Pastoral Prayer by Paul Meeks (# 15)
Our gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we come to you
today in the name of Jesus. It’s good to be able to come into your house
and have this time to put aside the cares of life and the busyness of
living. We’re hurrying about, planning, preparing, fixing, organizing and
worrying about how everything’s going to turn out. Even while we’re here
in church those thoughts tend to drown out your voice and what you want to say
to us. We DO want to hear from you because we need to know again and anew
today that you’re there and that you know us and where we are in our walk with
you.
For some here today this present moment is filled with
disappointment or impairment or heartache and their circumstances may be
dreadful and filled with reasons for sadness or sorrow, they need you and they
need us and the comfort of being in fellowship with you and with each
other. We do receive uplift and encouragement from being here in your
house. Help us to be sensitive to the needs of our brothers and sisters
and speak a word of encouragement or even give a sincere smile or
handshake. We do care about each other and we want to show it.
We pray for those with physical problems, some are going
through cancer treatments, some have just gone through surgeries, some are
facing surgery, and they all need a special physical touch from you. They
also need emotional and spiritual uplift and encouragement. Please meet
their needs and help them to keep their faith in you.
We pray for the terrible situations as a result of the
hurricane in the South where there is devastation and death with thousands of
people displaced. We can only try to imagine the range of emotions and
empathize with the sorrowing and suffering ones. We pray for the
thousands of people who have gone to that area to try to help alleviate the
great needs. We pray for the government officials that have the awesome
responsibility to work through all of the many involvements that they face in
rebuilding and helping the needy people. Give grace and wisdom and
understanding.
We pray for the leaders of our nation today and the many
important and critical situations they face. Give wisdom to our president
and the cabinet members and the men and women in congress. We pray for
our military personnel stationed around the world and especially those in
We pray for our church and for all of our leaders as new
plans and programs are finalized. We need your guidance and your
direction for us as a church. As hundreds of students will soon be coming
into our church from
We pray for Pastor Steve as he ministers your word
today. May he sense your enabling presence and may each of us be obedient
hearers.
We pray all this with praise and thanksgiving in the name of
Jesus. Amen.
Paul Meeks