Pastoral Prayer #9 By Ed Vasicek

Pastoral Prayer #9 By Ed Vasicek

Our Holy God,You are the Sovereign, the Supreme Ruler, the One Who Determines, and the King of Kings. As King Nebuchadnezzar confessed, "His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’" (Daniel 4:34-35) You truly set up kings and take them down. You are in charge, and we are foolish to think otherwise.

But Lord, we are so limited: we are imperfect, You are perfect. We know a little, You know everything that was, is, shall be, or might be. We can be creative, but You created everything out of nothing by merely speaking the Word. We try to cover all the bases of life, and we fall short. We rush from one place to another, hoping to be on time for our appointments. You are present everywhere at once.
Yet, despite Your infinite superiority, Your love for us is strong. You proved it when Christ died for us. You proved it when Your Spirit brought us to new life in Christ.

Father, sometimes it is difficult for us to transfer our convictions into real life. We think our opinions matters as much as the decrees of Your Word. We are tempted to create a separation between spiritual truth and our daily lives and responsibilities. Biblical Christians are meant to live out their faith in the trenches and routines of life, to take the Word of God out of mothballs and put it to work. We are meant to hear the Word and then do the Word. And, although doing the Word includes church life, it is just as relevant whether we are at work, school, and especially home. Lord, unite our hearts. May each one here be one person, not two. The Kingdom of God is not about pretending.Lord, as a church family, we have many needs. Some of us are hurting and need Your strength and aid. Others have lost family members or dear friends who are headed for a Christless eternity. Some of us are struggling with finances, health, shame, our marriages, our children, or are plagued by relational strife. Others are fighting enslaving addictions. Some of us might be depressed, worried, and fearful. Perhaps some are so beaten down that they fear hoping for more joyful times lest they be disappointed. We have difficult decisions to make, sometimes choosing between lesser evils. We need Your wisdom, Your direction, and Your Spirit’s power in our daily lives. Help us to experience that abundant life You promise in Your Word. We reaffirm Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives.

We remember the missionaries that our church supports, the ministries we offer, and the Lord we serve. Guide our church leaders into Your perfect will, and grant us harmony and unity of purpose as a church. Bless our president, legislators, judges, and local officials. And now, Lord, as we sing our songs of praise and contemplate Your Word, may Your Holy Spirit minister to each of us as we have need, for we pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen