A Prayer about Praying for Pastors

by | Sep 5, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Prayer

A Prayer about Praying for Pastors

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Romans 15:30

Heavenly Father,

In a day and age when 75% of pastors report being extremely stressed, 70% of pastors say they don’t have a close friend, and 80% think they won’t  be in ministry in ten years,*

we must heed Paul’s call to pray for pastors, faithfully committing to praying for them and encouraging them.

We pray for relief from the daily stresses pastors face, 

that we can be people who come alongside to support 

without seeking to know all of the “church gossip.”

We pray we will be faithful to encourage our pastors verbally, 

with spoken and written affirmation.

We pray for appropriate rest, 

and that our church will make a way for them to take regular sabbaticals, 

We pray for the energy and space to take good care of their bodies, 

getting exercise and eating well. 

We pray for encouraging friendships with other pastors, 

for the courage and space to tell the truth about their struggles, 

And we pray for protection from temptation 

and danger and all forms of spiritual attack. 

In the name of our great Shepherd, Jesus.

Amen.

 Romans 15:30-33; 2 Corinthians 1:10-11; Ephesians 6:19-20; Philippians 1:19-20

*Statistics from https://www.soulshepherding.org/pastors-under-stress/

Friends, for a helpful article on understanding your pastor’s need for pastor friends, please check out this wise encouragement by Pastor Walter Henegar at By Faith Online, “Your Pastor Needs Pastor Friends”

A Prayer about Those Who Turn Away from Jesus

by | Sep 2, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, kingdom living, Leadership

A Prayer about Those Who Turn Away from Jesus

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. John 6:66

Heavenly Father,

This must be one of the saddest verses in all of Scripture. 

Not too long before this, 

Jesus had fed well over five thousand people 

with five loaves of bread and two fish (John 6:1-16). 

The next day, the crowd of people sought out Jesus, 

wanting them to feed them again, 

but he pointed out their true and desperate need for living bread: 

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. 

If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51). 

Many of the more religious people were confused and disgruntled 

by Jesus’ words—

they were hungry and thirsty 

and just wanted Jesus to do more miracles. 

Sadly, they missed what we sometimes miss—

our deepest need is spiritual. 

We seek things of this earth 

to fill our hunger, our thirst, 

and yet, what we really need 

is what Jesus has already given: 

his blood shed for us, 

his body broken for us, 

and the new life that comes 

from dining on the bread of life (John 6:53-54). 

Father, we know that those who are truly in Christ 

will never turn away from him. 

For those who have turned away from Christ, 

we pray that by your Spirit, 

they will be drawn to return, 

to trust Christ alone 

to fill their hunger and thirst. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.

Read John 6:22-71. 

A Prayer about How God Supplies Every Need

by | Sep 1, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living, gratitude, Spiritual Growth, Suffering

A Prayer about How God Supplies Every Need

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Merciful God,

Thank you for your extravagant generosity to us. 

As we bring what we consider to be our needs 

before you today, 

may we trust that you will supply every need, 

not just one or two. 

We admit, sometimes we don’t understand 

why you don’t supply things we think we need—

like healing of our child’s illness 

or a long-desired spouse or child 

or a job that seemed just right. 

In those cases, 

turn our eyes upon your riches in glory—

the undeserved and over-the-top 

provision of glory in Christ Jesus. 

In him, we truly have everything we really need—

forgiveness of our sins past, present, and future, 

peace with you eternally, 

a meaningful kingdom life 

that has already begun 

and will continue forever. 

Help us to remember that

though you have already supplied those needs, 

you continue to supply daily, here-and-now needs, 

and you continue to invite us to bring our daily needs to you, 

because you are our generous Father. 

As we name those needs now, 

we pray “Thy will be done.” 

In Jesus’ glorious name. Amen. 

Read Philippians 4.

A Prayer about Who God Is and Why It Matters

by | Jul 28, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Theology

A Prayer about Who God Is and Why It Matters

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. Psalm 146:1

God-Above, Maker of Heaven and Earth,

How often do we pause to consider who you are, 

your graciousness, 

your goodness, 

your generosity? 

Not often enough. 

When we take time to consider 

your “wondrous works” and “mighty acts,” 

we receive a blessing—

our worry shrinks and our confidence grows. 

Let’s start naming just a few of the things we praise you for:

You “uphold all who are falling 

and raise up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:15)

[Name why this matters to you or those you pray for.]

You are our help and our hope, 

the God “who made heaven and earth, the sea, 

and all that is in them” (Psalm 146:6).

[Name why this matters to you pr those you pray for.]

You “execute justice for the oppressed, 

you give food to the hungry” (Psalm 146:7).

[Name why this matters to you or those you pray for.]

You “lift up the humble; 

you cast the wicked to the ground” (Psalm 147:6).

[Name why this matters to you and those you pray for.]

You “take pleasure in your people; 

you adorn the humble with salvation” (Psalm 149:4).

[Name why this matters to you and those you pray for.]

Good and gracious Father, 

for all of these things and thousands more, 

we praise your name, 

we rejoice in you, 

we adore you, 

we give you glory. 

Develop in us a regular rhythm 

of praising all of your goodness.

In Jesus’ wonder-full name. Amen.

Read Psalms 145-150. 

A Prayer about God’s Grace for Our Sin

by | Jul 26, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about God’s Grace for Our Sin

They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Romans 1:29-31.

Merciful Lord,

It’s impossible to read the list of sins 

describing people who don’t “see fit to acknowledge God,” 

and not see ourselves somewhere in it—

have I ever gossiped, 

speaking ill of people behind their backs? 

Have I ever been boastful and haughty, 

thinking I know the right thing to do 

about raising children, 

protecting from disease, 

or even teaching Bible study? 

Was I ever disobedient to my parents as a teenager? 

Have I ever wanted to possess what someone else has? 

Have I ever not only done these things 

but given approval to others who do them (Romans 1:32)? If so, I deserve to die for my sins (Romans 1:32).

I have, and I do.

And yet. 

By your mercy, 

through your undeserved grace, 

you have turned my heart toward Jesus 

as my only hope for salvation. 

Although I will continue to struggle 

with some of these sins 

until the day you take me home, 

“There is therefore now no condemnation 

for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Lord, help us to take stock of our sins. 

Forgive us when we judge others’ sins 

more harshly than our own. 

Open our hearts to our one true hope for salvation. 

And empower us to fight the battle 

against besetting sin 

through the might of your sanctifying Spirit. 

In Jesus’ saving name. Amen. 

Read Romans 1:18-32; Romans 7:7-8:1.

A Prayer about Not Repaying Evil for Evil

by | Jul 4, 2022 | Daily Prayer, Gospel living

A Prayer about Not Repaying Evil for Evil

1 Thess 5:15: See to it that no one repays evil for evil, but always seek to good to one another and to everyone.
 
Good Father,
Not only are you “abundantly good,”
you sent your Son to defeat evil,
in our hearts, and in this world.
We know our hearts are “deceitful”
and “desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9),
and we know we are blind to our own potential
to harm others and to rebel against you.
Show us, we pray, by your Spirit,
the ways we harbor evil,
the ways we seek revenge
when someone has done us evil.
Destroy every crack and crevice
of bitterness or resentment
we might harbor.
Draw us to “seek to do good”—
to “one another” and to “everyone,”
not just to the people
who have been nice to us,
the people we agree with on all the hot-button issues,
or the people who look, talk, and act like us.
In Jesus’ kind name. Amen.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28.