Pastoral Prayer by Paul Meeks #21
Our gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we come to you
today in the name of Jesus. We're so thankful
for this privilege of meeting together as your people to worship and honor
you. We're encouraged and strengthened as we sing and pray together and
as we hear the message from your Word we're challenged in our walk with
you. We need to hear from you today and we need to be drawn closer to
you. We're all needy people and we earnestly seek your will and your
way. We want to live lives of holiness and purity and that's why we're
here today. We need you, Lord, and we must feel your presence near us not
only he re in church on Sunday, but out there in our everyday lives, because
we're the church every day.
We're still the church in our homes and when we're doing our
business, in the classroom and in the factory. We want to portray the
spirit of Christ every day. Meeting together here every week gives help
to make it through the days ahead.
And now, Lord, as you look down inside of each of us today
we know that you see all the things that are there that no one else can see,
and as we each reach out to you we know that you're already reaching out to
us. We pray for forgiveness for those that have failed you. We pray
for encouragement and uplift for those that are discouraged. We pray for
comfort for those that are sorrowing and sad. We pray for physical
healing and restoration for those with sickness and problems. Lord, we're
all different but we all need the assurance of your loving presence.
Thank you that you're always there and we can dep end
on you.
We pray again today for our country, for our president and
his cabinet and advisors. Please give them wisdom and insight that can
come only from you. We pray for the men and women of the congress.
Many of them are God-fearing people and they are trying to lead the country in
righteousness and truth.
We pray for the communities where we live and work.
Help us to be the influence for holiness and right that will make a
difference. We pray, too, for our local leaders and that they will make
right decisions that will direct us in the right path.
We pray for our troops around the world as they continue to
work for freedom and justice particularly in the
We ask for continued wisdom and leading for our pastoral
staff and members of the various boards and committees. We know that they
face important decisions that will affect the future of our church for years to
come. Help each of us as we contemplate the Forward In
Faith emphasis and what our involvement should be with our time and
finances. We know that you are going to meet our financial needs through
us, because we're the church and you work through your people.
We pray for Pastor Steve as he brings your Word in just a
few minutes. May we sense your anointing upon him today.
We pray all this with thanksgiving in the powerful name of
Jesus. Amen.
Paul Meeks