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[no audio] The Psalms of the Old Testament tells us that the Lord is our shepherd, giving us the hope of what is to come. The New Testament answers that with the coming of Jesus Christ our Lord.

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We have so much to be grateful for. The Lord has blessed us abundantly. Let us turn now in our hymnal to page 11. There we see a beautiful song.

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Those who know the Lord as their shepherd should be willing to stand with me at this time and rejoice. Rejoice, ye pure in heart. Rejoice, give thanks, and sing.

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Won't you stand with me now? in heart, rejoice, give thanks, and sing. Won't you stand with me now? [ Music ]

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Rejoice ye, pure in heart, rejoice, give thanks and sing. Profess the banner brave on high, the cross of Christ our King. Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, give thanks and sing. [MUSIC]

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♪ Joy of free exultation ♪ ♪ Love of God's praise receive ♪ ♪ Rejoice, rejoice ♪ ♪ Rejoice, dear friends, and sing ♪

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♪ With all the angels choir ♪ ♪ With all the saints o'er earth ♪ ♪ For all those strains of joy and bliss ♪ ♪ Through rapture and office birth ♪

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♪ Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice ♪ ♪ Give thanks and sing ♪ ♪ Yet on through life's long path ♪ ♪ Still chanting as we go ♪

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♪ From youth to age by night and day ♪ ♪ In gladness and in woe ♪ - Rejoice! ♪ Rejoice ♪

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- Rejoice! ♪ Rejoice ♪ ♪ Rejoice, give thanks, and sing ♪ ♪ And on Him build it high ♪

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♪ Rejoice, give thanks and sing ♪ ♪ Your glorious banner wave on high ♪ ♪ And God's hope lights your sea ♪ ♪ Rejoice ♪

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♪ Rejoice ♪ ♪ Rejoice, give thanks and sing ♪ [MUSIC PLAYING] Amen.

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Amen. The scripture lesson for the morning is found in the book of Philemon. Philemon is located in the New Testament, the book

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before Hebrews. It's a very short book. I hope you've already begun to look for it. You will be reading the first seven verses this morning.

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And if you have your Bibles with you, I invite you to stand and read with me at this time. Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy, our brother, unto Philemon, our dearly beloved and fellow

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laborer, and to our beloved Aphia, and Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus and toward all saints, that the communication of thy faith may become effectual

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by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

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Thus ends the reading of the scripture lesson. May God add a blessing to the reading and the hearing of this word. May it be used as a guide for our daily lives

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and for the purification of our souls. [MUSIC PLAYING] [music] [Music]

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[Music] ♪ Be acceptable ♪ ♪ In my sight ♪ ♪ Will thou teach me ♪

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♪ Me how to pray ♪ ♪ Will thou teach me how to pray ♪ ♪ Me how to pray ♪ Our fathers, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

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♪ Oh, I will be loved ♪ ♪ Oh, I will be loved ♪ ♪ Oh, I will be loved ♪ ♪ More than ♪

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♪ Any ♪ ♪ Children ♪ ♪ Give us this day ♪ ♪ Give us this day ♪

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♪ Our daily bread ♪ ♪ For him we pray ♪ ♪ And forgive us ♪ ♪ And forgive us our trespasses ♪

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♪ As we forgive ♪ ♪ And we forgive those ♪ ♪ Who trespass against us ♪ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

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For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. [Music] [Music] [Music]

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[Music] [Music] How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

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Then sings my Savior, My Savior God to Thee! How great Thou art! [Music]

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[Music] [ Music ] ♪ Oh, come, thou heavenly band ♪ ♪ A hope for years to come ♪

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♪ A shelter from the stormy wind ♪ ♪ And our eternal home ♪ ♪ We've walked a thousand miles to ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪

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♪ For earth we sing her praise ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ For everlasting thou art God ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪

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♪ Who endless years has saved ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Oh, what a beautiful sight ♪ ♪ A light and evening glow ♪

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♪ Joyous how once that is a night ♪ ♪ Before the rising sun ♪ (bright music) [Music]

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♪ One night at the rolling stream ♪ ♪ When all his sons awaited ♪ ♪ Awaited by one another as a dream ♪ ♪ I had the only day ♪

