Pastoral Prayer - 30 March 2014


(Pondering Micah 2.13). Lord God you break out and go up before your people – breaking out of the limits, prejudices, perplexities and boundaries people try to force upon you. You strengthen your people that we too can break free of the constraining identities others seek to foist on us. And you send us forth with our king passing on before us, and you at our head. We thank you our barrier-breaking God! We adore you, worship you, and happily sing to you, O God our exceeding joy!

 Father, we implore you for your church in all places – including this congregation; Sante Fe Presbyterian Church; Secret Place Community Church; Siloam Baptist Church; South Pointe Church; Southern Hills Christian Church; all of the congregations of the PCUSA; Bible Presbyterian Church; The Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches; Since our salvation is nearer than when we first believed, the night is far spent and the day is at hand; therefore help us to cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light; strengthen us to walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy; and enthuse us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13.12-14). O Lord, hear our prayer.

 O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom the whole heavens adore; bring the whole earth to worship you, bring all nations to bless and praise you, and bring men, women, girls and boys in all places, as well as our friends…, families… and foes…, to bow the knee before you; to confess Jesus is Lord, believing in their hearts that you raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10.9-10); and to trust and obey. O Lord, hear our prayer.

 Lord Jesus, ascended and enthroned at the Father’s right hand, who reigns over every rule and every authority and power, who will reign until all of your enemies are put under your feet – even the last enemy, death (1 Corinthians 15.24-26)! As you well know, better than we can fathom, our world disputes your sovereignty. Jesus; Savior; Lord; Mighty warrior who rides forth with the 2-edged sword from your mouth, with which you will strike down the nations, and will one day tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty (Revelation 19.15); we pray that the nations of our world would quit rebelling against you, against your righteous standard, against your gracious rule. We pray that the countries of this globe would cease their attacks on your people, your church, your kingdom. Make haste, O God to deliver us; make haste to help us O LORD. O Lord, hear our prayer.

 Look kindly, our Maker, Sustainer, Restorer, upon those hampered by health issues…those fraught with fearful settings…those impeded with intellectual and emotional anxieties…and those whose monetary situations boarder on misfortune… We cry out to you on their behalf, asking you to defend them from all of these adversities, and to protect them from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul. O Lord, hear our prayer.
All of these prayers we offer through your Son, Jesus Christ, as we now sing: 
Hear our prayer, O Lord; 
hear our prayer, O Lord. 
Incline Thine ear to us, 
and grant us Thy peace (TH # 728).

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