If you have adapted one of these pastoral prayers or written some of your own would you be willing to share them with other pastors? Just Send them to me and I'll post them here to help other pastors. keith.drury@indwes.edu

Followers

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Post pastoral prayers here

After losing many wonderful pastoral prayers at my old site after a destructive hacker got in I have decided to resort to this site which is better protected from hacking. I have set the site so that when you post a pastoral prayer it comes to me immediately by email and I click on it to approve it being posted on the site.
We get quite a lot of traffic on pastoralPrayers.com partly because there is no other site, and partly because I pay for advertising on google (don't try it too often--I pay for each clickThru ;-)
Please post your pastoral prayers by clicking "Comments" below and posting your prayer.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Morning Prayer for January 8, 2006

Lord, listen to your children praying.
Listen to our words, but don’t stop there.
Listen to what there is way down deep inside of us –
the fear we mask with false bravado;
the doubt we disguise with narrow-minded fervor;
the pain we hide from the world behind smiles
that fool the unobservant.

Lord, listen to your children praying,
and forgive us for being childish instead of childlike.
Forgive us for not playing fair;
for wanting to take our toys and go home
when things don’t go our way;
for making fun of those who are different.
Forgive us for wanting always to be the center of attention;
for pointing and laughing at others who struggle or stumble;
for taking seconds and thirds and fourths
before others have had even firsts.

Lord, listen to your children praying.
Lord, send your spirit in this place.
Send your spirit to calm our fears and to confront our prejudices.
Send your spirit to open our minds and to awaken our compassion.
Send your spirit to breathe new life
into the church you have called and commissioned
to carry your gospel into the world.

Lord, listen to your children praying.
Listen to our prayers of petition (concerns)





And listen to our prayers of gratitude (joys)


Lord, listen to your children praying.
Send us love,
enough for ourselves with plenty left over to share;
send us power,
along with the wisdom to use it well;
and send us grace,
to heal the wounds we bear,
especially those self-inflicted.

Lord, we pray because we believe you are listening.
Thank you.
Amen.

Anonymous said...

O God who touches earth with beauty,
who paints the twilight sky,
who gives the lark its song to sing
and makes the desert dry,
the ocean wet and vast and full
of life, both large and small;
O God, designer, artist, engineer
and maker of us all,
hear our prayer.

As we consider all the work of your hands,
we are filled with wonder beyond words.
We are overwhelmed by color, flavor, texture, scent and sound.
We marvel at pattern and intricate detail in the most common of things –
leaves, feathers, flakes of snow.
We stand amazed in the presence of soaring, snow-capped mountains,
wide, lazy rivers and forests fresh and green.
O God, we are grateful for the world you have made.

And we are grateful, God, that you have allowed us not only to observe it,
but to live in it and to be a part of it. Indeed, you have entrusted us with dominion over it and called us to tend and keep it. How easy it is to forget what an honor it is to be so empowered and so trusted.

Forgive us, we pray, for betraying your trust and for failing to care for your creation. Forgive us for using its resources selfishly, for destroying its careful and complex balance, for raiding it as if it were enemy territory instead of our own home. Forgive us for our repeated attempts to inflict our will upon it, regardless of its own rhythms and character. Forgive us failing to learn the lessons your creation can teach us.

By your grace, O God, restore us to our role as stewards and make us wise. Help us learn again to use without abusing, to delight in without destroying. Help us learn to tread lightly on the earth and begin to heal the wounds we have inflicted upon her. Help us as we strive to make this earth a place where future generations can flourish.

(Joys)


(Concerns)




O God, who touches earth with beauty,
who paints the twilight sky,
who gives the lark its song to sing
and makes the desert dry,
touch our lives with mercy
and fill our hearts with grace,
that we might learn to treat this world
as gift and sacred space.
Amen.

JMKendall said...

*Turn away from congregation and face towards the cross. We are praying on behalf of the people to the Father, physically show it.

Let us pray,

Our gracious and merciful Heavenly Father, we come to You today in the name of our savior Jesus Christ. We come with thankful hearts, knowing that through Your Son we can come and speak directly to You without the need for sacrifices, priests, or temples. We can come before you, ever so humbly, in reverence and love. We thank you Lord for this gift.

Father, despite this being an assignment, we pray that it is so much more. We know the importance of leading Your people and the immense responsibility that entails. We come today, respectfully asking You to teach us, to shape us, to mold us into pastors and people that You can use to further Your Kingdom. Change us so that You may change others through us. Thank You for the calling You have placed on our lives, thank You for Your love, for Your protection, and for Your guidance.

We would like to take time now to lift up this world to You, Lord. Throughout the turmoil and distress that is occurring round the world, we trust that You are still actively working in it. Specifically we would like to lift up those still recovering from hurricanes in Sri Lanka and the Gulf Coast. We also want to lift up those recovering from earthquakes in southeast Asia. We pray for Your healing hand to aid in the relief efforts going on. We lift up the universal Church to you as well. Strengthen those You have called and raise up more workers for Your harvest. Thy kingdom come, let Thy will be done.

Father God we want to lift up our nation to you as well. Please guide our president and give Him Your understanding in how to resolve conflicts both locally and abroad. Place advisors around Him who will boldly speak Your Word. Guide our politicians as well. Help them to be not on their own agendas, but on Yours and Your people. We pray for unity and a country that adamantly proclaims, “In God we trust.” Be glorified in and through our nation.

Finally we ask that Your Spirit would intervene on this campus, amongst the students and professors. Father there are so many hurting and struggling on campus, even in this room today. We pray for Your holy comfort and peace that passes all understanding to come into our lives and heal our wounds. We take time now to specifically lift up Cady Stephens and her family to You. Consol her family and give them strength as they attempt to go about living life again. Surround them with Christians who will strengthen and encourage them. Show them Your love in a new way today. Lord we finally ask that you would open our hearts and minds to hearing Your voice not only tonight at Summit, but throughout the semester as well. Fill us with Your holy passion so that others cannot help but be attracted to Your light living inside of us. Help us take that first step and then show us where to run. Thank you for our professors and a school who’s intent is to make us into Godly world changers. Help us to never lose the focus and vision You have laid before us.

Thank You once again for Your mercy, for Your grace. We know that we would be nothing without You and we return whatever praise or gratitude we may receive back to You. Change us, make us new, and be praised through our lives. To the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.

JMKendall said...

*Turn away from congregation and face towards the cross. We are praying on behalf of the people to the Father, physically show it.

Let us pray,

Our gracious and merciful Heavenly Father, we come to You today in the name of our savior Jesus Christ. We come with thankful hearts, knowing that through Your Son we can come and speak directly to You without the need for sacrifices, priests, or temples. We can come before you, ever so humbly, in reverence and love. We thank you Lord for this gift.

Father, despite this being an assignment, we pray that it is so much more. We know the importance of leading Your people and the immense responsibility that entails. We come today, respectfully asking You to teach us, to shape us, to mold us into pastors and people that You can use to further Your Kingdom. Change us so that You may change others through us. Thank You for the calling You have placed on our lives, thank You for Your love, for Your protection, and for Your guidance.

We would like to take time now to lift up this world to You, Lord. Throughout the turmoil and distress that is occurring round the world, we trust that You are still actively working in it. Specifically we would like to lift up those still recovering from hurricanes in Sri Lanka and the Gulf Coast. We also want to lift up those recovering from earthquakes in southeast Asia. We pray for Your healing hand to aid in the relief efforts going on. We lift up the universal Church to you as well. Strengthen those You have called and raise up more workers for Your harvest. Thy kingdom come, let Thy will be done.

Father God we want to lift up our nation to you as well. Please guide our president and give Him Your understanding in how to resolve conflicts both locally and abroad. Place advisors around Him who will boldly speak Your Word. Guide our politicians as well. Help them to be not on their own agendas, but on Yours and Your people. We pray for unity and a country that adamantly proclaims, “In God we trust.” Be glorified in and through our nation.

Finally we ask that Your Spirit would intervene on this campus, amongst the students and professors. Father there are so many hurting and struggling on campus, even in this room today. We pray for Your holy comfort and peace that passes all understanding to come into our lives and heal our wounds. We take time now to specifically lift up Cady Stephens and her family to You. Consol her family and give them strength as they attempt to go about living life again. Surround them with Christians who will strengthen and encourage them. Show them Your love in a new way today. Lord we finally ask that you would open our hearts and minds to hearing Your voice not only tonight at Summit, but throughout the semester as well. Fill us with Your holy passion so that others cannot help but be attracted to Your light living inside of us. Help us take that first step and then show us where to run. Thank you for our professors and a school who’s intent is to make us into Godly world changers. Help us to never lose the focus and vision You have laid before us.

Thank You once again for Your mercy, for Your grace. We know that we would be nothing without You and we return whatever praise or gratitude we may receive back to You. Change us, make us new, and be praised through our lives. To the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.

JMKendall said...

**Turn away from congregation and face towards the cross. We are praying on behalf of the people to the Father, physically show it.

Let us pray,

Our gracious and merciful Heavenly Father, we come to You today in the name of our savior Jesus Christ. We come with thankful hearts, knowing that through Your Son we can come and speak directly to You without the need for sacrifices, priests, or temples. We can come before you, ever so humbly, in reverence and love. We thank you Lord for this gift.

Father, despite this being an assignment, we pray that it is so much more. We know the importance of leading Your people and the immense responsibility that entails. We come today, respectfully asking You to teach us, to shape us, to mold us into pastors and people that You can use to further Your Kingdom. Change us so that You may change others through us. Thank You for the calling You have placed on our lives, thank You for Your love, for Your protection, and for Your guidance.

We would like to take time now to lift up this world to You, Lord. Throughout the turmoil and distress that is occurring round the world, we trust that You are still actively working in it. Specifically we would like to lift up those still recovering from hurricanes in Sri Lanka and the Gulf Coast. We also want to lift up those recovering from earthquakes in southeast Asia. We pray for Your healing hand to aid in the relief efforts going on. We lift up the universal Church to you as well. Strengthen those You have called and raise up more workers for Your harvest. Thy kingdom come, let Thy will be done.

Father God we want to lift up our nation to you as well. Please guide our president and give Him Your understanding in how to resolve conflicts both locally and abroad. Place advisors around Him who will boldly speak Your Word. Guide our politicians as well. Help them to be not on their own agendas, but on Yours and Your people. We pray for unity and a country that adamantly proclaims, “In God we trust.” Be glorified in and through our nation.

Finally we ask that Your Spirit would intervene on this campus, amongst the students and professors. Father there are so many hurting and struggling on campus, even in this room today. We pray for Your holy comfort and peace that passes all understanding to come into our lives and heal our wounds. We take time now to specifically lift up Cady Stephens and her family with the loss of her mom to You. Consol her family and give them strength as they attempt to go about living life again. Surround them with Christians who will strengthen and encourage them. Show them Your love in a new way today. Lord we finally ask that you would open our hearts and minds to hearing Your voice not only tonight at Summit, but throughout the semester as well. Fill us with Your holy passion so that others cannot help but be attracted to Your light living inside of us. Help us take that first step and then show us where to run. Thank you for our professors and a school who’s intent is to make us into Godly world changers. Help us to never lose the focus and vision You have laid before us.

Thank You once again for Your mercy, for Your grace. We know that we would be nothing without You and we return whatever praise or gratitude we may receive back to You. Change us, make us new, and be praised through our lives. To the glory of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Anonymous said...

O Lord Almighty, lift us up into your presence and let us feel you near as we assemble for worship and turn to your word. Calm our fears. Open our minds. Ready us to receive what you have to give to us this day, in sermon and in song and in silence.

What we seek is courage and hope. We need them in a world so filled with trouble. Dangers lurk everywhere, enemies abound. Violence and accidents and dread disease seem to pursue us like a pack of wolves.

Protect and defend us, we pray. Capture our hearts with your grace and drive out the fear that makes us compromise our values and draw back from challenges. Give us such confidence in your abiding care for us that we will live boldly and serve freely, as you call us to serve.

We thank you this day for the many answers to prayer we have already received and for the gift of long life with which you have blessed so many in our congregation. We thank you for the chance to celebrate with others goals reached and new adventures begun. We thank you for the faithfulness of family and friends, and for the support of others in times of trial. We thank you for those who extend themselves to help others, who offer friendship, and who speak words of wisdom.
(Other joys)



Hear our prayers today for those who need healing of body and of spirit. Bind up broken hearts and drive away disease. Bring peace to those who are nearing the end of life and patience to those who are learning to live with chronic illness. Help those who are caught in conflicts to think clearly and to remain committed to fairness, even when it seems to put them at a disadvantage. Help leaders everywhere hear and respond to the people who are crying out for justice and peace.
(Other concerns)




Now Lord, we fall silent before you and ask you to hear those prayers too deep for words. (Silence)

Guide and protect us, care for and direct us, now and forever, we pray. Amen.

Anonymous said...

O Lord Almighty, lift us up into your presence and let us feel you near as we assemble for worship and turn to your word. Calm our fears. Open our minds. Ready us to receive what you have to give to us this day, in sermon and in song and in silence.

What we seek is courage and hope. We need them in a world so filled with trouble. Dangers lurk everywhere, enemies abound. Violence and accidents and dread disease seem to pursue us like a pack of wolves.

Protect and defend us, we pray. Capture our hearts with your grace and drive out the fear that makes us compromise our values and draw back from challenges. Give us such confidence in your abiding care for us that we will live boldly and serve freely, as you call us to serve.

We thank you this day for the many answers to prayer we have already received and for the gift of long life with which you have blessed so many in our congregation. We thank you for the chance to celebrate with others goals reached and new adventures begun. We thank you for the faithfulness of family and friends, and for the support of others in times of trial. We thank you for those who extend themselves to help others, who offer friendship, and who speak words of wisdom.
(Other joys)



Hear our prayers today for those who need healing of body and of spirit. Bind up broken hearts and drive away disease. Bring peace to those who are nearing the end of life and patience to those who are learning to live with chronic illness. Help those who are caught in conflicts to think clearly and to remain committed to fairness, even when it seems to put them at a disadvantage. Help leaders everywhere hear and respond to the people who are crying out for justice and peace.
(Other concerns)




Now Lord, we fall silent before you and ask you to hear those prayers too deep for words. (Silence)
Guide and protect us, care for and direct us, now and forever, we pray. Amen.

Anonymous said...

O Lord God, we have no words adequate to the task of expressing how blessed we feel this day, as we come together for worship. We look around us and see sisters and brothers, people who share our faith and who have shared our joys and sorrows. We look at the cross and see a symbol of your commitment to our salvation and your amazing, amazing grace. We look in the Bible and see that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, and that you search for us when we are lost and that you celebrate with the angels when we are found.

Help us, Lord, find ways to express our gratitude to you and to others. Help us bless the world with our words and deeds. Help us share the gospel of your love and welcome those who respond to it.

Lord, we know we live in a troubled world. We have taken the creation you gave us and treated it carelessly. Now there is disorder where you created order; there is discord where you created harmony; there is filth where you created purity; and there is ugliness where you created beauty. Forgive us, we pray, for our part in the destruction of what you have made. And deliver us from the evil that we ourselves have let loose upon the earth.

Discourage those who wage war so they might become willing to consider other ways to establish justice. Calm those who rage. Defeat those who seek to control others through abuse. And confront those who claim to speak for you, yet spew words of hate.

Help us see as heroes those who work quietly for the good of others, creatively addressing perennial problems like hunger and disease. Bless with energy and insight those who are working to help the world avoid the catastrophe of a pandemic. Sustain those who are still working to repair the damage done in places that have now faded from the front page – the Gulf Coast, Pakistan, South East Asia, Darfur.

Now Lord be with us as we turn to your word with hope. May we not be disappointed or go away hungry from this spiritual feast. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Anonymous said...

In the morning when we rise and in the night when we lay down, and in all the moments in between, O Lord, you are there. In the night while we sleep, or toss and turn in anxiety, even then, O Lord, you are there. You are waiting for us to turn to you. You are waiting for us to look for you. You are waiting for us to make time for you, to pay attention to you, to take time to attend to our relationship with you. Far too often we are too busy.
God, you call us to be still. We confess that this is difficult for us. We prefer to be active. We prefer to be busy. We prefer to be surrounded by activity and noise. Silence unsettles us. Solitudes intimidates us. Reflection rattles us. So we seek diversions and welcome distractions. We fill our schedules to overflowing.
And yet . . . and yet . . . deep within us, there is a hunger that grows and grows. A hunger for silence. A hunger for solitude. A hunger for time to reflect.
A hunger for you, God. And the busier we get, the more this hunger grows. We feel it – an ache, an emptiness.
Grant us, O God, the strength of will to feed our hunger, to step away, even when there are other demands on our time. Shield us from the temptation to put off our prayers and postpone our time for reflection. Drive away the fears that make us shrink back from silence. Teach us how to be still and know you.
We pray this day for the sick. Show us how to provide good care for them in whatever ways we can. Bless their doctors and nurses with both skill and compassion. Bless their families and loved ones with patience and the strength to give support. As bodies heal, let faith grow and relationships with others become deeper.
We pray your peace for all who mourn, O Lord. Send your Spirit to lead them through the valley of the shadow. Fill their minds with positive memories and their hearts with comfort and resurrection hope.
Answer the cries of the desperate and the discouraged, the frantic and the frightened, the anxious and the alone. Protect the poor and weak from the rich and powerful. Continue to guide and sustain those who are committed to showing the world a better way – your way.
We rejoice and give thanks for your offer of love and friendship, O God – for your presence with us and your sacrifice for us. We thank you for answers to many prayers. We thank you for friends who are faithful, for people we can call upon and count upon when we are stretched beyond our limits. We thank you for the forgiveness of our sins and the new life we receive through faith in Jesus Christ. And we thank you for the sense of purpose and worth we derive from our call to follow Jesus and to continue his work in this world.
Now help us as we prepare ourselves to hear and obey your word. Amen.

Jimbo said...

Morning Prayer
O God, whose Word is truth and whose Love is light, let your truth and light fill this place. Open our minds, that we may come to understand your will and your way. Open our hearts, that we may learn to care more deeply for one another, for our brothers and sisters from other Christian traditions, and for all people everywhere.
As Elisha once asked Elijah for a double portion of his spirit, so this day we ask for: a double portion of your grace, so that we know we are forgiven and be able to forgive;
a double portion of your wisdom, so that we can find our way through the confusing landscape of the modern world, and guide others as well;
a double portion of your peace, so that we can conquer our own anxiety
and sow calm in the communities of which we are a part;
a double portion of your courage, so that we can confront injustice in ourselves and in our world;
a double portion of your persistence, so that we won’t give up and we won’t give in when it comes to reaching out to others;
and a double portion of your hospitality, that we may be ready to invite and welcome others into this fellowship devoted to you.

(Other concerns/requests)

We are so grateful, O God, for your attention and mercy. We marvel that we matter so much to you. You have created a world that both delights and challenges us. You have established a covenant in which we can thrive with the help of your Spirit. You have given us a share in the work that you are doing in the world, and thus given us meaning and purpose beyond that which we can secure for ourselves. You have provided for and protected us, nudged and nurtured us, inspired and enriched us.

(Joys)

Help us now, as we continue in worship, seeking to draw nearer and nearer to you. Then help us as we depart to show the world the difference an hour can make when that hour is spent praising you and learning more about you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jimbo said...

Just a little good news, O Lord, that’s all we ask.
We’ve had enough of the bad news,
headline after headline
announcing the latest tragedy,crime, or disaster.
We don’t need the newspaper or the evening news to remind us that the world is full of sorrow and people are often cruel.

