GOOD FRIDAY PRAYER VIGIL - April 2, 2021

GOOD FRIDAY PRAYER VIGIL
      April 2, 2021

Following the lead of the Gospels themselves, this vigil
provides a crucial link between the revelation of God in
Christ and the creation of the church with God’s past
revelation of Himself and the creation of His people
Israel. This important emphasis on the continuity of the
church with the Old Testament’s witness to God also
helps define the nature of the church and its mission in
the world, thoroughly grounding it in the ongoing work
of God in history.
The vigil is meant to keep company with Christ during
the long hours from the Tenebrae service on Good Friday
until we celebrate together Christ’s resurrection.
You may spend your time in quiet reflection, prayer,
reading from devotional and prayer books, reading the
Bible, following this prayer guide or even just resting.
Take time to listen to God.
INVOCATION
In the Name of the Father, and of the T Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen                        Matthew 28:19
Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart
and confess our sins unto God, our Father, beseeching
Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us
forgiveness. Amen                         Hebrews 10:22
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven
and earth.                                 Psalm 124:8
I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and
You forgave the iniquity of my sin.             Psalm 32:5
THE CONFESSION OF SIN

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O almighty God, merciful Father, I confess that I have
sinned against You this day. Some of my sin I know—the
thoughts and words and deeds of which I am ashamed—
but some is known only to You. In the Name of Jesus
Christ I ask forgiveness. Deliver and restore me that I
may rest in peace.
THE ABSOLUTION
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to
die for us, and for His sake God forgives us all our sins. To
those who believe in Jesus Christ He gives the power to
become the children of God and bestows on them the
Holy Spirit. May the Lord, who has begun this good work
in us, bring it to completion in the day of our Lord Jesus
Christ.                            John 1:6; Philippians 1:6
PSALM                                            Psalm 66
Shout happily to God, all the earth! Make music to praise
the glory of His name. Make His praise glorious. Say to
God, "How awe-inspiring are Your deeds! Your power is
so great that Your enemies will cringe in front of You.
The whole earth will worship You. It will make music to
praise You. It will make music to praise Your name."
Come and see what God has done—His awe-inspiring
deeds for Adam's descendants. He turned the sea into
dry land. They crossed the river on foot. We rejoiced
because of what He did there. He rules forever with his
might. His eyes watch the nations. Rebels will not be
able to oppose Him.
Thank our God, you nations. Make the sound of His
praise heard. He has kept us alive and has not allowed us
to fall. You have tested us, O God. You have refined us in
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the same way silver is refined. You have trapped us in a
net. You have laid burdens on our backs. You let people
ride over our heads. We went through fire and water,
but then You brought us out and refreshed us. I will
come into Your temple with burnt offerings.
I will keep my vows to You, the vows made by my lips
and spoken by my own mouth when I was in trouble. I
will offer you a sacrifice of fattened livestock for burnt
offerings with the smoke from rams. I will offer cattle
and goats.
Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell you
what He has done for me. With my mouth I cried out to
Him. High praise was on my tongue. If I had thought
about doing anything sinful, the Lord would not have
listened to me. But God has heard me. He has paid
attention to my prayer. Thanks be to God, who has not
rejected my prayer or taken away His mercy from me.
ADMONITION TO PRAY
    COMMANDED BY GOD
Be alert at all times. Pray so that you have the power to
escape everything that is about to happen and to stand
in front of the Son of Man.                     Luke 21:36
   ENCOURAGED BY GOD
Before they call, I will answer. While they're still
speaking, I will hear.                         Isaiah 65:24
   INSTRUCTED BY GOD
Don't be in a hurry to talk. Don't be eager to speak in the
presence of God. Since God is in heaven and you are on
earth, limit the number of your words. Ecclesiastes 5:2
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OFFERED BY GOD’S SON
For through Him we both have access by One Spirit to
the Father.                            Ephesians 2:18
   IN THE NAME OF JESUS
When that day comes, you will ask for what you want in
My Name. I'm telling you that I won't have to ask the
Father for you. The Father loves you because you have
loved Me and have believed that I came from God.
                                          John 16:26-27
    POSTURE BEFORE GOD
Come, let's worship and bow down. Let's kneel in front
of the LORD, our maker.                    Psalm 95:6
