Great Commission Prayer for Our Church - 24 October 2021

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Lord, we long to see others brought into the happy life of Heritage, as together we grow in truth, worship, and Christian love. Grant us opportunities to make disciples, to have “divine appointments” to map out the Gospel to others, and to see many baptized and taught the way of Christ. And, as James puts it, if anyone has wandered from the truth, may we be instrumental in bringing them back from their wandering, and so save their soul from death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19-20). O Lord, hear our prayer.

And, Lord, we pray that if anyone is caught in any transgression, that by the leading of your Spirit we would step up and restore them in a spirit of gentleness, keeping watch on ourselves, lest we too become tempted. And that we would bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:1-2). O Lord, hear our prayer.

Missionary God, who sent your Son, and with your Son has sent your Holy Spirit, and now – O Father, Son and Holy Spirit – you send us. We are very thankful for those on our Missions Committee – the time, the work, and the concerns, and that they help us to be a mission-minded congregation. Guide them as they gel together to make wise and perceptive decisions; as they help folks prepare for being sent out, as well as funding and praying for those already in the field. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Our Father, we pray for our denomination. For the younger congregations, we pray that you would mature them in grace, wisdom, joy, resilience, and faithfulness. For the older and more established churches, may we not turn in on ourselves and only be concerned about internal issues – as important as those are. But may we always be a facing-forward, facing-outward people, remembering that we exist, not for ourselves, but for you, and your world rescue operation. O Lord, hear our prayer.

Finally, Father, hear our other concerns, desires, hopes and appeals (…). You not only knew these longings and needs before we did, but you also know what are the best outcomes. Work all of these out for your glory, for our own encouragement and for our good, so that we may give you thanks and grateful praise all of our days. O Lord, hear our prayer.