Pastoral Prayer - 15 June 2014 PM (Father's Day)


Sheol is naked before you, O God, and Abaddon has no covering. You stretch out the north over the void and hang the earth on nothing. You bind up the waters in your thick clouds, and the cloud is not split open under them. You have inscribed a circle on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble and are astounded at your rebuke. By your power you stilled the sea; by your understanding you shattered the sea monster.  By your wind the heavens were made fair. You have made and ordered all these things, and behold, these are but the outskirts of your ways! Yet where shall we find wisdom? And where is the place of understanding? You have said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding’ (Job 26.6-14; 28.12, 28). May we be God-fearing people who eschew evil and pursue you, especially as you have revealed yourself in your word, and in The Word. O Lord, hear our prayer.

 Lord God, hear our prayer for your Church world-over; Grand Blvd AOG; High Pointe Church; Hilltop AOG; Inner-City Church; New Life AOG; as well as our Chaplains – Maj. Shannon Philio; Capt. Barnabas Kim; Maj. Tom Faichney; CDR Todd Orren; Capt Mike Turpin Jr; CDR David Tubley; and LtC Chip Huey Jr. You save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. You, O Lord God, lighten their darkness. By you they can run against a troop, and by you, O God, they can leap over a wall. Your way is perfect; your word proves true; you are a shield for all those who take refuge in him (Psalm 18.27-30). Preserve your people, and empower them in all godliness and goodness. O Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for unbelievers all around us – those who play on our playground; those who will be coming to our VBS; those who are near and dear to us; and those who are unfriendly and unfavorable toward us…O Lord, open our lips that we may declare your praise! Help us to have the compassionate courage to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them and support our words that those with whom we talk will come to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered in the Gospel. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Holy God we implore your mercy for all the nations, tribes, peoples and countries of the earth, including our own, that peace, safety, prosperity, and justice will grow and blossom world over.  O Lord, hear our prayer.

Holy Father, who is the benchmark, the high water mark of all true fathering: we are grateful for our fathers, especially when their firm love and care reverberated with the melody of your own fatherhood. Help us to rightly honor our fathers and their memories. And for those fathers in our lives who missed the mark – or worse – grant them to find you a true Father in Jesus Christ; repair that which they scarred or marred or broke, and heal the wounds. For those fathers in our fellowship we ask you to guide us by your fatherly hand that we will be – more and more – a noble and wholesome reflection of you to our children, whether they are still at home or out on their own. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Finally, Lord God, you who holds our lives in your hands; who upholds all who are falling, and raises up those who are bowed down (Psalm 145.14); be with those who are in need and in hurt….That they may find your healing, refreshment and restoration. O Lord, hear our prayer.

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