From time to time, I like to share an example of a pastoral prayer that was prayed at Grace Fellowship Church. The pastoral prayer is a time for one of the pastors or elders to pray before the congregation and to intercede on their behalf. It’s a precious element of a service. I prayed this prayer earlier this month. (See here for many more examples.)
Our Father in Heaven, we are gathered here this morning like children gathered before the feet of their father. We want to begin this new day with you. We want to begin this new week with you. Before we do anything, before we go anywhere, before we engage in work, school, or even play, we want to seek the blessing of our Father.
We want your blessing because we know that if we are to carry out our duties faithfully, we will need your strength; if we are to resist temptation victoriously, we will need your grace; if we are to make decisions wisely, we will need your guidance. Apart from you, we don’t have what we need to walk in the way of holiness, the way that is honoring to you and consistent with your Word.
And so please, we ask, grant what we need but do not have. Teach us how to be obedient children. Teach us how to walk in your way. Teach us how to do your will. Teach us to be faithful so we can display your witness to your world. Teach us today and then be near us all throughout this day and all throughout this week.
We want to give you thanks for blessing (Dad) and (Mom) with little (Baby). We thank you for another life, another human being created in your image and likeness, and therefore unfathomably precious. We ask that her parents would be faithful to raise her in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, and we ask that you would work in her life to draw her to yourself in repentance and faith. We ask that you would do this when she is young. So many of us had to drink deeply of the world and be brought so low before we bowed the knee to Jesus. We pray that you would be pleased to save (Baby) when she is young so that she can attest that from her youngest days and in her earliest memories she knew this: Jesus loves her and that she loves Jesus.
Father, as we enter into this holiday season, many of us will spend time with family members who do not know you. Some have never heard of you at all; some have heard of you but shown no interest; some have heard of you and indicated they reject and despise you. No matter the case, I pray that in the days to come, you would give us opportunities to behave like Christians before them and to speak like Christians to them. Let us be wise. Let us be discerning. Let us be bold. Let us think prudently, live righteously, and speak courageously. Through deeds and words alike, let us bear testimony to the God who has saved us. I pray that you would see fit use us to speak your words of life.
Father, we have committed to praying for a whole year that you would provide us with our own church building for free. That can seem to us like a big request, or even a nearly impossible request. But you are the God who created this world. You are the God who sustains this world. You are the God who will bring an end to this world. So providing a free building is no challenge to you. It’s easier for you to give us a building than it is for us to give you a penny. It’s no stretch of your finances and no strain on your abilities. We simply ask that you would be willing—that it would be your good will to provide what we ask. We believe that we could make especially good use of just one of the tens of thousands of buildings in this city, and we ask that you would provide it so we can consecrate it to you and dedicate it to your purposes.
Finally Lord, we pray that you would help us to benefit from the Word as it’s preached to us today. We are grappling with some big ideas in this seventh chapter of Romans. So I pray that you would give ability to Paul so he can preach that Word clearly; I pray that you would give focus to us so we can listen attentively. Give us just 40 or 45 minutes of clear and uninterrupted focus so we can hear your Word, understand your Word, and best of all, obey your Word. Please graciously provide what we lack but so badly need. We pray it in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
(Some of the wording in this prayer was inspired by the prayers of J.R. Miller)