   ANSWERED BY GOD
Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing
Me. I've known that You always hear Me. However, I've
said this so that the crowd standing around Me will
believe that you sent Me."                John 11:41b-42
THANKFULNESS (for His grace and mercy)
The people were overjoyed that the leaders gave so
generously and wholeheartedly to the LORD. King David
was also overjoyed, and he praised the LORD while the
whole assembly watched. David said, "May You be
praised, LORD God of Israel, our Father forever and ever.
Greatness, power, splendor, glory, and majesty are Yours,
LORD, because everything in heaven and on earth is
Yours. The kingdom is Yours, LORD, and You are honored
as head of all things. Riches and honor are in front of
You. You rule everything. You hold power and strength in
Your hands, and You can make anyone great and strong.
Our God, we thank You and praise Your wonderful name.
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But who am I and who are my people that You enable us
to give so generously? Everything comes from You. We
give You only what has come from Your hands.
                                    I Chronicles 29:9-14
  OUR SPIRITUAL PROVISION
Deepening the spiritual walk of our membership:
 That we may accept the challenge of walking with
  You
 That we will spend more time reading, meditating on,
  & memorizing the Word of God
 May God grant us a closer walk with Him through
  prayer and reading of His Word
The spiritual integrity of every member:
 May God grant us a more earnest burden for the lost
 May God grant us a renewed vision of our prayer
  ministry
 That we increase our Scripture memorization
   OUR COMPASSION FOR OTHERS
God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that the Holy
Spirit will comfort and direct:
 Widows and widowers
 Those in sickness, grief, loneliness and pain
 Those who are lost and in need of Your grace
 Those who claim Your Name, but do not follow You
  and do not gather in Your Name
Lord, continue to use those who have grown older in
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your service that their service will not diminish and they
do not become weary, but rather:
 Increase their zeal for being about Your work
 Turn them into prayer warriors for You and Your
  people
 Lift them up and bring others to help bear their
  burdens
 Bring the young into our fold so that they may be
  encouraged and grow in the wisdom of our aged
TRUTHFULNESS (for our sin and forgiveness)
The LORD is not too weak to save or His ear too deaf to
hear. But your wrongs have separated you from your
God, and your sins have made Him hide His face so that
He doesn't hear you. Your hands are stained with blood,
and your fingers are stained with sin. You speak lies, and
you mutter wicked things. No one calls for justice, and
no one pleads his case truthfully.
People trust pointless arguments and speak lies. They
conceive trouble and give birth to evil. They hatch viper
eggs and weave spiderwebs. Those who eat their eggs
will die. When an egg is crushed, a poisonous snake is
hatched. Their webs can't be used for clothes, nor can
they cover themselves with their works. Their works are
evil. Their hands have committed acts of violence. Their
feet run to do evil. They hurry to shed innocent blood.
Their plans are evil. Ruin and destruction are on their
highways. They don't know the way of peace. There's no
justice on their highways. They've made their paths
crooked.
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Whoever walks on them will never know peace. That is
why justice is far from us, and righteousness doesn't
reach us. We hope for light, but we walk in darkness. We
hope for brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope like
blind men along a wall. We grope like people without
eyes. We stumble at noon as if it were twilight. We are
like dead people among healthy people. We all growl like
bears. We coo like doves. We hope for justice, but there
is none. We hope for salvation, but it's far from us.
You are aware of our many rebellious acts. Our sins
testify against us. Our rebellious acts are with us. We
know our wrongdoings. We have rebelled and denied
the LORD. We have turned away from our God. We have
spoken about oppression and revolt. We have conceived
and uttered lies in our hearts. Justice is turned back, and
righteousness stands far away. Truth has fallen in the
street, and honesty can't come in. Truth is missing.
Those who turn away from evil make themselves victims.
The LORD sees it, and He's angry because there's no
justice. He sees that there's no one to help. He's
astounded that there's no one to intercede. So with His
own power He wins a victory. His righteousness supports
Him. He puts on righteousness like a coat of armor and a
helmet of salvation on His head. He wears clothes of
vengeance. He wraps himself with fury as a coat. He will
pay them back according to their deeds. He will pay back
His opponents with wrath and punish his enemies. He
will pay back the people who live on the coastlands. The
people of the west will fear the name of the LORD. Those
in the east will fear His glory.

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He will come like a rushing stream. The wind of the LORD
pushes Him. "Then a Savior will come to Zion, to those in
Jacob who turn from rebellion," declares the LORD. "This
is My promise to them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who
is on you, and My words that I put in your mouth will not
leave you. They will be with your children and your
grandchildren permanently," says the LORD.
                                           Isaiah 59:1-21
  OUR WITNESS IN ACTION
 An increase in personal witnessing among our
  members
 The salvation of souls from Scriptures distributed
 Those won to Christ will grow in grace and knowledge
  of our Lord Jesus
 Scripture distributions in prisons and jails that many
  will be saved
 That those in despair, perhaps contemplating suicide,
  shall be reached with the Gospel and the Word of
  God while there is yet time
 That the Lord will use each member and their family
  in this ministry to His honor and glory
 A mighty revival of the Holy Spirit to sweep over our
  nation
 Church congregations, pastors, missionaries, and
  Bible teachers, that they may remain true to the
  message of salvation through the blood of Christ
 Salvation of medical personnel who are instruments
  of God in healing
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 Salvation of teachers and others who work with our
  young that they might be mighty testaments of faith
  OUR COMPASSION FOR OTHERS
 May God comfort and heal our sick and bereaved
  members
 Overcoming the spirit of lethargy that we be not
  lacking in zeal, but “fervent in spirit; serving the Lord”
  Romans 12:11
 For God’s guidance, open doors, and willing helpers
  in His work
 Traveling mercies for our members over this Easter
  season
TIMELESSNESS (in our evangelism)
On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city. Its walls and fortifications provide
safety. Open the gates, and let the righteous nation
come in, the nation that remains faithful. With perfect
peace you will protect those whose minds cannot be
changed, because they trust You. Trust the LORD always,
because the LORD, the LORD alone, is an everlasting
rock.
He has brought down those who live high in the
towering city. He levels it. He levels it to the ground and
throws it into the dust. Feet trample it, the feet of the
oppressed, the footsteps of the poor. The path of the
righteous is level. O Upright One, you make the road of
the righteous smooth. Certainly, we wait with hope for
You, O LORD, as we follow the path of Your guiding
principles. We want to remember You and Your name.
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With my soul I long for You at night. Yes, with my spirit I
eagerly look for You. When your guiding principles are
on earth, those who live in the world learn to do what is
right.
Although the wicked are shown pity, they do not learn to
do what is right. They do what is wrong in the upright
land and do not see the majesty of the LORD. O LORD,
Your power is visible, but they do not see it. They will see
how devoted Your people are, and they will be put to
shame. Your burning anger will destroy Your enemies. O
LORD,
You will establish peace for us, since You have done
everything for us. O LORD, our God, You are not the only
master to rule us, but we acknowledge only You. The
wicked are dead. They are no longer alive. The spirits of
the dead won't rise. You have punished them, destroyed
them, and wiped out all memory of them. You have
expanded the nation, O LORD. You have expanded the
nation. You are honored. You have extended all the
land's boundaries.
O LORD, the people have come to You in trouble. They
were humbled by oppression, by your discipline upon
them. O LORD, when we are with You, we are like
pregnant women ready to give birth. They writhe and cry
out in their labor pains. We were pregnant; we writhed
with labor pains only to give birth to the wind. We
weren't able to bring salvation to the land, and no new
people were born on earth. Your dead will live. Their
corpses will rise. Those who lie dead in the dust will
wake up and shout for joy, because Your dew is a
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refreshing dew, and the earth will revive the spirits of
the dead.                                   Isaiah 26:1-19
  OUR MINISTRY FOR THIS COMING YEAR
 More funds to supply more Scriptures and
  missionaries for the World and for the United States
 Our church newsletter and the LCMS & CPH
  publications
 New Members, transfers, and baptisms
 Adult, women’s, men’s, high school, young couples,
  junior high, junior and primary children’s Bible
  studies
 ESL, Caring Hands Food Pantry and other outreaches
  into the community
 Council and its committees, the choir, ushers,
  acolytes, Elders, lectors, Bible study leaders, altar
  guild, organist, choir director, counters, and others
  that serve that everything will be done to Christ’s
  honor and glory
  OUR FRUIT THIS COMING YEAR
 Service and military chaplains who minister to our
  young men and women in harm’s way
 Open doors to our youth and college programs and
  salvation for those who are received into our care
 Comfort for those who struggle under the burdens of
  life
 Members, those close to us and all who are placed in
  jails and prisons for God’s comfort and His Word to
  them
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 For the fulfillment of Isaiah 55:11 “My word, which
  comes from my mouth, is like the rain and snow. It
  will not come back to me without results. It will
  accomplish whatever I want and achieve whatever I
  send it to do.”
   ADDITIONAL PRAYER ITEMS
You may wish to pray for a number of people by name.
The following list will help jog your memory.
 Family: Spouse, each of your children,
  grandchildren, your parents, your brothers and
  sisters, your nieces and nephews, cousins, etc.
 Work: Those who work with you, those for whom
  you are responsible, those to whom you report, those
  in other departments.
 Schools: Our member’s children; their special
  educational, social, but especially spiritual needs. Our
  high schools and colleges; their students, faculty,
  facilities, programs. The public schools—elementary,
  high school, colleges and universities.
 Church: The ministry staff, members of the Church
  council, Youth Board, Christian Education Board,
  Evangelism Board, Elder Board, Finance Board,
  Trustee’s Board, School Board, our janitor, our Sunday
  school program, our ushers, our Bible studies, our
  choir, our organists, our tech and music ministry, our
  prayer chain, our youth groups, and any other
  programs and groups in our church.
 Nation: Our president, Congress, and all others
  charged with some area of administering our national
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government. Our state governor and legislature. Our
   city and county government.
 Pandemic: Pray that lives will be saved, people will
  stay healthy, and less infection rates. In addition,
  please pray for the emotional well being of people—
  especially children, teenagers, the elderly, and
  singles. Finally, pray for the things to open up wisely
  and solidly.
   Silent Meditation
THE LORD’S PRAYER                        Matthew 6:9–13
Our Father who art in heaven, 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; and forgive us
our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against
us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the
glory forever and ever. Amen.
CLOSING PRAYERS
Almighty God, graciously behold this Your family, for
which our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed
and delivered into the hands of sinful men and to suffer
death on the cross; through the same Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Almighty and everlasting God, who willed that Your Son
should bear for us the pains of the cross and so remove
from us the power of the adversary, help us so to
remember and give thanks for our Lord’s Passion that we
may receive remission of sin and redemption from

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everlasting death; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
NUNC DIMITTIS      (Song of Simeon)       Luke 2:29–32
Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping that
awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest
in peace.
Lord, now let Your servant go in peace; Your word has
been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen the salvation
which You have prepared in the sight of every people: a
light to reveal You to the nations and the glory to Your
people Israel.
Glory be to the Father and to the T Son and to the Holy
Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be
forever more. Amen.
Blest Be the Tie That Binds
   Blest be the tie that binds
   Our Hearts in Christian love!
   The fellowship of kindred minds
   Is like to that above.
   When we asunder part
   It gives us inward pain;
   But we shall still be joined in heart,
   And hope to meet again.
MEDITATION
After you have finished your prayers, spend some time
reading one of the Bible translations or other books of
devotion and comfort provided for you.
      Read the Psalms, which are arranged by couplets,
       each pair together and then pause to dwell on it
       for a few minutes.
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   Consider all of the things in your life that went well
     since Easter last year, and the many things that
     could have harmed you that did not happen.
    Commit to putting your time and talents to assist
     your family, the church and your community.
    Thank God for the faith He has given you and the
     gift of His Son that saves and make you one of His
     own.

 WORSHIP SCHEDULE
        8:00 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary
 limited live music, no congregational singing, Lord’s
   Supper will be offered as you leave the Sanctuary
9:30 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary & Live Stream
 limited live music, no congregational singing, Lord’s
   Supper will be offered as you leave the Sanctuary
 9:30 a.m. Sunday School in the Fellowship Hall
     11:00 a.m. Live Stream Worship with Music

              Curbside Communion
       rd
      3 Sunday of the month from 12-12:30 p.m.

   Sign-up required for all in Sanctuary Worship
 April 11 and later at Hephatha.churchreserve.com
           All other on campus events at
        TimeToSignUp.com/hephathalutheran
Hephatha.net © 714-637-0887 © HephathaChurch@Hephatha.net

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