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♪ In the rain ♪ ♪ O God, our help in ages past ♪ ♪ Our hope for years to come ♪ ♪ We love our God while life shall last ♪

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♪ And our eternal home ♪ Amen, amen, amen, amen. [APPLAUSE] Everyone who--

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You know, the month of February is celebrated as Black History Month. And here at Ebenezer, we have taken this opportunity to uplift the work of our people in past years,

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also to highlight and to celebrate with the great things that are still being done and the contributions that are being made, not only by black people in this world,

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but black members of the Ebeneezer family here in this congregation. And so this morning, we are pleased to have two other persons who will be participating in this program,

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and it has been one that has been informative and enjoyable for all of us. This morning is also unique because we have a father-daughter team.

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That are Priscilla Bass and William Merrits, who come to us at this time. - Good morning, everybody. We've come a long way in the area of transportation, from the horse and buggies, to the powerful

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steam ships, to the various horseless carriages. We've come to call our vets, or bendys, or maybe our all-American Chevrolet. Built a time, not so long ago, that these vehicles were considered luxuries, and few of us owned them.

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We were entirely dependent on our feet, or whatever transit system was available. Rosa Parks is instrumental in getting us the right to anywhere on the buses. So today, when we ride Grey Lines, MARTA, Delta, or Amtrak, we have our choice of seats. Not only do we have our choice of seats, but we also have some say-so in how the transportation system is operated.

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So now, let me introduce to you the Vice President of Grey Lines of Atlanta and my father, Mr. William Hicks. [laughter and applause] Ladies and gentlemen, that's going to be a very tough act to follow. [laughter]

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I started at Gray Line in 1969. My take-home pay was $75. I cleaned restrooms. My first convention I sold in 1970 was the National Medical Convention,

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which is a black organization of medical doctors. My second major convention I saw was the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which wasn't that hard to really sell. My job is to motor city. If it has negative reactions, I have to turn it around and make it have a very positive reaction. My pastor, Dr. Roberts, played a very important role in me succeeding up the ladder in Grayline,

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from sweeping and dumping restrooms, to bus driver, to director of public relations, to the vice president of urban affairs, to the owner, one of the owners of Grayline of Atlanta, which is an international company, because there is Grayline all over the world. and all over the world. (audience applauding)

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There are opportunities in transportation. I would like to say that transportation is the best kept secret for minorities. When there was a horse and buggy, we couldn't ride inside.

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We had to ride on the top. When there came a train, we couldn't engineer the train, but we could push the coal and create the steam to carry the train.

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We could serve the food, but we had to draw the curtains so that no one could see us eat. When we got on the bus, we had to ride to the rear, but we couldn't drive from the front.

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And I used to say it, I stopped at Ebenezer, black bus drivers had less accidents than white bus drivers and it was because we rode at the back so long that when we got to the front, we were good.

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(audience laughing) There's so much I could tell you about transportation, but the word "T," the first letter in transportation is "team." It's a team effort to make everything go in transportation.

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We once washed the bus, now we manage the crew that washes the bus. We once was a part of riding to the rear of mass transportation, we're now vice presidents and general managers of city transportation. I'm very fortunate to head up a group

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that has a $4 million contract in Gary, Indiana. And the mayor of Gary, Indiana, demanded there would be minority input in moving school kids from one point to the other.

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I want to thank you, Ebenezer, and I want to thank Pastor Roberts for making an effort to help Bill Merritt be where he is today. Thank you very much.

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[APPLAUSE] [ Applause ] [ Singing Happy Birthday ] [ Applause ]

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[ Music ] (gentle music) [Music] [Music]

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[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]

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[Music] Thank you, Lord, for blessing me again. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me again. I have no confidence in me tonight,

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but thank you for everyone. ♪ Thank you, Lord ♪ ♪ For blessing me again ♪ ♪ Thank you, Lord ♪

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♪ For blessing me again ♪ ♪ I thank you ♪ ♪ Oh, say, can you see ♪ ♪ By the dawn's early light ♪

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♪ What so proudly we hailed ♪ ♪ At the twilight's last gleaming ♪ ♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪ ♪ I owe it all to thee ♪

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♪ Thank you, Lord ♪ ♪ For the grace you've given to me ♪ ♪ And thank you ♪ ♪ For saving me from sin ♪

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♪ Thank you, Lord, for blessing me again ♪ ♪ Thank you, Lord, for blessing me again ♪ ♪ I stand proud of thee ♪ ♪ The great things you've done ♪

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♪ Oh, thank you for everyone ♪ - Let us pray. Almighty God, we come now to thank you. Thank you for our many blessings.

