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

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Sunday, December 21, 2008

Pastoral Prayer by Paul Meeks (# 15)

Pastoral Prayer by Paul Meeks (# 15)

Our gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we come to you today in the name of Jesus. It’s good to be able to come into your house and have this time to put aside the cares of life and the busyness of living. We’re hurrying about, planning, preparing, fixing, organizing and worrying about how everything’s going to turn out. Even while we’re here in church those thoughts tend to drown out your voice and what you want to say to us. We DO want to hear from you because we need to know again and anew today that you’re there and that you know us and where we are in our walk with you.

For some here today this present moment is filled with disappointment or impairment or heartache and their circumstances may be dreadful and filled with reasons for sadness or sorrow, they need you and they need us and the comfort of being in fellowship with you and with each other. We do receive uplift and encouragement from being here in your house. Help us to be sensitive to the needs of our brothers and sisters and speak a word of encouragement or even give a sincere smile or handshake. We do care about each other and we want to show it.

We pray for those with physical problems, some are going through cancer treatments, some have just gone through surgeries, some are facing surgery, and they all need a special physical touch from you. They also need emotional and spiritual uplift and encouragement. Please meet their needs and help them to keep their faith in you.

We pray for the terrible situations as a result of the hurricane in the South where there is devastation and death with thousands of people displaced. We can only try to imagine the range of emotions and empathize with the sorrowing and suffering ones. We pray for the thousands of people who have gone to that area to try to help alleviate the great needs. We pray for the government officials that have the awesome responsibility to work through all of the many involvements that they face in rebuilding and helping the needy people. Give grace and wisdom and understanding.

We pray for the leaders of our nation today and the many important and critical situations they face. Give wisdom to our president and the cabinet members and the men and women in congress. We pray for our military personnel stationed around the world and especially those in Iraq and Afghanistan. We know they face dangers and the possibility of death day after day. We pray for the defeat of the insurgents and the terrorists there and around the world that are plotting evil and wicked schemes. Please give wisdom and unusual ability to those that are working to counter these diabolical plans. We live in a dangerous and uncertain world, but we pray for your kingdom to come and your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

We pray for our church and for all of our leaders as new plans and programs are finalized. We need your guidance and your direction for us as a church. As hundreds of students will soon be coming into our church from Indiana Wesleyan University and other schools in the area, we pray that you will help us to minister to them in meaningful ways that will help them to become godly men and women. We want to be faithful to the sacred trust you’ve given to us. It’s both a privilege and an awesome responsibility.

We pray for Pastor Steve as he ministers your word today. May he sense your enabling presence and may each of us be obedient hearers.

We pray all this with praise and thanksgiving in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Paul Meeks
College Wesleyan Church
Marion, IN 46953
pauldarmeeks@aol.com

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