Dear God, there is nothing more refreshing than coming home after a long days work and spending a quite evening with you. Reflecting on your goodness and mercy gives me a fresh perspective on life. Spending time with you reminds me that there is a place I can go and leave all of my troubles behind. A place of comfort and peace, a place of worship and praise. That place is none other than in your presence. As we sit this evening in your presence remove all distractions so we can be fully engaged while we are communing with you.

Sometimes Father we are tired and feel defeated but after we have spent time with you all of our insecurities are removed. On this evening Lord we come asking that you would purify our hearts. We need our characters refined because as children of God we need to look like our Father. We need to walk, talk, and act like our Father but so often Lord some of us misrepresent your character. In 1 Peter 1:15 Apostle Peter tells us, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;”

So often Lord we don’t conduct ourselves as children of the Most High. Our conversations are filled with malice and devilment and because of our actions Lord many have fallen away from the faith. Lord we repent on this evening for being a stumbling block for someone you have been pursuing to come back to the body of Christ. We need you to refine our character so we won’t just look holy, we will be holy.

Father help us to stop trying to mold people to look like us when we are just as messed up and in need of a Savior as they are. Lord forgive us for the times we have gone out into the highways and byways and compelled those who are lost to come in only to indoctrinate them on how to look holy but never giving them an opportunity to genuinely seek you with all of their hearts. When they can’t live up to these man made traditions they leave the church even more broken then they were when they came in. Lord help us on this evening to realize although you have given us power you have not given us the power to change people. You and you alone can change people. We don’t have the power to do that.

How sad it is that you waited patiently for us to give our hearts to you but we can’t extend that same patience to someone else. People have experienced so much hurt in the church because they come in running from the alcohol, running from the drugs, running from depression and anxiety looking for hope. Only to come into the house of the Lord and feel criticism and condemnation from those who say they love you.

The chains of addiction are broken but they get a whole new set of chains that have them bound. The chains of unforgiveness, the chains of trying to live up to other believers expectations, the chains of being guilt into to leading out in the church because of the condemnation they are experiencing from the pulpit. Lord please forgive us for every part we played in causing your children to stray away from the church. Please God help us to get out of the way so that the Holy Spirit can work in all of our lives.

May our conversation be so pleasant that everyone we encounter will know we have been with Jesus. My our attitudes reflect your character Heavenly Father. May our work ethic be fruitful and a blessing to the company you have blessed us to work for. May the way we dress be a demonstration that beauty is not outward appearance but beauty comes from within. May we walk like we belong to you Lord Jesus. Psalm 86:11 says, “Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” God we are depending on you to teach us as we study the scriptures. May the Holy Spirit open our eyes as we search the scriptures and reveal to us everything that is contrary to your character within us.

Lord we place our hope in you on this evening believing that you are going to show us how to walk, talk, act, and live like we belong to the King of King and Lord of Lords. Cleanse us Lord from all unrighteousness and purify our hearts. Refine our character, we trust that you are able to do it, in Jesus name. Amen