Lenten Meditation
Prepare your heart for prayer with the words to the hymn below.
O SACRED HEAD NOW WOUNDED  
Attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, 1153


O Sacred Head now wounded, with grief and shame weigh’d down.
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown.
O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.

How art Thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn.
How does that visage languish which once was bright as morn.
Thy grief and Thy compassion were all for sinners gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end.
Lord, make me Thine forever, nor let me faithless prove;
Oh let me never, never abuse such dying love.

Lord Jesus, I remember…

“The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace
and called together the whole company of soldiers.
They put a purple robe on him,
then wove a crown of thorns and set it on him.
And they began to call out to him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him.
Falling on their knees, they worshiped him.
And when they had mocked him,
they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him.
Then they led him out to crucify him.
They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha.
Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
And they crucified him.
Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
Those who passed by hurled insults at him… In the same way
the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves…
Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus,
heard his cry and saw how he died, he said,
“Surely this man was the Son of God!”

May we as Your people praise You, O God. May all of us praise You, that the land in which we live might yield its harvest and we might experience Your great blessing (Psalm 67:5-6).

I will praise You, O Lord, and not forget all that You have done (Pause and remember the goodness of the Lord in your life and in our faith community…).

I praise You, for forgiving my sins and healing me (Pause and give thanks for the salvation that is yours through Christ. Pray for those who have yet to call on His name)!

I praise You, Lord, for Your many blessings, for satisfying my desires with good things and renewing my strength (Psalm 103).

Pray for ministers of the Gospel around the world that in all Lenten celebrations Jesus will receive the glory due His Name. Pray that the many evangelistic events taking place during this Easter season through the Jesus film, dramas, musicals and other outreach ministries, will produce lasting spiritual fruit in every nation, and that many will come to know Christ.

Pray especially for Thai pastors, that they will experience revival visitations of the Holy Spirit and preach the Word with power.

This week, let us give a praise offering to the Lord for all that He is doing among us! Pray this prayer and add to it those things that you see God accomplishing among us, and give thanks! Consider praying this prayer out loud:

I praise You, O God, for what You are doing among us, Your people at Evangelical Church of Bangkok, for we are the sheep of Your pasture! You are turning our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, by Your Spirit. I praise Your name! You are restoring to us the joy of our salvation. Yes! Joy and gladness are being restored to Your people, and I praise Your name! Only You can do these things! You are releasing the tongues of your people to sing of your righteousness and declare Your praise! You are renewing our hearts of worship! I praise Your name, O God! You are teaching us to love what You love, and changing us by the presence of the Holy Spirit and the power of Your Word. I praise Your name, for only You can do these great things! Only You can breathe the life of Your Spirit into dead places! Only You can revive and transform Your church! I praise You, for You are rebuilding us! I will praise You forever for what You have done; and in Your name I will hope, for Your name is good. I will praise You in the presence of Your people (Psalm  51, 52)!

Lord Jesus, be exalted among us as we gather and worship, as we meet in homes, at our places of work, school and play. Be exalted, be glorified in our conversations, in the choices that we make, and the places we go. Whether we eat or drink, or whatever it is that we might do. May we always be mindful that we belong to You, and do it all for Your glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Father, I ask that those who come to ECB seeking answers about who You are, and what it means to follow Jesus, will be drawn by the Holy Spirit to salvation. May each of us extend the welcome of Jesus to those around us and may Jesus be so seen among us, that many will come to faith in Him. May there be salvation in Your house each week!

How thankful I am for the privilege of worshiping with brothers and sisters from many lands. Thank You, for this taste of heaven at ECB, Lord! May we increasingly put aside cultural preferences, I pray. Unite us under the banner and cross of Christ. May the Word of God be our one true standard! And Father, allow us the privilege of sowing into the nations represented among us!

Lord Jesus, teach us to follow Your example and serve one another. May we prefer one another out of love for You, and serve one another with joy (John 13:1-5; Philippians 2:1-11)!

Father, You are the God of all hope. I ask that You fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in You, so that we might overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

Thank You Father, for buying my life back from the pit, for redeeming me through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and giving me Your love and compassion as a crown (Pause and remember all that You have been saved from, and all that you have been saved to and give thanks)!

Father, I pray that we will become the kind of worshipers that You are seeking, those who worship in spirit and in truth. Open the eyes of our hearts and reveal the hidden things, for You have said that You desire truth in our inmost parts. Show us Lord, show me, where I am still withholding my heart from You (John 4:23-24; Ephesians 1:18; Job 28:11; Psalm 51:6).

Jesus, You said that we are to make disciples of all nations – show us this way! Surely, You have put us here in Bangkok at this point in time for Your plans and purposes – may we, as Your people, enter in with joy to all that You have for us. Increase the harvest among us! May many come to Jesus! And yes Lord, give us the nations (Matthew 28:19)!

May we enter Your gates with thanksgiving, and Your courts with praise tomorrow, may we be thankful for all that You have done for us and bless Your name – for You are good O Lord and greatly to be praised (Psalm 100)!