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.
Our Father in heaven, we love you. We have freely proclaimed that here this morning. Yet we also acknowledge that we only love you because you first loved us. On our own, there was nothing in us that was inclined toward you. Our hearts were all turned inward toward ourselves—our own honor, our own glory, our own praise.
But then you acted. You moved. You took the initiative. Your Spirit called us, and drew us, and transformed us so we willingly bowed the knee to you. We willingly turned to you in repentance and faith and praise and worship. And we now gladly and joyfully live for you—your honor, your glory, your praise.
And we pray that we would do that well—that we would live lives that are consecrated to your service, lives that make you look great. We ask that you would continue to transform us from the inside out. Make us so we are no longer conformed to this world but transformed by the renewal of our minds—transformed so that we can do your will—what is good and acceptable and perfect in your eyes.
If you transform our hearts, we know our desires will be transformed and so too our mouths, and our hands, and our feet. If you transform our hearts we will long for what is good, we will think thoughts that are pure, we will speak words that are sweet, we will do acts that are selfless, we will even follow in ways that are difficult or that cut hard against our natural desire for ease.
So please do that work in us. Let us be as holy as men and women can be on this side of heaven. Let our church be as pure and upright as a church can be on this side of eternity. Let our lives display as much as Christ as is possible when we are still so weak and broken and stained by sin. And all of this so you look great, so you prove to us and to all the world the great work that you can do in the lives of broken and sinful people like us.
Father, I want to pray for those in our midst who are going through a time of difficulty. Please be with those who are disappointed with the way their lives are going and who have not experienced some of the blessings they would so dearly love to have—be their sufficiency. Please be with those who are suffering loss—be their comfort. Please be with those who are enduring illnesses—be their strength. Please be with those who may be coming toward the end of their days—assure them that when they leave this place it will be only because you have called them home. And for all of those who are hurt or suffering or disquieted or downcast, let us be present with them and for them—present to help them, present to cheer them on, and present to speak your words of blessing.
Father I want to thank you for the special needs ministry and the great work they do. I pray that those who volunteer in this ministry will serve you with joy and skill. I want to thank you for the mercy and meals ministry and thank you for the many opportunities it provides to be a blessing to others. I want to thank you for the finance ministry and for your kind and generous provision for this church. I want to thank you for the opportunity to evangelize and to tell others about our great Savior Jesus Christ. I ask that in all these ministries we would be bold, we would be kind, and we would be found faithful.
And now as we continue in our worship, and as we open the Word and celebrate the Lord’s Supper, as we profess our faith and sing our praises, please use it all to continue that work of transformation within us so that we can become more and more like our precious Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
