After being challenged by the elders to study and pray about Pastoral Prayers I have decided to write and give a new prayer each week during the church service. I’ve thought a lot about posting them here and have decided to do so in hopes that people will experience a new way to pray and be encouraged through them. Feel free to use them privately or in your church’s worship time. This prayer is from June 30, 2013.

Invocation

“Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise!…

Within Your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.

Like your name, O God, Your praise reaches the ends of the earth;

your right hand is filled with righteousness.” (Psalm 48:1a , 10)

We come before you in song,

in service,

in our tithes and offerings,

and by giving attention to your Word

because you are worthy of our attention, our praise, our faith, our prayers and our lives.

Confession

We praise you this morning as a community of people in need of your mercy,

your grace,

your peace,

your forgiveness.

We confess to you that we have not lived as we should have this week.

We have idols in our hearts,

have grieved your spirit,

have trusted in our own strength,

and, at times, have forgotten your very existence by not being mindful of your presence.

We have indulged our own selfishness and have not loved one another as we are meant to.

We have indulged addictions that you have told us to give up.

We have indulged feelings that you have told us were harmful as we wallowed in bitterness,

lust,

anger,

and fear.

We have indulged Satan and given into temptation willfully and mindfully.

You gave us the way out, and we didn’t take it.

We confess our sin and our error, and once again we repent from it.

We need your forgiveness Lord.

We need to be cleansed.

We need your supernatural strength to live a holy life.

As individuals and as a community we come before you trusting your promise that “if we confess our sins, [You are] faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

We trust in your faithfulness.

We know that as a just God you poured out the punishment for our sins onto our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We know that because of His sacrifice we can be purified.

Purify our church.

Purify our souls.

Purify our community and our city.

Make us clean.

Intercession

We pray for those in authority over us,

those you have raised up to lead this community, city, province and nation.

Help them listen to you and govern well.

We ask you to bless the other churches in our area as they praise you and listen to your word.

Grow them in number, and deepen them in spiritual maturity.

And for us here this morning Lord, illuminate your word and draw us into a deeper, stronger faith.

Build up our relationship with you and each other.

Give your special attention and healing to the sick who cannot be with us.

Give your supernatural joy to those who are grieving and hurting this morning, Lord.

Lay a heavy hand on those who need to feel your presence today.

Bring conviction to the prideful and elevate the humble among us.

We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen