Meeks #8

Pastoral Prayer by Paul Meeks #8

Our gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we come to you today in the name of Jesus. It's good to be in your house in fellowship with you and with each other on this Lord's Day, the first day of a new week. Last week is now behind us and we've had many kinds of experiences. There have been some victories and some defeats, some concerns and some joys. We've had some problems along the way, too, and we sometimes wonder why life can't be all smooth sailing without any problems to face. But we're reminded that life wasn't designed to be problem free. You did promise to be with us and that you would never leave us, and we sure do nee d you. Without the strength that comes from you we'd never make it. Sometimes we feel broken inside because of what we've gone through so we ask you to take even the brokenness in our lives and make us stronger right at those broken places. We need you every day and we're thankful that you are there.

And now, Lord, we want to bring the special requests that are represented here today. Some of the requests are for a loved one or a friend that may be going through a trying time. Maybe there is someone that has wandered away from you and the prayer is that they will return to you. Some requests are very personal, things that nobody else can see and things that we might not be able to tell or confess to anyone else. You look down inside each one of us and you see and know all the emotions and feeling that are there. But you know, Lord, and you can do something about them. And as we each reach out to you we know that you'r already reaching out to us. There are many physical needs, too, and some are filled with uncertainty and anxiety, wondering what's going to happen. We would like to have all the answers now, but you in your love, have drawn a veil over the future and it's not for us to know, at least not now. But, Lord, our faith and confidence are in you and we can trust you completely even when we can't see.

Lord, I ask that you would bring things into our lives that will make us draw closer to you and make us more aware of you. We need to see and acknowledge your divine hand even in the everyday, ordinary events of our lives, because that's where you are. We believe in your divine providence and we don't want to just casually accept the events of life. We need to have an awareness of the divine. Save us from just being matter of fact. You are with us, in fact, you're within us and we need to be reminded of that truth.

And, God, we're concerned about the world we live in. There are multiplied millions of people who live without the knowledge of you and your eternal word and because of that they live in darkness and superstition and fear. And they perpetrate all kinds of evil and vile things. That's why there are wars and uprisings and suicide bombings and insurgencies. Our world needs you. We pray against Satan and the powers of evil that seem to abound on every hand. We pray for your kingdom to come and your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. And help us to know how to be used as your instruments of righteousness and holiness and truth.

We pray for the missionaries and national Christians that are faithfully laboring for you all around the world. We read about the wonderful things that are happening as the Jesus Film is being shown in country after country with people coming to know you and people being healed miraculously and churches being established. We pray for the continued victory over sin and evil as thousands more see the film and hear the message of your word.

We pray for Pastor Steve as he preaches your word in the services today. Speak to us through him. Our hearts and minds are open to what you want to say to us.

We pray this with thanksgiving in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior who taught us to pray, "Our Father who art in heaven . . . ."

Paul Meeks
College Wesleyan Church
Marion, IN

pauldarmeeks@aol.com