would watch over those fighting, grant wisdom to world leaders (especially President Obama, the members of Congress, and all responsible for government leaders), and that the war would be brought to a prompt end. We especially pray for our friend and former supply pastor, John Thomson, who is serving as a military chaplain.