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 #24

Pastoral Prayer by Paul Meeks #24

Introduction to the prayer:
If you had the privilege of asking one special request from the Lord today, what would it be? Well, you do have that wonderful and fantastic privilege, so, go ahead and ask him as I lead us in prayer.

Our gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we come to you today in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. We come with gratitude and thankfulness for the manifold blessings we enjoy from your hand. The thoughts of millions of people in our nation are turned to you with thanksgiving at this season of the year. We want to focus on all that we have rather than longing for what we don't have, and we have so much more than most of the people of the world. All that we are and all that we have come from you and we owe it all to you. We remember your goodness in the past and we rejoice in your closeness right now and we know that you have the power for the n eeds of the future. How blessed we are as individuals and as a church and as a nation. We glorify and honor and worship you.

We have needs among us today. There's not a one here today that doesn't have definite and particular needs. You didn't promise us that the world would be easy and you didn't say that there would be no problems or difficult situations, but you did promise us your mercy and your grace, and you did say that you'd be with us, and you did say that your grace would be sufficient. And we've found it be so. It's really true that in the hour of temptation, you've seen us through. And in our troubles and trials, when the road seemed long, the Savior has been right there with us and you've seen us through. The Holy Spirit has been faithful, he's been nearer than breathing and closer than hands and feet. We're going to make it by your grace.

Give that special word of comfort to the bereaved, and in the days to come when they feel their loss so keenly and feel that they're all alone, help them to feel your presence and help them to find the grace to go on. We pray for the suffering and those with physical needs. Touch them physically and emotionally and uplift them spiritually. We pray for those that are struggling with family relationship difficulties that are heartbreaking and seem to be beyond hope. Lord, you know just how to minister the word of hope that they need for this day. We pray for those that are struggling with painful memories from the past, maybe molestation, maybe abuse of some kind, maybe rejection of a spouse or loved one. We pray for healing of those damaged emotions and we ask that they will find restoration.

And as each one right now lifts up their heart to you with that very special need and personal request, help us to be able to reach through the doubts and questions and trust you for the answer to that particular prayer that they are praying to you. We look to you with faith and confidence. Thank you, for hearing these prayers.

We bring the needs of our nation to you today, our president and his cabinet and advisors, the men and women of the congress and of the courts of our land. We remember our military all around the world and especially in the Middle East. We pray for peace and for the defeat of the powers of evil that are active, planning to bring destruction and devastation.


You are still on the throne and you have all power in heaven and on earth and we do know how everything is going to turn out, because we've read the last chapter and we know that you and righteousness and holiness will triumph.

We glorify and honor you today and we praise your holy name. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

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

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