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Thank you, dear master, for allowing us to be here in this worship service this morning. Thank you for allowing us to be able to give a small portion of all the wonderful blessings

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that you've given to us. Thank you, dear master. Just thank you for everything. Now, take these gifts, dear master.

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Take them and use them as you would have them to be used on Earth, as you would have them to be used in Heaven. This is our prayer in the name of Jesus and for his sake.

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Amen. [SILENCE] And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are.

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For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the street that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet,

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and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

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But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your father knoweth what things ye have need of

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before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye, our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. We have visited with our sick and shut-in members this week. We have visited with Mother Lyons.

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We have visited with Bessie Noel, who is in Physicians and Surgeons Hospital in serious condition. We have visited with Ernestine Kelsey.

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When I spoke with Ernestine the other day, she was saying, you know, I've been through this before. It's such a long road. It's so painful.

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Sometimes I'm not sure how I'm going to make it. You know her mother. You know how close they are. They live together.

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She takes care of her mother. Her mother is not well. She has many things on her mind as she lays in Georgia Baptist Hospital this morning,

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not just her health, but the concerns of all of her family. She told me that not only has she been on a long and rocky road to her present position, but there's a long road ahead. You know, she went in for minor surgery

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and had major complications. And this is the second time that that has happened to her. And it's going to be a very, very long recovery period. They have done some things to her

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that will alter her lifestyle forever. And it's difficult to get adjusted to new medication or a new way of doing things after you've been ill. She said, I don't know how I'm going to make it.

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But as we sat and visited, we decided that the only way she's going to be able to handle that is to pray for strength from God. Before I left-- and Pastor Roberts had already

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had a prayer with her-- before I left, I left with the firm conviction that she's going to be all right. She's in a lot of pain, too, is going everywhere.

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But she's going to be all right because she knows the source of her strength. It comes from God. And so let us keep the situation of Ernestine in our minds

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and in our hearts and all of our sick and shut-in members because it puts us in touch with those times when we don't know how we're going to make it. But it's going to be all right this morning, Ebenezer,

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because we're going to pray. Scripture tells us how we need to go about prayer. Doesn't have to be loud. Doesn't have to be at the altar in church.

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Just go in your closet, fall down by your bedside, in the dark, head under a pillow, wherever it is. You can pray. And God who we serve already knows what we need

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before we ask for it. And so we're going to listen as Deborah Willingham and the choir sing for us, teach us to pray. And then Reverend Reynolds will call us to the throne of God,

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where we may come to him with all of our supplications. [Music] [Music] [choir singing]

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[Music] ♪ Oh Lord ♪ ♪ Teach us how to ♪ ♪ Live ♪

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♪ In the long ♪ ♪ Life's journey ♪ ♪ When troubles are drawing near ♪ ♪ Your soul's in a turmoil ♪

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♪ Don't know where to go ♪ ♪ My Jesus has promised me ♪ ♪ If you will watch as parents pray ♪ ♪ They will be a savior all the way ♪

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♪ Amen ♪ ♪ Oh Lord ♪ ♪ You gave the way ♪ ♪ Oh Lord ♪

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♪ Teach us to pray ♪ ♪ When he called on you ♪ ♪ As he taught me which I most to do ♪ ♪ Then and now ♪

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♪ Oh yes, I know ♪ ♪ The blesser of days ♪ ♪ Oh, the lesser of days ♪ ♪ Oh Lord ♪

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♪ Who gave the way ♪ ♪ Oh Lord ♪ ♪ Teach us to pray ♪ ♪ When He called on you ♪

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♪ As He taught His disciples to do ♪ ♪ Then come now ♪ ♪ Yes, oh yes, I know ♪ ♪ The blesser of praise ♪

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♪ The dear, blesser of praise ♪ [Bishop] The Victorian of Balpany, come on down. [Choir singing] [Bishop] You can't make it. You can just stand where you are.

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♪ When He called on you ♪ ♪ As in time of this time most new ♪ ♪ Then the new ♪ ♪ Oh yes, I know ♪

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♪ The blest thereof came ♪ ♪ And the new ♪ [Choral singing] Now reach out and touch the person's hand next to you.

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If you don't know what that person has been going through this week, just reach out and touch their hand. Let them know that you are praying with them. I may not say what needs to be said for you, so you pray for yourself right now. Ask God for your needs right now.

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And his disciples came to him and they said, "Master, teach us. Teach us how to pray." He said, "When you pray, pray not to me, but pray to our Father who is in heaven." And he said, "Our Father, which art in heaven,

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hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

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And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

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For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Dear Master, teach us how to pray.

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Dear Master, it's me. It's me. It's me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.

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Dear Master, we pray to you now. We pray to you giving glory, honor, and dominion to you. For all power rests in your hands. So we come humbly to you this morning,

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simply praying to you and saying thank you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for our many, many blessings. Lord, you've been so good to us, and we thank you.

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Lord, when we were out in a world of sin, you came to us. Lord, when we were in a great darkness, you brought us into the light. Lord, when we were in our hospital room, you healed us.

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Lord, when we were bereaved, you told us that certainly we would cry, but joy would come in the morning. Lord, when we were lonely, you came to us, for what a friend there is in Jesus.

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Lord, when we were hungry, you fed us with the bread of heaven. Lord, when we were thirsty, we drank from the fountain. Lord, we come now just to say thank you.

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Thank you, dear master, for all of our blessings. Lord, we love you. This is the month of love, and we need to say I love you. We love you, for you heard our cry, and we thank you.

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For God, we love you, but you loved us more. For you loved us so much that you gave us your sweet son Jesus. And again, we say thank you.

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Lord, go to the hospitals this morning. Go to the hospitals this morning. Be with everyone, everywhere who's on their sickbeds. Lord, there is a man in Kentucky this morning

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who is going to be fitted with an artificial heart. Be there with them this morning. Lord, please, please be with us as we continue to do things that we may not understand now, but we pray.

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We pray that you will be with us as we continue. Oh Lord, please help us now as you helped us in the past. Oh God, our help in ages past. You're our hope for years to come.

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You're our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home. Lord, we don't know the time of the hour, but soon and very soon, we're going to see the King.

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Lord, help us to get ready for that day. Help us, dear master. Help us to get ready to meet you face to face. And when that day comes, Lord, please, please,

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let me hear you say, well done, my faithful servant. Well done. Lord, be in this worship service now. Being this great preacher, let him preach to us about love.

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Let us hear the hope in love. Thank you for this choir. Thank you for the ushers. Thank you for this congregation.

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Lord, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for Jesus. And thank you, Lord, for teaching us how to pray.

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This is our prayer. In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and for his sake, amen. [MUSIC] ♪ Teach us to pray ♪

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♪ For it we've come ♪ ♪ For the new ♪ ♪ And to talk of this I must adieu ♪ ♪ Did the man ♪

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♪ Yes, oh yes, I know ♪ ♪ The blackster of pain ♪ ♪ The answer of prayer ♪ ♪ Oh Lord ♪

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♪ Who gets away ♪ ♪ Oh Lord ♪ ♪ Teach us to pray ♪ ♪ When we call on you ♪

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♪ And you tell us I'm old to do ♪ ♪ Then the Lord ♪ ♪ Oh yes, I know ♪ ♪ God will answer your prayer ♪

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♪ God will answer your prayer ♪ - Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we thank you that you have promised that when we call on you, you will answer our prayer.

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Allow now the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart to be used by you if you want them, but if not, oh Lord, obliterate them, move them out.

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I'm not scared to venture out on your word. you are my source of strength, you are my inspiration for all these 26 years. I had nothing to say unless you first spoke. And so before I dare speak, I would ask that you would allow me to listen and to hear your message that is needed for your people and

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and allow us here gathered to find in you the answer to our hearts' desires. Some [no audio]