We know. We know from experience.
Our own tears have taught us.
What we need, what we hunger and thirst for,is some reason to hope,
some reason to believe that the headlines don’t tell the whole story; some reason to believe
that truth will triumph over lies,
that love will outlast hate, and
that life will prevail over death.

O Lord, our hearts leap with joy at your announcement,“Behold, the reign of God draws near;repent and believe the good news.”
Grant us the courage to come to your side and join in the work you are doing in the world to reclaim it for the purposes for which it was created.
Amen.

Jimbo said...

God, you are gracious, and that is good . . . because we are slow learners. You show us the way, but we are still convinced we can find some kind of shortcut, some way to repair the damage done to the world and the fractures in the human family that won’t take too much time or effort. We keep looking for a way that is safe and certain and obvious and easy. But every apparent shortcut turns into a dead end.

Save us from our own foolishness. Confound and confront us, until we come to our senses. Teach us the humility we need if we want to be wise. Give us the patience we need if we hope to accomplish any lasting good. Grant us the spirit of obedience that we need if we want to be disciples.

Console those whose eyes are flooded with tears and whose hearts are drowned by sorrow.
Give rest to those made weary by heavy burdens. Strengthen the resolve of those sorely tempted. Calm the minds of those swarmed by anxiety.

We pray with faith and hope, because you have already done so much for us. There is no doubt that your love for us is real and reaches to the ends of the earth. As the psalmist says, there is no where to go where you are not already there, waiting for us, ready to meet us and to lead us home again.

We thank you for the teachers and mentors who have cared enough to speak the truth in love to us. We thank you for insight that comes after struggle, for hard-won maturity and undeserved second and third and fourth chances. We thank you for role models who are willing to be honest and who show us that you don’t just call extraordinary people to follow Jesus – you call ordinary people and make them extraordinary.

Now continue the work you are doing, O Lord, to make us extraordinary servants and witnesses for you in this world. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jimbo said...

How good we are at wearing masks, at playing roles, at pretending. We fool strangers, we fool our friends . . . sometimes we even fool ourselves. But we never fool you, O Lord. All our best tricks are of no avail. No amount of smoke and mirrors can keep you from seeing us as we truly are.
You even see through our worship when it is simply a facade behind which we attempt to hide our greed and selfishness and self-righteousness. You see through the pious phrases of our prayers, when they are no more than a sneaky effort to get you to do our will. You see through our acts of charity when they are merely an attempt to buy a good reputation.
So certainly, Lord, you must have seen right through the waving of the palms and the shouting of “Hosanna!” – all those people praising you for all the wrong reasons, all those people wanting you to be someone else, another kind of Lord. Forgive us as you forgave them, we pray.
Then open our eyes, that we may see clearly who you are and what kind of people you are calling us to be. Open our eyes to the wonders around us in the created world and in the human community. Enable us to see your artistry in the curved stem of the tender sprout, in the red patch on the blackbird’s wing, and in the dance of light on the surface of the stream. Help us see your spirit at work where people have learned to love in spite of the obstacles of race, class, age and culture; where kindness is done in secret and without the expectation of reward; and where people who have the power to exact revenge choose instead to offer forgiveness and pursue reconciliation.(Joys)
As we remember so many of the ways in which we are blessed, we also are aware of the ways in which we and others still suffer. The world is a broken place, polluted, filled with violence and injustice, fear and famine, sorrow and sickness. We pray for those who live where hatred is flourishing, fueled by political and religious differences. We pray for those whose lives have been devastated by disasters, whose patience is wearing thin as they wait for relief. We pray for those called to leadership and those who bear the responsibility to see that those in need are helped. We pray for those who work in dangerous and unpleasant places to bring aid to others who have no where else to go.
Now, Lord, guide us into to the rich storehouse of your Word and help us find there the wisdom we need to live faithfully and the courage we need to follow you wherever you lead us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mark O Wilson said...

Dear God,
Help!!!
Amen

About Me