Pastoral Prayer | 7.31.22

 (Originally posted on Coffee Time's Blog)

Lord of all,

We come to you this morning with hearts that are, for many of us, anxious and heavy over events in our lives, in our country, and in our world. You call us to be people of peace, people who pray for and work for your kingdom of peace to come.

Lord, the universe is yours, Day and night are yours, the changing of the seasons, the changing of the days, the passing of the hours, they all belong to you. Every single moment, whether sleeping or awake, is your creation. We don’t always thank you for the rough times and the hard times in our lives, even though we should.

Form us and fashion us, to be conformed to you and not to this world. Let us look to our circumstance and rejoice, for though the wrong is quite strong, you are the ruler yet! Rejoicing in pain and suffering is hard, but we are not of this world, we have a supreme joy that lives inside us.

Father, give us the courage to be gentle. Let us not react poorly to the things that happen to us, but let us respond in gentleness with the people who surround us. In this supreme joy and in this bold gentleness, let us find peace, that we would seek a peace that pass all of our understanding.

We set aside this day, O Lord, to remind us of the rest you took in your creation, to remind us of the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ, and to teach us to rest as you rested. Let us shed the cares of these days and weeks, let us renew our strength as we approach this new week, that begins today.

Our souls are drawn out to you in longing desires for your presence. We long to go to the table where the feast is. We long to participate in the giving thanks that your son instituted before he was lifted up, for your glory. Give to us a desire to celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection each and every day, especially on this first day of the week.

Holy Spirt, we pray that you would remain in us. Enflame our hearts to worship you. Sustain us when the enemy seeks to ruin us. Remind us daily of the goodness of the Lord. Remind us daily of the day we were saved. Remind us daily of the bountiful mercy and grace that overwhelms us.

We now enter into a time of silent prayer, hear the prayers that rest on our hearts this morning, O God.

(Silent Prayer)

Almighty Father, oppose the oppressor and uphold the cause of the helpless. Defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering now and who may well face persecution in the future. Raise up your people to live for you and not for themselves. Because of your gospel, you love righteousness and justice, and the earth is filled with your steadfast love. As you have loved us and as You love the world You made, be moving in it to bring true healing.

We pray all this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirt, Amen.